Connected Degrees Event

Please read the Google Housekeeping article before you choose storage options

 

Google Housekeeping

Saving your work

  • When it comes to saving your work, multiple locations are the best option. 
  • Your N drive is the safest place as it allows extensive recovery options and is University managed. 
  • Avoid relying on USB sticks and external hard-drives as these can be easily lost, stolen or corrupted. 
  • Use backup software like the desktop Google Drive application. This allows you to specify areas on your computer that will be automatically duplicated to cloud storage.

You have access to University network storage space (N drive) and your University Google account gives you access to cloud storage - Google Drive.

Google Drive

You can use Google Drive to store and access files from any device. Sign in to Google Drive with your University account.

Any shared drives you have access to will show in the Shared drives section in the menu on the left. You can find Google Drive from the app menu located in the top right of the page in Chrome.

Any data synced via the desktop app will appear in the Computers  section in the menu on the left.

More information on File Storage can be found in the Storing Your Files Article.

IT Training also run regular sessions on Google Drive, the current schedule can be found on the Staff IT Training Article.

N and K Drives

The N and K Drives are your network storage areas. They will always be available when you log into a standard PC or Mac on campus and files can be restored for up to 3 weeks after they've been modified.

The K drive is a place to store departmental documents you'd like to be available to others, such as classmates and professors. Your access to the K drive will be limited to your departmental area. 

Your N drive contains vital system configuration files without which you won't be able to use the computer systems – please ensure you don't delete any files you didn't create.

N Drive storage capacity

Your N drive has a 20GB storage capacity.

Restoring Files from the N and K drive (Windows only)

 Restore deleted files from N and K Drives

You can restore files that have been accidentally deleted or saved over by following these instructions. 

Step 1

Double click on This PC, and navigate to where the missing/changed file was located.

This PC window

Step 2

Right click on the white area in the folder and click Properties.

This PC window

Step 3

Click the Previous Versions tab, here you will see a list of folders. These folders are the same folder captured at different periods in time.

Previous Versions tab in the Properties of the folder

Step 4

Select a time just before the file was deleted/changed and then click Open. This will open a previous version of the folder from the date and time specified.

The snapshot of the window

Step 5

Find the file you have deleted or changed and simply drag it into the current version of the folder. You may also copy and paste the file if this is easier. 

1. Copy the selected file from the context menu of the missing file

Copy selected from the context menu of the missing file

2. Paste selected from the context menu of the destination folder

Paste selected from the context menu of the destination folder

3. The missing file will be restored to the N drive

The missing file restored to the N drive

See how much N drive space you have left

You can view your quota from a University PC by double-clicking This PC on the desktop, then right-clicking your N drive from the list of network drives, then select Properties.

The General tab will show you the amount of space you are currently using and the amount of space you have left.

Screenshot of N drive quote on PC

You can view your quota from a University Mac by selecting your N drive (home directory) from the sidebar and choose 'i'. After a few moments, the size of your N drive is shown in the information window.

Please note that the Macs do not give a warning message if the capacity of N drive is reached. You will receive an email stating that you should clean your N drive before that.

Screenshot of N Drive quote on Mac

Remote access to N and K Drives

You can access your personal N drive and public K drive when studying away from campus.

You must connect to the VPN before connecting to the network drives when off-campus.

Connecting to the N Drive

1. Find your N drive location using Find my N Drive tool. Copy the full path under the N DRIVE (WINDOWS) e.g. \\SU2.uni.ds.port.ac.uk\UP\up874069 to the clipboard.

2. Open Windows Explorer and select This PC in the navigator pane on the left.

 

3. Select Map network drive from the top menu bar.

The location of the Map network drive icon in the menu bar

 

4. Enter the following information then select Finish:

  • Drive: N: (if available - otherwise select an available drive letter of your choice)
  • Folder: your N drive location found earlier.
  • Tick Reconnect at logon.
  • Tick Connect using different credentials.

The field address populated and the appropriate tick boxes ticked

 

5. You will be prompted to enter your University username and password. You must prefix your University username with uni\ e.g uni\up123456. Tick Remember my credentials if you wish to remember your credentials and select OK

5. You will be prompted to enter your University username and password. You must prefix your University username with uni\ e.g uni\up123456. Tick Remember my credentials if you wish to remember your credentials and select OK

6. Your N drive will open in an Explorer Window. You can find your mapped network drive under Network locations in Windows Explorer.

1. From the Finder menu, choose Go then Connect to Server...

Connect to Server location in the Go menu

2. Find your N drive location using the Find my N Drive tool. Copy the full path under the N DRIVE (MAC) heading, e.g. smb://SU1.uni.ds.port.ac.uk/U4/BloggsJ to the clipboard.

Copy your N drive location

3. Paste the N: drive path into the input box. You can use the button to add the path to your favourite servers. Then click Connect

3. Paste the N: drive path into the input box. You can use the button to add the path to your favourite servers. Then click Connect

4. You may be presented with a connection warning, click Connect

Continue connecting

5. Enter your University username and password when prompted, if you would like to remember the login details, select the Remember this password in my keychain

Continue connecting

6. Your N: drive will appear in a Finder window once connected

Successfully connected

1. Connect to the VPN.

2. Visit the Find my N drive tool and look up your account. Copy the server path under N DRIVE > LINUX e.g. //su1.uni.ds.port.ac.uk/uh/up123456

N drive network addresses

3. Open a terminal (ensure you are a superuser e.g. root, or use the sudo prefix).

The super user command entered in the terminal

4. Create a mount point, substituting $username with your computer account username:
mkdir /mnt/$username
e.g.
mkdir /mnt/up123456

The mount point command entered in the terminal

5. Mount the N drive to the mount point you just created. Ensure you use lowercase, replace $username with your username and $server with the server path found earlier.
mount -t cifs $server -o username=$username,rw,sec=ntlmssp,vers=3.0 /mnt/$username
e.g.
mount -t cifs //su1.uni.ds.port.ac.uk/uh/up123456 -o username=up668466,rw,sec=ntlmssp,vers=3.0 /mnt/up668466

The commands for mounting the N drive to the mount point entered in the terminal

6. Enter your computer account password when prompted.

The request for the network password displayed on the terminal

7. Your N drive will now be connected. If you prefer to browse your N drive from the GUI navigate to the mnt folder.

The N drive displayed as a folder

Disconnect from N drive

umount /mnt/$username
e.g.
umount /mnt/up123456

Disconnect from N drive umount /mnt/$username e.g. umount /mnt/up123456

Connecting to the K Drive

1. To map the K drive, open Windows Explorer.

2. Select This PC in the navigator pane on the left.

3. Select Map network drive from the top menu bar.

The location of the Map network drive icon in the menu bar

4. Enter the following information then select Finish:

  • Drive: K: (if available - otherwise select an available drive letter of your choice)
  • Folder: \\sp1\public.
  • Tick Reconnect at logon.
  • Tick Connect using different credentials.

5. You will be prompted to enter your University username and password. You must prefix your University username with uni\ e.g uni\up874068. Tick Remember my credentials if you wish to remember your credentials and select OK

Credentials typed into the appropriate fields

6. Your N drive opens in an Explorer Window. You can find your mapped network drive under Network locations in Windows Explorer.

1. From the Finder menu, choose Go then Connect to Server...

Select from the top menu on MacOS Go and Connect to Server

 

2. Enter the path smb://sp1.uni.ds.port.ac.uk/Public

Enter the K drive location

 

3. You can use the plus button to add the path to your favourite servers. Then click Connect

Add path to favourites

 

4. You may be presented with a connection warning, click Connect

Continue connecting

 

5. Enter your University username and password when prompted, if you would like to remember the login details, select the Remember this password in my keychain

Continue connecting

 

6. The K: drive will appear in a Finder window once connected

Successfully connected

Search domains on MacOS

There should be no need to configure search domains but if you are experiencing an issue connecting to your drives on a Mac, you can check the search domains have been detected and add them manually if not.

Manually add search domains

Step 1

Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then choose Network.

Choose Network from System Preferences

 

Step 2

Choose the connection you use to access your N: or K: drive (normally Automatic), if the Search Domains is populated with uni.ds.port.ac.uk you do not need to do anything further.

Choose Network from System Preferences

 

Step 3

If the Search Domains is empty, click the Advanced button then choose the DNS tab.

Check if Search Domains is populated

 

Step 4

Enter the search domain uni.ds.port.ac.uk in the panel on the right-hand side using the button, then click OK to save the settings – you may be prompted to enter your admin password.

The DNS tab selected and the search domain typed in

 

Step 5

Once you have returned to the Network pane, the Search Domain should now be populated. Press Apply and close System Preferences.

The Search Domains is now populated

Need Help?

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