Automatic Backup of Microsoft Office 2007 Documents

With the 2010 edition of Office, Microsoft introduced file backup and synchronization to the average user. Like Microsoft Office 2007, 2010 also had SharePoint support, but SharePoint is an enterprise-level solution not likely accessible to the home user. If you own or are planning to buy Microsoft Office 2007 and want backup and sync capabilities, you do have a number of options.

Office Add-In

Perhaps the easiest way to achieve this functionality is to use an Office add-in, which is a functional extension. In fact, MS used to offer Microsoft Office Live as a free download for 2007, but it was since deprecated and replaced by services that don’t have native 2007 support. Third-party plug-ins are an option too, but availability may be spotty and support nonexistent at this point.

Use a Free File Hosting Service

SkyDrive, which was introduced with 2010, is an example of a free file hosting service. SkyDrive has since been rebranded to OneDrive. It’s available to anyone with a Microsoft account, and the service is independent of the Office suite. Create your OneDrive account. Install the OneDrive software, and you’ll have access to an automatically synced online folder. Simply use that folder to create and update your documents. OneDrive provides 5 GB of storage at no charge, which is enough for thousands of Word and Excel documents. There are also competing services that may offer more free space.

Use a Paid File Hosting Service

You can also store your Microsoft Office 2007 documents via a paid file hosting service or cloud, and some sellers will even give you free storage when you buy Microsoft Office 2007. The term FHS and cloud are often used interchangeably, but cloud can also refer to a service that provides processing power in addition to storage. Either a paid FHS or cloud can be a good investment if you need more than 5 GB, such as when your documents contain many large images.

Host a Backup Folder on a Secondary Storage Device

You can also host a folder on a local device rather than on the Internet. The key here is to use a device different than the one that contains your OS and Office installations . Options include a second internal hard or solid-state drive, an external hard drive or even a flash stick. One potential issue with syncing locally is the lack of redundancy. You should seek to have backup copies on at least two local devices.

Employ a Backup Application

Syncing Microsoft Office 2007 documents to an external hard drive isn’t as convenient as using a live folder. However, you can simplify the process by using an automated backup program. Such a program will sync your files automatically and can even backup to multiple locations, including local and Internet-based drives .

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