If you accidentally delete files, it may be possible for us to restore them from backup tapes. System backups are made nightly, and files that have been modified within the last 24 hours are stored onto the backup tapes each night. Additionally, full backups of each file system are made each quarter, and weekly dumps are made covering changes during the past week. For information on having a file restored, you will need to provide us with specific information about the file. We need to know the full path of the file (or the path relative to your home directory), the time the file was last modified, the time it was deleted, and possibly the time it was created. Providing all of this information will enhance the chance of getting your file restored.

If you need to restore a file from backup tape, first collect the information described above. For Engineering, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or for Computer Science, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . File restorations from backup tapes are time consuming and may take at least 24 hours. If you create a file and then remove it before it has a chance to be stored on the nightly backup tapes, there is no way to recover that file. Also, backup tapes are not kept indefinitely. Currently, quarterly archival backup tapes are kept for one year. After one year, the tapes are recycled. You cannot restore a file from more than one year prior to today's date.