Move photos off old media
Copy pictures from memory cards, discs and USB sticks into the shared archive folder, and keep the originals until you have checked the copy.
Guides
Practical guides
Most digital losses happen quietly: one day a page simply won't open, or a USB stick full of photos stops being recognised. Here you'll find step-by-step guides to help you save what matters in advance, while it is still available.
Save a page on the day you needed it, not on the day you remember it again.
How this section works: we describe actions in general terms, without tying them to particular software or devices, because menus are named differently everywhere. When saving other people's material, keep copyright in mind: a copy is for personal use.
Quick guides
Five tasks people most often put off until later.
Name files clearly
Use a 'date - event - place' pattern, with no leading spaces or special characters, so the name reads correctly on any system.
Export data from an account
Many services let you download an archive of your email, photos and contacts. Do it at least once a year.
Move documents to an open format
Re-save texts from old word processors in a format that different programs can open, and save important papers as PDF/A as well.
Leave instructions for your family
Write down where the archive and its copies are kept and who can get access if something happens to you.
Article catalogue
This is where standalone articles written specifically for English-speaking readers will appear. Each one is written from scratch rather than translated.
- A practical guide to Diablo IV gold trading and pricing: Player Experience
What gold trading means in Diablo IV, why Blizzard's terms ban real-money gold deals, and how players can weigh time, risk and in-game alternatives.
- Aion 2 Krao Cave: Player Guide and Key Considerations
How to approach Krao Cave in Aion 2: where it fits in PvE, how to prepare and verify details in-game, and what to weigh before considering outside help.
- GTA 6 Heists and Mission Planning: Practical Guide
How heists worked in earlier GTA games, which GTA 6 heist details are still unconfirmed, and a planning routine you can use whatever Rockstar ships.
- Path of Exile 2: Currency — Player Decision Guide
A decision guide to Path of Exile 2 currency: what to know before 1.0, questions to ask about your build and league, and realistic in-game alternatives.
Topics we are working on
- How to scan printed family photos and caption them for the future
- How to tidy up an email archive built up over many years
- How to plan who will look after your digital belongings
- How to keep personal documents readable as file formats change
Editorial rules
- Articles in this catalogue are written separately for each language version and are not translations.
- Some articles link to third-party websites, including gaming services; we do not control their content, prices or terms.
- We do not publish advertising for cloud services, software or devices, rankings, prices or reviews, or files for download.
How to save an important web page
Decide what you actually need
Sometimes one paragraph or table is enough; sometimes the whole page with its images matters. That decides the method: select and copy the text, save the complete page or create a PDF file.
A PDF works better for a guide with pictures; a plain text file is fine for reference text.
Save it as a PDF
Open the browser's print dialog for the page and choose saving as PDF instead of a printer. You get a single file that looks almost like the original and opens practically anywhere.
Save the page as a file
The browser's 'Save as' command writes the page to disk along with its images. This copy is closer to the original, but it consists of a file and a folder that must be kept together.
Take a screenshot
If the page is short, or what matters is how it looked on a particular day, a screenshot will do. It is awkward for long text, though: you can't search it.
Note the address and date
Put the page's full address and the date you saved it in the file name or in a note next to it. In a few years this will be the only clue to where the document came from.
Check the public archive
See whether the Wayback Machine has a capture of the page. If the service lets you request a capture, that helps other readers too, but your own copy is still more reliable.
Respect the author's rights
The saved copy is meant for you. Don't publish it or send it around without permission, and when you quote from it, credit the source.
Further reading
- Tools
Built-in features found almost everywhere: print to PDF, document version history, account data export and disk checks.
- Comparisons
Cloud or external drive, PDF or original format, USB stick or hard drive for long-term storage: the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.
- Problems
A file won't open, a drive isn't detected, a format is obsolete, a backup won't restore, a link is dead: a calm order of checks.
- Glossary
Digital storage terms in plain language: archives and copies, formats and media, addresses and links.
- Dead links (in Russian)
An old address of an article from another website: why links stop working and how to find a saved copy of a page.
Sources
- Internet Archive — information about the Wayback Machine
- ISO 19005 (PDF/A)
- General data backup recommendations
Facts about system support periods, file format standards and web archives were checked against the organisations' published information at the time of writing. Menu items in your own software and devices may be named differently from the general descriptions used here.