Identifying Network Drives:
Most members of SLU's staff and faculty have access to network storage on the University servers. This storage is usually identified as two mapped drives: T: and U: There are advantages to storing files on the network. One of the most important is that your content is backed-up so if you have a problem with your computer like a hard drive crash or a leak in the ceiling pours water onto your computer and destroys it, your valuable work and/or research is not lost.
The T: drive is the shared network storage for one's department. Different members of the department may see different content depending on their level of access. However, the T: drive is a space where department members can store files that are of use to multiple members of their team. Examples of content saved on the T: drive would be forms, spreadsheets, or other documents that multiple people in the department use or need to reference.
The U: drive is an individual's personal network storage area. This is where one stores content that isn't intended for anyone else. Examples of content saved on the U: drive include papers, publications, journal articles in process, course materials and other important documents you want to preserve, but that aren't as relevant to other department members.
Saving Files:
If you're using your own university computer on campus, or you've logged onto a university machine in a lab, classroom, or other space, your network drives should be mapped as part of your login script so that should appear as available drives. Saving files to the T: or U: drive is just like saving a file to your local hard drive or an external drive connected to your machine. You save from whatever application you're using and simply choose the T: or U: drive as a destination. The same is true for copying existing files from a local drive to a network drive. You can copy/paste or drag and drop from a local drive to the T: or U: drive for the files to reside on the network.
Opening Files:
Like saving files, accessing and opening files from a network drive is equally familiar. If you're using your own university computer on campus, or you've logged onto a university machine in a lab, classroom, or other space, your network drives should be mapped as part of your login script so that should appear as available drives. Opening files from the T: or U: drive is just like opening a file to your local hard drive or an external drive connected to your machine. You access them from whatever application you're using by simply choosing the T: or U: drive as a source. The same is true for restoring existing files from a network drive to a local drive. You can copy/paste or drag and drop from the T: or U: drive to a local drive.