# BEWARE - Lost Chromebook Files!

Last Friday, a client at our UKOnline computer clinic had a problem with lost photos on a Chromebook.  After looking at the problem online, it was found that many other people have experienced problems with Chromebook storage and lost files.

It is recommended that people do not use the Chromebook's internal storage to store files on any long-term basis. Google sees the internal storage only as temporary storage and recommends that files be stored online in the Google Drive. 

In their own words, taken from a Google Help page -
'As far as the Downloads area is concerned, you will see many posts recommending the Downloads are be treated as temporary storage only. Anything you want to keep must be stored in the Drive area (or USB/SD/ alternative cloud storage).  The rule of thumb, especially for power users is to NOT keep long term items in the Downloads folder. I usually just use my downloads folder as temporary storage and keep the majority of my files on my external HDD.'


Chromebooks come with very small amounts of storage, usually 16GB or 32GB (the same size as many smartphones) most of which is taken up with the Operating System. any space left over is split between data used by the Operating System and a folder called 'Downloads'.  As far as Google is concerned, the Downloads folder is to be used for the temporary storage of files (usually downloaded from the internet).

It turns out that there can be many instances where Google will delete files from the Downloads folder or even completely wipe it clean. Chromebooks will delete files from the Downloads folder if they think that the storage is getting too full or if they think that the account is being re-initialised.

What Alternatives are there for storing files?

Chromebooks expect files to be saved in their online storage known as Google Drive or on external storage such as an external hard disk or USB stick that would be plugged into a USB socket.

Some Chromebooks come with a camera card slot that will take an SD card. SD cards come in many sizes now and can be pushed into the SD slot to provide extra storage.

Wherever you decide to save your files, whether it be a Google Drive, an external drive, a USB stick or an SD card, never ever trust this storage to keep your files safe. You should always keep copies of your files in more than one place.  So, keeping your files on a Google Drive and separate copies on a USB stick or external drive will ensure that, when one fails (and it will), you haven't lost your irreplaceable photos or documents.

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