We’ve had several students lately who have lost data because they had not correctly setup their backups – and then their iPads were either damaged or “the mysterious someone” reset their passcode.
Right now, while you are thinking about it, check to make sure your data is being backed up:
Settings –> iCloud –> Backups ON. GO ahead and click the button to do a backup RIGHT NOW, since you’re there…….
Drive –> Settings –> Photos. YES, automatically backup your Pix and Vids to Drive. The other settings involved are your call [ they won’t make much difference since we are a Google school].
Notability –> Gear icon, bottom left –> Autobackups –> Google Drive should have a checkmark. If it doesn’t, select it. You’ll be prompted through the signon process.
ONCE MORE OPTIONAL THING YOU CAN DO:
Settings –> iTunes. Sign in. The iPad Guy suggests using your personal AppleID [that way any music you buy will always be yours]. If you will never be buying music through iTunes, then it’s OK to use your MDS AppleID. [AND you can switch accounts later if things change].
There IS an option to NOT have a credit card on the account – but you have to look for it on the screen where Apple asks for your credit card.
This betters the odds of doing a simple restore-from-iCloud if your machine croaks, as opposed to setting up from scratch and having the download all your backups manually.
Here’s what you need to MAKE SURE gets setup after your iPad gets wiped – or better yet, BEFORE something happens to your iPad.
The Short List
iCloud signed in to your MDS email address
iCloud Backup ON
Google Drive – signed in, Pix auto-backup
Notability – backing up to Google Drive
Setup Email
The Detailed List
iCloud
This will make it faster to setup your iPad in case of a disaster.
Settings –> iCloud
Make sure you are signed in. You should see YOUR MDS EMAIL at the top. If you have used a different email address, CHANGE IT NOW. If you want to know why, ask Mr. Rule.
Turn iCloud Backup ON – and start a backup.
Google Drive
Automatically backup your pictures and videos after you take them.
Sign in to Google Drive
Look for the 3 stacked lines, top left. [It’s called a “hamburger menu”].
Click it.
Select Settings…..
Select Photos
Turn ON both sliders at the top [Use Google Photos folder, Autobackup].
Sometimes the “Google Photos” option is grayed out. I don’t know why. Let me know if you figure it out.
Notability
Automatically back up everything in Notability to a folder on Google Drive.
Fire up Notability
Bottom Left corner – click the gear icon [settings]
AutoBackup
Google Drive
Login
Give it permission
Setup Email
Settings –>Email
Add new account
It’s a GOOGLE account
Fill in the fields – should be easy to figure out.
When you get to the screen with 4 sliders – turn all 4 of them green, then hit SAVE
If Notability seems to start up when you click the icon, and then it disappears:
Step One – Clear the Decks:
Swipe out of all your running apps [doubleclick your home button, swipe all the running windows up to quit the apps].
Shutdown your iPad [Hold Power button down for umpteen seconds until the “Swipe to turn off” slider appears onscreen.]
Wait FIVE MINUTES.
Turn iPad back on.
Step Two – Check your storage:
Settings –> General –> About –> Amount Available
If less than 500megabytes, then you need to make room, USUALLY by deleting photos or Videos
Photos app –> Camera Roll. Select items to delete.
THEN switch to the “Recently Deleted” album, click SELECT, then DELETE ALL.
Other possible storage hog is your email. DELETE emails you no longer need – each one takes up room on your ipad.
If the Notability icon is Dark, or says “Waiting”:
Your iPad [for whatever reason] refuses to update Notability, or it started to and has gotten confused.
A couple of points, first:
You are STILL responsible for getting your homework done. This means you will have to take an alternate route. Work with your teachers – they are all aware of the issue.
Alternative Possibilities for getting your work done include
Textilus if you want to type notes
Google Docs if you want to type, AND your notes to automatically be available in Drive
If you prefer to use a stylus, try using one of the Art apps [like Paper]
Use Pencil/Pen and Paper. [Seriously – there are a good number of brain-wiring/educational/physiological reasons to go this route. Ask Mrs. Alderman].
“THE DANCE”
Try this first at school.
If that makes no difference, try it at home.
Please do these steps IN THIS ORDER.
Once you complete them, let Mr. Rule or Mrs. Andrews know what happened. They are tracking the results and working with tech support.
Look at your Notability app. If it is NOT still dark, let Mr. Rule/Mrs. Andrews know – RIGHT NOW!
Swipe out of all your apps. Shutdown the iPad. Wait 5 minutes. Start it back up.
Once things are back up, wait 5 minutes to see if anything changes.
If Not, click on the Notability icon.
If it starts installing, let Mr. Rule/Mrs. Andrews know – RIGHT NOW!
—–> If you’ve “done the dance” at school, try it at home.
—–> If you’ve “done the dance” at home, try it at school.
—–> Let Mr. Rule/Mrs. Andrews know what happened – RIGHT NOW!
One student had success by doing this:
I closed out my apps,clicked on all the blacked out apps a few times, and shut the ipad down for about twenty minutes. The apps started loading after that.
