Using the cloud is something that is part of the daily lives of many users. There are many platforms available, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. However, by using an external service, you do not fully control your files. There may be problems that do not depend on you. But could the files have an expiration date? Could they become unavailable once time passes?
We are going to tell you what you should take into account. The objective is that you do not lose documents or files that may be important. Having them always available, accessible from anywhere, is useful, but it is key to guarantee that they will really be there when you need them.
Expiration of files in the cloud
Losing the files you have stored in the cloud can be a major inconvenience. Therefore, we always recommend having at least a couple of backup copies. This is the only way to guarantee that all that content will be safe in case there is a problem.
Account closure due to inactivity
Something common is saving files in the cloud, but not really using that platform frequently. You may only have it with a backup or enter it very occasionally. What can happen? There could be what is known as a downtime. This means that, after some time passes, they cancel your account.
They always tell you beforehand. They send an email, alert you that you haven’t logged in for a while and give a deadline to cancel the account. The problem comes when you have not realized and have ignored that email. In that case, you lose the stored files.
To prevent this from happening, what we recommend is that you log into your accounts from time to time. This way, you will prevent them from believing that it is a totally inactive account, that you do not want to keep, and they end up deleting it. This will prevent you from losing personal data or important files that you may have stored there.
The platform ceases to exist
There could also be the extreme case that the platform where you have hosted your files ceases to exist. It may happen that you have a significant loss of users, that the platform is no longer profitable, etc. This may result in them ceasing activity and therefore closing all accounts.
Again, they will always warn you about this. But of course, you don’t really control the files, but rather they will be in a third-party service. If it closes overnight, you wouldn’t be able to do anything.
If you use guarantee platforms, with a long history behind them, this happens less frequently. On the other hand, if you register on unknown Internet pages, you could come across one that is a short-term project that fails, so it could become unavailable in a short time and you will be left without your backup copies.
The plan you have expires
Another case is that you have contracted a storage plan and it expires. For example, taking advantage of a promotion in which they offer you more space for a specific time or paying for more storage, but then not renewing it. This can cause the files to disappear if you don’t act.
We recommend that you always keep in mind how much space you have available and whether or not you have a contracted plan, as well as the expiration date. You will also receive alerts when your plan is about to expire, so you can make the necessary adjustments and avoid problems.
They stop sharing files with you
A reason that may also be present is that they have a shared folder with you. There may be files there that you have access to, but at some point they will remove access permissions. You will not be able to enter, so you would lose those documents that you could see before.
This can happen if the person who shared those files with you removes your permissions, deletes their account, deletes the files, etc. It is, therefore, another cause.
In short, files in the cloud could become unavailable after a while. It is something that you should keep in mind, so as not to have problems in case you need to access certain important documents. Just as you need good speed to upload files to the cloud, we also recommend that you choose a guaranteed service and thus reduce the risk of having problems.
