Save a page
How to make your own copy of an article, guide or help page before the site closes or changes, and how to find a page that has already gone.
digital memory: how to keep websites, files and data
Z83 — a reference on digital memory
Websites shut down, hard drives fail and file formats go out of date faster than you might think. We explain how to keep what matters to you, from important pages and documents to photos and correspondence, and how to store it all so that it still opens ten years from now.
A backup you have never tried to open is a hope, not a backup.
Four areas
Backups
The 3-2-1 rule explained with an everyday example, choosing between the cloud and an external drive, and regularly checking that a backup really restores.
Old files and media
What to do with documents in forgotten formats, discs and USB sticks from the desk drawer, and a computer that no longer gets updates.
Family archive
How to gather relatives' photos and documents in one place, label them clearly for the next generations and agree on who has access.
Reference sections
- Guides
Practical guides: how to save an important web page, build a personal archive and move photos off old media. The article catalogue is here too.
- 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A file won't open, a drive isn't detected, a format is obsolete, a backup won't restore, a link is dead: a calm order of checks.
- Security
Encrypting backups, account access and inheritance, and handling other people's data and photos with care.
- Glossary
Digital storage terms in plain language: archives and copies, formats and media, addresses and links.
- Questions
Answers about this reference, saving websites and pages, backups and personal archives.
A personal archive in five steps
Gather everything in one place
Go through old computers, USB sticks, email and accounts and move important files into one shared folder. Don't delete or sort anything yet: the only goal at this stage is to leave nothing scattered.
It helps to keep a short list of sources: which device you have already gone through and which is still waiting.
Sort into folders and dates
Come up with a simple scheme: year, then topic or event. Start each file name with the date as year-month-day, and the files will line up in order on any system.
Back up with the 3-2-1 rule
Keep three copies of the archive on two different types of media, with one of them stored somewhere else: with relatives, at work or in the cloud.
Check that the backup opens
Pick a few random files from the backup and open them on another device. If something won't read, it is better to find out now than on the day your main drive fails.
Set an update day
Put a recurring date in your calendar, for example once a quarter, when you add new files to the archive and refresh every copy. Regularity matters more here than any sophisticated technology.
Quick answers
Are you a hosting service? Can I host a website with you?
No. Z83 is a reference, not a hosting service: we do not accept or store other people's websites or files. A free hosting service once ran on this domain, but we have no connection with it.
Where can I find a website that used to be on a subdomain?
Try searching for it in web archives, such as the Wayback Machine run by the non-profit Internet Archive. There are no guarantees: not every page is captured, captures are not always complete, and we do not have any of the former material.
Can I download someone else's entire website?
Texts, images and design belong to their authors. Saving a page for personal reading is usually fine, but publishing a copy, sending it around widely or passing it off as your own is not. If you need the whole site, ask the owner for permission.
Which cloud should I choose?
We do not recommend specific services. Look at the criteria instead: the option to export all your data as one archive, clear storage terms, sign-in with two-factor protection and a storage location that suits you.
About the project
This domain and its subdomains used to host other people's websites on a free hosting service, and later unrelated advertising. The Z83 reference has no connection with them, none of their material is here, and the name came to us along with the domain.
We write about digital memory: saving pages and files, web archives, backups, old formats and media, and personal and family archives. We do not advertise cloud services, software or devices, publish rankings or distribute files.
Further reading
- Guides
Practical guides: how to save an important web page, build a personal archive and move photos off old media. The article catalogue is here too.
- 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.
- Security
Encrypting backups, account access and inheritance, and handling other people's data and photos with care.
- Questions
Answers about this reference, saving websites and pages, backups and personal archives.
Sources
- Internet Archive — information about the Wayback Machine
- Microsoft — product lifecycle (Windows 7)
- 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.