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Box Drive

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Overview

Box Drive is an application that lets you access your folders and content outside of the web browser, directly from a folder on your desktop. Drive streams your entire Box account and consumes only local storage for folders you have marked for offline. 

All folders and files marked for offline use are stored locally on the hard drive as well as in Box. Your offline changes are automatically uploaded when you reconnect to the internet.

You should mark for offline only the folders and content you work with most often or need access to when internet is not an option. This will prevent slowing down your computer.

Box Drive capabilities

When you prefer not to work from the web browser, Box Drive lets you work from a Windows Explorer or Mac Finder interface to view all of your Box content. 

​​​Your Box Drive folder appears next to the other drives you have on your machine. 

Box Drive allows you to perform most actions found on the web app – e.g., searching, locking files, sharing and creating Box Notes from Drive, version control and managing collaborators.

Mark for offline

You have the option to mark a folder for offline use. Box Drive downloads all the contents of that folder to your device’s hard drive, letting you work on it without an internet connection.

Box Drive will automatically upload your offline changes when you reconnect to the internet.

Learn more about making files available offline on Box.

How to get Box Drive

We began pushing Box Drive to all UCSF-managed machines via BigFix starting December 17, 2019. Users initially saw it as an optional install, but the goal is that all UCSF computers will have Drive installed. 

For personal devices or for users who want to self-install Drive, the installer can be found here.

To install Box Drive on Windows

  1. Check for sync errors by right-clicking on the Box Sync icon in the system tray.
  2. Resolve any errors before moving to step 2.
  3. Download the Box Drive installer.
  4. Navigate to the location where you downloaded the file, and double-click it to run the installer.
  5. Follow the instructions to complete the installation.  
  6. If Box Drive does not launch automatically when the installation completes, you may need to go to the Start menu and launch the application manually
  7. You must log into Box Drive the first time you open it. (You may be redirected to your UCSF login page.) 
  8. After you log in, Box Drive displays a brief walkthrough of its features. 
  9. Next, you will see an option to run the Box Sync cleanup tool.
  10. Click Continue.
  11. This tool verifies that all content is synced, then uninstalls Sync. (Anything that is not fully synced will be added to a folder called Archived - Box Sync, and you will have to re-upload that content back to Box.)
  12. When the installation completes, your Box content will be available at C:\Users\USERNAME\Box.

Learn more information on installing Box Drive.

To install Box Drive on macOS

  1. Check for sync errors by right-clicking on the Box Sync icon in the menu bar.
  2. Resolve any errors before moving to step 3.
  3. Download the Box Drive installer.
  4. Navigate to the location where you saved the file, and double-click it to start the installer.
  5. When prompted, select Install for all users of this computer and click Continue.
  6. DO NOT change the install location. 
  7. Click Install.
  8. The system displays a notification when the installation completes. 
  9. Click Close.
  10. Box Drive launches.
  11. You must log into Box Drive the first time you open it.  (You may be redirected to your UCSF login page.) 
  12. After you log in, Box Drive displays a brief walkthrough of its features. 
  13. Next, you will see an option to run the Box Sync cleanup tool.
  14. Click Continue.
  15. This tool verifies that all content is synced, then uninstalls Sync. (Anything that is not fully synced will be added to a folder called Archived - Box Sync, and you will have to re-upload that content back to Box.)
  16. When the installation completes, your Box content will be available at C:\Users\USERNAME\Box.

Learn more information on installing Box Drive.

Box Drive guides

Known issues

Box Drive FAQs

Is Box Drive appropriate/approved for PHI?

  • Yes. CipherCloud will continue to encrypt UCSF PHI as long as it is in a user’s [email protected] folder.
     

Is there a maximum amount of data that I can mark for offline use?

  • Box Drive uses a cache to stream files from the cloud as opposed to downloading all the files to your machine. This cache is set to 25GB or 50% of your hard drive space, if your machine has less than 50GB of free space. ​​This cache size is not related to marking folders for offline.
  • Marking folders for offline access downloads the folder and all subfolders and files to your hard drive. You may mark as many folders for offline access as you choose up until your machine has only 2GB of free space left. When you reach this limit, you will receive an error message saying there is not enough disk space left for you to continue.

Should I back up my Box Sync contents to a local drive? Will I need to move it manually to Box Drive?

  • No. There is no reason to back up your Box Sync folder. Everything that is already synced will migrate automatically and be available in Box Drive. Contents that have Box Sync errors will be placed in a folder named Archived - Box Sync, and you will need to upload those files manually or delete them.

How will the Box Sync to Box Drive transition affect external collaborators?

  • External collaborators will retain the same permissions that they had prior to the change. They may continue to use Box Drive, mobile apps or the Box web interface to access UCSF-owned Box contents.

Why are we switching?

  • Box will eventually be deprecating Sync and ending support in the future. 

Do we still access Box via MyAccess,  or is there something on the desktop now?

  • Users are still able to access Box on web browsers via MyAccess, and they have the option to use the Box Drive application. Once logged into Drive with MyAccess credentials, the user will not have to log in again.

Does this impact all UCSF Box users or just certain groups?

  • Migration to Box Drive includes all current users of Box Sync on UCSF-managed machines. This will eventually impact UCSF Box users who are using Box Sync on non-managed desktops and laptops as well.

Should I move our data to somewhere else?

  • There is no need to move any files or folders.

Can we still use UCSF Box normally during and after this change?

  • Yes, the web app will work normally. Box Drive is simply a desktop/computer application that assists users in managing their content.

Will Box Drive continue to work on mobile devices using iOS or Android?

  • Drive is not a mobile application, so this change will not affect mobile devices.

Can one use Spotlight, Finder, Windows Explorer or Cortana to search files in Box?

No. Files and folders are being streamed from Box directly and unfortunately cannot be indexed by these applications.

What if users have files open during the upgrade?

  • If the files are open in Box Sync, then the install will pause until the files are closed.

Will the upgrade be your typical BigFix session, or will the end-user need to interact with the installer?

  • For MacOS, the user may have to click through to complete the install, but the install should be silent for Windows.

Are you able to designate a folder and all its content to be available offline, or is it file by file?

  • You can only mark folders for offline use. This lets you make a folder and all its content available, when you're not connected to the internet, by downloading it.
  • If you need to make a single file available for offline use, put it in its own folder.
  • Note: You may mark as many folders for offline access as you choose up until your machine has only 2GB of free space left. When you reach this limit, you will receive an error message saying there is not enough disk space left for you to continue.

Will the transition to Box Drive automatically free up all the space on the computer (i.e., free up the local storage)?

  • Yes, as long as you run the Box Sync cleanup at the end of the Box Drive installation. It will take up no more than 25GB on your hard drive or 50% of your available capacity.

Will Box Drive allow users to organize folders that are shared with them? That is, can I put all shared folders from one person in another folder?

  • No. You cannot move folders shared with you. This is because doing so causes changes for any collaborators as well.

Are tip sheets available to end-users?

Is there a way to opt out of having Box Drive installed?

  • Initially the install was optional on UCSF-managed machines, but eventually all UCSF machines will have Drive installed.
  • Personal devices are not being forced to transition; however, once Sync is disabled, Sync users will have to switch to Drive.

Do I have to submit a ticket if I want to download Box Drive now, if I do not have admin rights?

  • Yes. Contact the IT Service Desk by dialing 415-514-4100 or submit a ticket here and they can install Box Drive for you. Additionally, users can simply wait for Drive to be offered through BigFix.