All about dropbox. What does LAN Sync do? Getting links to downloaded files

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Hello, dear readers of the blog site. Not long ago I published an article, which now acts as a kind of add-on l (the “Files” tab in the web interface).

The thing is convenient and I actively use it. But it would probably be wrong to ignore the service that was first implemented cloud storage idea and which, on this moment, has one of the largest user audiences, which already numbers tens of millions. I'm talking, of course, about Dropbox.

The problem of exchanging files between computers, tablets and phones can be solved by creating a folder on a cloud server on the Internet that will contain all the data that you upload to Dropbox folder on your computer. This folder can be accessed either through the web interface or using a program installed on your other computers, tablets and phones.

Which is better - Yandex disk or Dropbox (there are also other storage facilities, for example, or)? Let's answer this question yourself by trying both. cloud storage and data and evaluating their functionality and convenience. Dropbox can be supported by the fact that many programs can use it to synchronize their data, or the fact that the bourgeois service maintains and stores a history of changes to all files (up to one month per free account) and you can always roll back (this is convenient, especially when editing documents together).

Creating an account in cloud storage

In order to try Dropbox in action, you first have to fill out a simple registration form on this page (unfortunately, this bourgeois service has not yet acquired a Russian interface, which is probably due to the small number of paid accounts registered by RuNet users).

P.S. It is noteworthy that a week after the publication of this article, the Dropbox web interface and the program that you install on your computer became fully support Russian language. Either they heard my groans, or it was a coincidence. Although, my megalomania votes, of course, for the first option.

If in some incomprehensible way Russian was not selected as the default language, then this misunderstanding can be easily corrected by clicking on the language selection button in the lower right corner of the Dropbox website window:

Well, actually, the registration form (already in Russian):

You can enter your data in Cyrillic, and you can then use Russian characters in the names of files and folders that will be synchronized and stored in Dropbox. In the future, your login will be the email you specified during registration.

After clicking on the create an account button, you will be redirected to a page where, without any preamble, your browser will display a program download dialog to install it on your computer. Indeed, someone may not notice the button to download the program, but that’s for sure. However, for your other computers you you can download Dropbox from this page:

At the first step, the installation wizard will ask whether you already have a Dropbox account (second checkbox) or whether you still need to create one (check the first line):

We have already created an account, so mark the second option and click on Next. Next, you will be asked to provide your account information and, if desired, change the name of the computer to which it will be linked. this version programs:

After clicking Next, the program will connect to the service, checking the account data you entered, after which you will be given a choice - not to pay anything and have only pitiful 2 GB of disk space in cloud storage, or pay ten or twenty dollars a month for a hundred or even two hundred gigabytes on a paid account:

What Russian doesn't like freebies? This is probably why the owners of Dropbox were in no hurry to translate it into Russian. Of course, 2 GB will not be enough, but it is possible to expand this space by performing a few simple passes, or by attracting new users to this cloud storage (on refs you can type up to 16 gigs, which is much better than two).

I have to use Google Chrome integrated into the browser, because I am extremely weak and helpless in English. By the way, he translates better and better every year.

Moreover, the referral program is very cunning. For each new recruit you will be given an additional half a gig of disk space in the cloud storage. However, the same half a gig will also be received by those who registered using your referral link. For example, I went to the Dropbox website using a referral link and after a while I received a letter explaining that I now have as much as 2.5 gigabytes in cloud storage and suggested where I could get your referral link:

Here's my reference. In general, they have everything thought out. Dropbox, by the way, is a very profitable company, whose income is measured in hundreds of millions of dollars a year and all thanks to a huge audience of users, simple and clear interface, as well as high reliability and availability. Well, the referral program helps increase these same incomes, which Lately, probably, it’s not so easy to do, because several dozen analogues have appeared that are not inferior to Dropbox in functionality, and sometimes even superior to it.

Installing and configuring the Dropbox program on your computer

Okay, let's get back to our sheep. At the final step of the program installation wizard, you will be prompted change the location of the Dropbox folder on the computer (“Typical” by default, and “Advanced” - with the ability to independently select):

Personally, I try to do nothing extra system disk do not install so that the image created in Acronis is not too large, so in this case I select the “Advanced” option and specify a different path for shared folder(not on the system disk):

Next, you will be asked which folders you want to synchronize with the cloud storage server and, accordingly, with all other Dropbox programs installed on your own computers. The checkbox in the first line will mean complete synchronization of all subfolders and files, and when you check the box in the second position, you will need to uncheck those folders that you do not want to synchronize for one reason or another.

That’s it, the steps of the installation wizard are completed, after which you will be offered to look at explanatory pictures on working with this cloud storage service and its desktop part. By the way, it turned out quite clearly; the big one that appeared looked especially cool green arrow, which swayed and pointed to the Dropbox program icon blinking in the tray; double clicking on it will open a window to the cloud data storage:

If you right-click on the program icon in the tray and select the settings item from the context menu of the gear icon (you could bury it even further):

A window will appear where you can tweak some things and see the percentage of your limit in the cloud storage. At the time of synchronization, the percentage of completion and data transfer speed will be displayed. Well, a list of recently added files to your cloud will also be displayed. We are still interested settings, so we select the item "Options".

On the first “General” tab, you can disable the appearance of notifications about various events that occurred in the cloud storage (adding a file, changing a document you are working on with someone, etc.), and you can also disable autoloading of the program Dropbox with Windows and disable fast synchronization data with computers in your local network.

Let me explain the last point. If Dropbox is installed, for example, on the computers of you and your significant other, who is sitting in the same local home network, and you are logged into it under one account, then the files placed in the shared folder first copied over local network to a second computer, and only then will they be uploaded to cloud storage via the Internet. This will greatly speed up the exchange of heavy files within the local network, thus eliminating double downloading of files via the Internet.

Next tab in window Dropbox settings called "Account" and allows you to perform only one action - disconnect the program on this computer from your account in the cloud data storage. On the tab "Traffic" You can, if desired, limit the speed of downloading and uploading files from the cloud and to the cloud during synchronization. It probably makes sense to do this on a common Internet channel for many users, for example, on a home or work network.

You can also set the proxy server settings if for some reason you use it to access the Internet. On the tab "Advanced" you will see all the same settings as when installing this program on your computer - the ability to change the location of the Dropbox folder and disable synchronization for individual folders in your cloud storage. It would be possible, of course, to choose a language, because recently there has been full support for the great and powerful Russian language.

How to use Dropbox?

After installing the program, you will see the contents of your Dropbox folder, where, in fact, there will be nothing except the “Photos” folder and a short manual. In the “Photos” folder you will find a folder with a demo album. Photo albums in Dropbox are formed based on folders created inside "Photos":

After creating a folder for a new album and dragging new photos into it, a blue tab will appear to the left of its icon, which will change to green after synchronization is complete (uploading new files from your computer folder to cloud storage).

To give your friends or anyone else the opportunity to view photos from your photo album, you can click right click mouse over the folder with the album, select “Dropbox” from the context menu of this folder - “Share a link” (share a folder or file):

After this, you will be transferred to the browser, which is the default in the system, and you will see a window asking you to send a link to view this photo album by mail (it can be seen on background this window) or copy the public link to it to the clipboard by clicking on the “Get link” button:

Any person who received this link from you or copied it on the site will be able to view the list of photos in the album, download them all in the form of one archive, or just look at full screen mode, clicking on the screen with the left mouse button to load the next photo:

You can share more than just folders in Dropbox, but also separate files. For example, I applied everything described just above to the Getting Started.pdf file, which was present in the cloud folder by default. Now this file is available to everyone via the shared link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pfmmievx9tshh05/Getting%20Started.pdf

Depending on the default settings of your browser, it will either be opened for viewing in the browser, or a dialog for downloading it to your computer will be activated.

Just above, we made it possible for all Internet users, without exception, to view the contents of a folder by following the appropriate link. But often there is a need to have shared folder For collaboration with the files located there, and access to it should be limited.

To do this, you will need to select “Dropbox” - “Access to folder” from the context menu of this folder:

A window will open in the browser where you will need to specify the Email address of the person with whom you want to collaborate with the files in this folder, and click on the “Grant access” button:

As a result, a letter from Dropbox of the following type will be sent to the specified mailbox:

Now the two of you can edit the files there, add and delete them if necessary. Thanks to Dropbox's ability to rollback any changes and maintaining a detailed history of edits, you can be calm about uncoordinated actions. We'll fix everything. You can, if desired, similarly add the required number of users who will be able to work with files in this folder.

View the previous version of a file in DropBox and restore it

How does rolling back file changes work? stored in Dropbox cloud storage? Surprisingly simple. For example, I placed the “Draft” file in the “Shared” folder and edited it in both accounts for which this folder was shared. Now right-click on this file and select “View previous versions»:

As a result, a browser window will open with the web interface of this cloud storage, where for this specific file All changes made to it will be listed minute by minute, indicating the name of the person who did it. In addition, you can check the box next to the desired backup copy of the document and click on the “Restore” button to roll back unsuccessful or accidentally saved changes:

This is exactly why I love Dropbox. Now I have all the files to which I periodically make changes stored in my local Dropbox folder, so that I can be calm not only about their safety, but also that an erroneous saving will not kill all my years of work. True, in a free account The change history will be stored for only one month, and then it will be deleted.

If it is important for you to keep the history of changes longer, you will have to activate the Packrat service by first switching to one of the paid tariffs. By the way, about the birds.

Expanding cloud storage with bonuses

In addition to attracting referrals described just above (with this you can earn up to 16 gigs of additional space), there is a promotion Samsung + Dropbox, which in my case brought me immediately 48 GB of additional space in this cloud storage for a period of two years:

I simply installed Dropbox on my wife’s mobile phone (Gnusmas Galaxy S3), logged into my account and almost immediately received a letter of congratulations. If you add all the other bonuses to the maximum, you will get somewhere around 64 Gigs, which is already comparable to the first paid tariff 100 gigs, for which every month you would have to pay ten evergreens. Quite a nice freebie.

By the way, in addition to referrals, you can also fill out a checklist on the page " Where to begin", thereby adding a few more hard gigabytes to your cloud, especially since this will be the same “young fighter course”, after completing which you will become completely comfortable with Dropbox. In general, combine business with pleasure:

Let's take a look now online version of the service, which will be available to you always and without installation additional programs- through regular or mobile browser. To access your cloud drive You will have to enter the email you specified during registration and the password you created there.

Working with the Dropbox web interface

By default, the contents of the Dropbox folder open, where the entire folder and file structure you created on your computer will be repeated (due to synchronization). Actually, the web interface allows you to do everything the same as the desktop program, but at the same time you can work with cloud files from any computer - all you need to do is log in.

When you right-click on a file or folder, a context menu will open that allows you to perform a number of actions on this object shown in the screenshot (download for editing, delete, share, make the folder public, move, copy or rename).

Just above there are buttons for downloading an edited or new file, for creating a new folder, for sharing it (you will be offered to either create new folder and make it general, or select from existing ones), as well as to display all files deleted by you or other account users.

On the tab "General access" All shared folders in which you work with files together with other invited Dropbox users (well, or with those who invited you) will be listed. And on the tab "Links" you will find a list of all public links to folders and files in your account:

There you can copy the public link again, or eliminate the possibility public viewing data folders and files using crosses located at the end of the lines. On the tab "News" you will find an event log (protocol) where you can track in time all the actions performed ever and by anyone in your account. We just talked about the purpose of the “Where to start” tab.

If you click on your first and last name, which are located on the right top corner, then from the drop-down list you can select items to log out of your account (if you need to log in to another); to switch to another tariff plan (Expand capabilities); to download Dropbox latest version(Install), and finally, in order to get into settings of this wonderful cloud service(Settings):

On the first tab of Dropobox settings, called "Intelligence", you will be able to review what you have disk space in this cloud service and what part of it is still free.

On the tab "Account settings" you can change your first and last name, your associated email address, and also connect your Dropbox account with Twitter, Facebook, Gmail or Yahoo. Well, and something else can be configured there, up to complete removal your account from this cloud (link at the bottom of the settings window).

Protecting DropBox from hacking

Bottom of the window "Protection" you will find a list of devices from which this account has ever been accessed so that you can track unauthorized connection, and just below there will be a list of browsers in which you worked with Dropbox using your username and password.

At the top of this window, you will be able to change this very password, as well as uncheck the boxes for notifications to be sent to you by email when a new device connects to your cloud or any application accesses it.

Interestingly, it will be possible there activate two-step authentication , which can seriously increase the security of working with your account in this cloud service (read about similar ones). What it is?

Everything is banally simple. In addition to entering your login and password, now, when connecting from a new device, you will be required to confirm using the mobile phone specified in the settings (either you will receive a code in an SMS message or a code from the mobile application). At re-entry from the same device (computer, mobile phone, tablet) a simple authorization will be sufficient. It’s very convenient, and most importantly, it greatly increases the security of working with your files in this cloud storage.

So feel free to click on the link "Change" and in the pop-up window, click on the “Getting Started” button. Since this is a very important matter, you will be asked to enter the password for your Dropbox account again. Next, you will be offered a choice of two options: either enter the code from incoming SMS messages, or install a special application on your mobile phone:

SMS messages are free, so without further ado I chose the first option, and in the next step I indicated the country and my mobile phone number, to which I immediately received an SMS with a code that I had to enter in the next window of the two-step verification connection wizard. Next, I was asked to indicate a backup number cell phone, which may be needed if the first one is unavailable or lost.

Well, at the very end they suggested remember (write down) the security code, which will help you disable two-step verification if you cannot access your Dropbox account using it:

Now, if anyone even finds out your username and password for your Dropbox account, then when you try to log in, he will be very puzzled by the request to enter a security code, which will be sent to your mobile phone:

How to use mobile versions of Dropbox

Let's now talk a little about the mobile versions of the Dropbox program, which will allow us to view documents and files from this cloud folder on a tablet or smartphone, as well as edit them or add our own. The principle of operation of mobile versions of programs is somewhat different from how the desktop version works.

The fact is that the desktop version of the program by default tries to completely synchronize files from the cloud storage folder with files from local folder Dropbox. This is quite logical and convenient, because the vast majority of users of this program have unlimited Internet, and the gigabytes of hard disks are such that the size of files downloaded from the cloud is unlikely to be too noticeable. However, you are always free to exclude unnecessary folders from the synchronization process in the settings of the desktop version of the program (see above).

Another thing is mobile phones or tablets, where the size of the data storage space may be significantly smaller than the size of your folder in the cloud storage. How can we be here? The developers did it quite simply - by default, the files in the cloud are completely are not copied or stored on mobile devices. When a user opens one of the folders and wants to see a picture, office document or something similar, then this file is downloaded to his mobile phone upon request.

If you need to have copies of files from cloud storage on your smartphone or tablet that would be available offline, then you will only need add such files to favorites. It’s very convenient, for example, by connecting to Wi-Fi at home, you can add to your favorites all the documents or media files that you will need on the way to work, and you won’t have to go broke on expensive mobile traffic, which does not always take place in the same metro.

Well, if you have a Gnusmas smartphone (Samsung) based on Android, then by searching on Google Play program Dropbox, by installing it and logging into your account, you will quite possibly receive a bonus in the form of additional gigabytes to your cloud storage. Personally, I got about 50 gigs of freebies.

But this does not mean at all that there is no point in going to the iPhone and iPad owners. App Store and install a similar program - even without additional goodies, Dropbox will give you a lot of convenience and pleasant sensations.

Automatically save photos from the gadget to Dropbox

When you first start the program, you will be prompted save automatically everything you did on your mobile phone or tablet Photo and video V separate folder in the Dropbox cloud. At the same time, by default they offer to automatically download footage only when connected via Wifi to the Internet, so as not to waste mobile traffic, but you are free to choose the second, more wasteful option:

This was a screenshot from an iPad, but in an Android smartphone the picture will be similar:

Here you will actually be asked about the fate of the photos and videos you already have on your phone - if you check the box, they will all be merged into a cloud folder "Camera Uploads". What is noteworthy is that for each of your mobile device it will not create a separate folder - everything will be merged into one “Camera Uploads”. But it's still very convenient.

Documents or files that you create in other programs on your mobile devices can be transferred to the Dropbox program, which will merge these files, in turn, into a cloud service so that you can continue working with this document on your computer at home. As an example, there are a lot of options for using Dropbox and not all of them are obvious. You need to install the program and try it to understand the beauty of the cloud.

Program window on iPad you can see in the screenshot just below:

At the bottom of the left column there are four tabs: Dropbox folder contents; storage of photos and videos of your iPad; selected files and program settings, which were opened in the above screenshot. There aren't many settings, but it's still something.

Any file from the Dropbox folder you can Add to favorites using an icon star-shaped, which is located in the upper right corner of the screen. All files added to favorites will be stored in the memory of your mobile device and can be accessed even while offline on the corresponding tab in the left column of the program window. When viewing files in the Dropbox folder, your favorites will be marked with stars:

Just above the second tab icon in the left column of the program (your iPad’s photo and video storage) the number of new files that have not yet been uploaded to the cloud service will be shown. In order to correct this annoying misunderstanding, just go to this tab and file synchronization will begin immediately (if you are connected via Wi-Fi). It’s quite convenient to transfer media files captured on a mobile device to your computer in this way.

Work is organized in approximately the same way in the program for smartphones. based on Android:

You can add individual files from the Dropbox folder to your favorites for storage in the device’s memory and upload all photos and videos captured by your mobile device to the cloud. Quite convenient and unobtrusive. For example, this is how I transfer books to the iPad that are installed there.

Some mobile applications know how to use this cloud service to synchronize your files with desktop applications. I once wrote about, which I now use to avoid theft of passwords from my computer by Trojans (after this). So, Kipas stores passwords in an encrypted database, which, however, no one bothers you to place in the Dropbox folder, for its greater safety and accessibility from other computers.

Then on your iPad you can install, for example, the KyPass application, which can use the Kypass database downloaded from Dropbox. And there are quite a lot of such programs. They can access your cloud storage and use it for their own purposes, some of which may be quite unexpected.

There are also desktop applications that can connect to your Dropbox account and use its folder to transfer files or data. For example, this way you can monitor another computer - the program takes screenshots of the desktop at specified intervals and sends them to the cloud. There is a program that simplifies the synchronization of program settings on different computers by placing files with settings in a cloud folder, and leaving shortcuts in their place.

There are also programs that allow you to encrypt the contents of the Dropbox folder on the fly, and another program installed on another computer decrypts the whole thing on the fly. However, it seems to me more acceptable in this case to use a time-tested encryption program. For example, you can easily create it in a cloud directory and put it next to it portable version the same program so that this container can be decrypted on another computer.

There is even one called wp Time Machine, which can create and place it in the folder of this cloud service of your blog (wp-content directory and database dump). You will only need to specify the login and password for your Dropbox account in the plugin settings and name the folder where the backups will be stored.

In general, there are a lot of possibilities and I will be glad if you share your work By using Dropbox.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

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Dropbox what is this program

In order to use the service, you need to go through a simple registration procedure, for which you just need to fill out the following form:

After this, you can immediately use the online versions of the storage. For users who prefer a software shell, you can download the installer on the official website. The Dropbox program has the same functionality as the online version, but it additional benefit is to create a specialized folder on one of the partitions hard drive. This makes it easier to work with files, since in this case you do not need to upload them to your account on the site, but simply transfer them to a folder called Dropbox. The service also supports a version of the application for mobile devices. You can install it in a standard way through a licensed application store.

Dropbox what is this program and how to use it

If a program is running on a computer, its icon will appear in the taskbar. If you click on it, the user will see the storage folder, which displays all the files collected in it.

If a user has a question about whether Dropbox is worth installing and what kind of program it is, then first of all he needs to understand the settings. You can get into them by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right corner and selecting settings.

Now it’s worth talking about the main settings:

On the Account tab, you can unlink certain folders from your online account. This means that their content will not be synchronized through the service servers.

The Import tab allows you to activate the function automatic download all video and photographic materials from devices (cameras, cameras, phones, etc.) connected to the computer.

In chapter " Bandwidth» You can limit the width of the Internet channel for the synchronization procedure. This may be important for users with low data rates.

One way or another, each of us has heard the name Dropbox at least once. But since not all users of personal computers and laptops are familiar with this concept, it makes sense to talk about it. Cloud computing has been very popular for quite some time. You've probably already understood Dropbox - what it is and what it's for this program and service in general. In short, you upload documents that are important to you on the Internet and do not worry about them being damaged, disappearing, etc.

The essence of Dropbox in a few words

Of course, it is quite difficult to describe such a functional service in a few words. However, it is necessary to highlight the most important and important things. You have created a folder with files on your computer's hard drive. After that, you synchronized it with other devices and uploaded it to the server. Therefore, regardless of your location and the technology you use (computer, tablet, phone), you have access to a folder stored in the cloud at any time. Agree, this is extremely convenient and effective. Especially considering that today there is special applications for mobile devices, allowing you to view documents stored in this way.

You already understand the brief essence of the program and how it works, you will understand by reading this article. It's important not to miss the details so you can enjoy full set functions, and believe me, there are quite a few of them here. I would like to note that the developers have installed a simplified interface that even a novice user can understand. We can say that the idea was a great success, since the service is currently successfully used by millions of people, and this good indicator reliability and quality. Now let's look at the main advantages of cloud storage of information.

Benefits of Dropbox

A lot can be said about the merits of the service and the application itself, but we will look at a few of the main ones, after which you can draw certain conclusions for yourself. Of course, there are small shortcomings, about which a few words will also be said. So, the biggest plus is that if you have uploaded files to the cloud, you can be sure that no one will steal them from there. Moreover, such servers have high level reliability, therefore they work extremely stably, and if they go into maintenance, it is scheduled, therefore, they will warn you about it. You also protect your documents 100% from viruses. Even with the most reliable antivirus on the computer you do not have such a high guarantee. This is due to the fact that any OS has so-called “holes” in the system, through which spyware leaks.

But that’s not all. As noted above, you get full access to your files via the Internet. That is, you can enter the program at any time, having only a connection to the network. By the way, it’s worth mentioning a drawback here. If you don't have Internet access and have another device than the one you downloaded from, you won't get access. The same applies to a slow Internet connection, although this is more likely a problem with your provider, not the service. That's probably all there is to it regarding the pros and cons.

Dropbox program - what is it and how to use it?

We have dealt with the service as such, so now I would like to say a few words directly about the program. The first, and also the most important thing, is that you need to download and install the program. The process is exactly the same as for installing any other software. The only thing you need to remember is that it is advisable to download Dropbox from the official website, this way you will avoid counterfeiting the utility, infecting the system with viruses, stealing files, etc. unpleasant moments. We also pre-register on the official website. His address is Dropbox.com. The process takes no more than a few minutes.

Then everything is extremely simple. You place the files you need in special folder. It is usually called exactly the same as the program. After some time, depending on the speed of your Internet connection and the load on the servers, all documents will become available on other synchronized devices, and you will be able to use them. Keep in mind that the program must also be installed on another computer or tablet. Well, now let’s take a little look at the functionality that the service offers us.

Service capabilities

Of course, you must understand that the amount of space allocated for each user is limited. When you register, you immediately receive 2 gigabytes. In principle, this is quite enough, especially when it comes to small programs, presentations, etc. materials. But you have the opportunity to expand. To do this, you need to invite new users to the system. For each person you will receive 250 megabytes, therefore, 4 people - 1 gigabyte, etc. If you work in an office where the same file is edited by several employees, and then many copies are created, then, you see, figure out what is Well, it's not that simple.

If you have Dropbox, you can change one file, adding or removing what you need. Moreover, the functionality of the program allows you to rollback to more earlier versions, which is extremely convenient. Another important point: if you work with large files, then this service will become an indispensable assistant for you. This is due to the fact that you no longer need to upload files to email or Skype. It is enough just to send users special links, clicking on which they can get an important document.

Step-by-step instructions for adding files to the cloud

We've already figured out a little how to use Dropbox. In principle, there is nothing complicated here, because, as noted above, the developers paid great attention to the simplicity of the program, and they succeeded very well. Let's see what you need to do to add your first file to the cloud. The first thing you need to do is install the program, then activate your account; it can be business class or regular. Drag the file you need into the created folder and click “save as”. You're probably wondering, how does Dropbox sync work? You don't need to do anything, because after you add your first document, it will automatically synchronize with the web service and devices that have access to this program.

If you want to use the service directly, without the participation of the program, then you need to go to the official website and go to your account. The address looks like this: http://dropbox.com. At the top of the home screen you will see an icon; if you hover over it, it will say “download”. Click and add us required file from the computer. After this, a corresponding indicator will appear, indicating that the documents are being downloaded. When finished it will sound sound signal. You cannot upload files over the Internet that occupy more than 10 gigabytes.

Advantages of Dropbox over a regular network drive

This question is probably asked by every second user. You already know a little about the work of Dropbox - what it is, and what are the benefits of this service, we also figured it out, but I would like to say a few words about network drive. In principle, these two services are extremely similar, the difference is that by working with cloud-based file storage in Dropbox, you can continue working with documents whenever and wherever it is convenient for you. As for network drives, then the situation here is a little different. The fact is that most often there is no synchronization option, and without access to the Internet it is impossible to get the document you need. This is what is good about the Dropbox program.

But that’s not all. If you worked with a document without an Internet connection, then all changes will be synchronized and made after network access is available. This is extremely convenient, because you don’t need to add or remove anything yourself. Unfortunately, at present they do not provide such wide opportunities to their users, and the range of functions is much smaller. As noted above, your files are 100% protected, they cannot be hacked or “stealed” in any other way, so you will only benefit. Moreover, it's free, so why not take advantage?

A little program menu

Let's take a closer look at what is offered to us and how useful it is. The first thing that is recommended to do after registration is to go through instructions, after which you will be sure that you did everything correctly and your account is set up. Next, you will be invited to participate in the referral program and receive another 6 gigabytes extra space. So let's take a closer look at the "files" menu. Here you can upload new documents, create folders and edit them. Be careful, the more convenient and understandable you edit this menu, the easier it will be for you in the future. Here you can add files to folders that will be accessible to all people.

Another useful tab is called “events”. This is not to say that it is vital, but its presence can greatly simplify life. to a simple user. Here you can track activity across your entire account or a specific folder. There is also access to a tab called “Shared Files and Folders.” Here you can open a document or even an entire folder. In simple words, it is possible to make a document available for use by other users of the service. After this, you can send direct links to the file, the recipient can only click on them and download the content. You can either create a public folder or make it an existing one.

What can be stored, and a little more about the advantages

Let's take a closer look at what can be uploaded to the service. As we have already figured out, installing Dropbox is quite simple, after the process is completed, you can enjoy the full functionality. Here you can upload scripts, content, music and much more. If you are engaged in sales on the Internet, then this service will come in handy for you. The fact is that you can send links to the product or service you are selling by mail. This not only saves energy, but also precious time. You can also store backup files here. Unlike network drives, they are stored for a month, so if necessary, you can easily restore the data you need.

Currently, all applications for mobile devices allow you to access the program completely free of charge. Therefore, you have access to the content anywhere and at any time, but this has already been said. It is also worth noting that Dropbox installs on your computer very quickly and does not take up much space. This is especially true for older laptops and PCs, where every 100 megabytes random access memory have great importance. There is no need to repeat once again that this great way forget about what a CD is, DVDs and flash drives. That's probably all that can be said about the main functions of the program. As you can see, there is everything that both a beginner and an advanced user need.

Some more useful information

If you often work on big projects, which change every now and then, the best way to make life easier for yourself and those around you is to install the described program and take advantage of the service’s capabilities. There is Dropbox for Windows, Linux, Android and other popular operating systems. Therefore, you can install the program on almost any platform. You can find for yourself great amount useful information and files, for this it is recommended to use a public folder where people add various documents. If one of your work colleagues has made changes to the file, you will immediately see it and be aware of it. Mobility is the main strength of the program, it is always at hand, as noted above, there is no need to authorize Dropbox. Login is automatic and even offline.

It is not at all necessary to use the program only for work. While on vacation, you can upload photos and videos to the cloud and send them to your friends and family. The developers of this software have created an information site that allows you to share your impressions of using the utility, its address: dl.dropbox. Remember, if you make a change to a document by mistake, don't panic, you can easily undo it by rolling back to a previous version. The same applies to accidental deletion. All information on your account activity is stored for a month.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the program is extremely easy to use, the review turned out to be quite voluminous. We have completely understood the concept of Dropbox, what it is, and also what the program is needed for. The main thing is to understand the principle of operation. You upload a file to the service, which is stored there. If you ask what benefit developers have, the answer is simple: they get good money for it, since most buy space and premium accounts, which give more features. After reading the article, you should have understood the meaning of Dropbox, what kind of program it is and what audience of users it is aimed at. These are completely different people, businessmen, students, office workers, architects, etc.

The most important thing is that even a child can figure out how to use Dropbox, this is the main advantage of the service. Combined with high reliability and file security, you get irreplaceable assistant. If allocated free space If that's not enough for you, then for just $10 a month you can buy another 100 gigabytes of space. As a reference, I would like to say that in 2011 the company earned more than $240,000,000, and every year this amount is steadily growing, which indicates the popularity of the service. That’s essentially all about Dropbox, what kind of program it is, we hope it’s clear to you.

There are quite a lot of services on the Internet that claim to have the same functionality as Dropbox. Take ZumoDrive, Live Mesh, SkyDrive, Ubuntu One or SugarSync. There are many of them, but today we will talk about exactly that - everything has its time, and you can’t grasp the immensity, but you need to try. In addition, Dropbox is interesting because it is easy to use, the interface is intuitive, and the service itself is free to a certain level. So let's begin.

Dropbox - what is it and what is it for?

is a cloud-based information storage system in the form of folders or files. That is, you store files not on your computer, but on third party service. You can do this for free up to 2 gigabytes, or increase your storage capacity by connecting your friends to the service with referral links. For each new user you will receive 125 additional megabytes of storage. Up to 100 gigabytes of additional storage can be obtained for an additional fee. Using the Dropbox cloud, you can synchronize files, for example between home group computers. For example, I now have 4 computers in operation, and Dropbox is installed on all of them. Therefore, having put files on one PC in the cloud, I can immediately see them on another. Well, use them, of course. In general, this service has so many features that they cannot be contained in one article. So I'll start from the very beginning and we'll gradually move forward, exploring our Dropbox.

Nowadays, many users work every day on several computers at once. For example, there is one PC at home, another at work, there is also a laptop or smartphone, and maybe also a tablet. In this case, it becomes very difficult to synchronize data - necessary files you have to send it by email many times, use ISQ or Skype, connect USB drives or copy everything onto disks. It’s inconvenient and long, you’ll agree.

Compact hard drives and USB drives solve this problem, but only partially. And do they decide? You can forget a flash drive at home or even lose it, and they often break. And the information on it can be very valuable and necessary. Storing information on the Internet is the safest solution. And this method of storage makes your existence significantly easier - you don’t need to worry about extraneous things, you just know that you have your own personal chest online, in which everything is safely hidden and will not go anywhere.

- one of these modern “chests”. It is designed to store information in any form with the ability to synchronize data between MAC, PC and all kinds of mobile devices. Dropbox is extremely easy to use and manage - you don't need a lot of knowledge to get started. As I already mentioned, it supports any file format. Dropbox allows you to work with a large number of folders and files at once. Dropbox can be installed on any operating system, and it will get along perfectly between them. For example, you have a MAC at home, Windows at work, and an iPad for travel.

You can still easily work with any files on any device, transfer them, change them, or even delete them. You can publish files to the Internet from any computer. If you update a file on your PC, it is automatically updated on the Internet. Supports collaboration between several users at once - to do this, you just need to create one shared folder, and other documents will not be visible to this group of users. If files are changed by one user, then for other users they change automatically, and a service message appears on the computer about updating the information.

Updating program versions and the ability to return to previous versions also exist. At Dropbox help can be used by email or any other information on various devices via Wi-Fi. For example, if you need to synchronize iPhone work, MAC and PC without connecting to a computer. Even an inexperienced PC user can easily figure out how to work with Dropbox. You and I will figure it out too.

First, download the client from this link - and when installing the program, in the input field, enter your registration data that you entered when registering on the site before downloading https://www.dropbox.com. After this, you will have a folder on your computer called “Dropbox”. Now all the information that will be placed in this folder can be synchronized between the Dropbox cloud and any of your computers. Now I will tell you in detail, on fingers and with pictures, and show you how to easily and quickly install Dropbox program to your computer and run it. Let me remind you once again that special versions of the program have been developed for any operating systems and mobile devices. Now download our client for PC on Windows:

When installing the program, it will ask if you have an account or if you New user. Select the item “I don, t have a Dropbox account”.

Although Dropbox has been working for me for a long time, as an example I will delete old program and install it again with a new Dropbox account. At the same time, I do not risk anything, since all my files and folders in Dropbox on the computer are also on the server, and they will remain safe and sound. In this window you need to fill in all your data that you entered during registration. Write a correct and working address, because your new account will be linked to it.

Now choose your storage capacity. As you can see, you will need to pay for more than 2 gigabytes, so choose 2Gb - it will be enough for you for the first time. I chose a free “chest” of 2Gb size:

When installing the Dropbox program, you can specify the directory in which all your synchronized folders and files will be located, or you can leave everything by default - then the program itself will create a folder in “My Documents\Dropbox”. The folder will look like the Dropbox service icon. A Dropbox icon will also appear in the tray, which will look like this:

And inside your “Dropbox” folder there will be folders and files that will relate to the service, as well as your folders, which you can rename as you wish. You see that by default several folders are created - “Photos”, “Camera Uploads” and a service file with its description. You can definitely remove it, and do with the rest as you please. I'm everything extra folders I removed it and created several new ones - for myself, for my computers, and a few for friends.

If you want to work with files on other computers or devices, then go to the site . There you can work with documentation in the same way as on a computer, upload new files or download old ones in protected mode. There is also the ability to share folders with other users in your Dropbox app.

How to Create a Shared Folder for Other Dropbox Users

IN context menu The “Dropbox” item will appear in Explorer, in which you will see what you can do additionally with folders and files. And for public access you will need to install Dropbox on another computer, indicate your current account, and get all current copies of the cloud. Sync folders and files will happen automatically. Sharing in Dropbox allows you to share information in your cloud with friends, colleagues and other users.

Now all information that is in the Dropbox folder can be synchronized between cloud server Dropbox and any of your (or not your) computers. Data transmission occurs via an SSL connection and is encrypted using the AES-256 algorithm. All this happens in background and it doesn't bother you at all. That is, you will have the most convenient and secure access to folders and files, both with home computer, and from a working PC or from a mobile device (tablet, phone). It's easy to record some information in the storage: just drag and drop the files into your Dropbox folder on your personal computer and wait for them to download. For example, I transferred an image file weighing 1.4 GB in this way, and this process took me 10 minutes.

So that other users can work with shared files and folders, you can create a separate folder. For example, "Friends". Now you must right mouse Click on it and select “Dropbox/Share this folder”. In the browser window that opens, enter mailing address the person with whom you want to share this folder. When he receives the invitation by mail and accepts it, the operation can be considered completed. Now you can share files quickly and securely.

You can simply copy this link and send it to your friends by email, but why bother if Dropbox does everything for you? You must select this item in the computer context menu (image below) to send the link to your friends:

This is what the invitation window with link will look like in your browser:

Now that everyone sharing the folder can work with this folder, you can change its contents, and other connected users will immediately see the changes. Immediately - because they will receive a pop-up notification from Dropbox on their computer that an update has occurred in such and such a file. Additionally, you can manage who has access to the shared folder, even to the point of deleting them by deleting files on their PC or mobile device.

So that you can share Dropbox, you can use another method. You need to send invitations to friends or colleagues by email, but only under one condition - they must have Dropbox installed. This can be done quite simply - in the same window (picture above), click the “Import contacts” link. Your mailboxes and services you participate in - Gmail, etc. Write the text of the invitation, by accepting which your friends will be able to access the files and be able to work with them. Moreover, all changes will be visible to all other users of this shared folder in Dropbox.

We draw promising conclusions - all folders and files that are stored on the Dropbox server can be downloaded to your computer at any time, sent to other users, or simply changed something in them. Moreover, you can always get backups all documents or restore previous, unmodified versions of documents! Handy if you unintentionally deleted or changed a file. With free access (up to 2 gigabytes), users can restore previous versions of files for last month, and premium users can do this at any time. That is, when using a paid account, you can get any copy of your entire computer if you copy all the files and folders on your computer to Dropbox in advance. You can delete files and folders without the possibility of restoring them. But there are limitations here too, albeit rather funny ones. You cannot delete several files or folders at the same time - only one at a time. And you cannot delete a folder if it contains more than 1000 files. That is, all this is conditional and solvable.

Access Dropbox from mobile devices

As I said above, your Dropbox account can also be accessed from mobile devices, for example, from smartphones on Android based, iPhone, iPad or Balckberry. What you can do in Dropbox on your mobile device:

1. View the complete list of files in your Dropbox account.
2. View some types of files on a mobile device (docx, txt, pdf, jpg, avi - and almost all formats and extensions) open on my tablet.
3. Add video files, images and photos for synchronization. On Android, you can easily work in Word and save files to Dropbox.
4. Create new directories and folders.
5. Save any available files to other applications.

Security in Dropbox

The Dropbox cloud service takes care of the security and confidentiality of all your data. Here are the measures that have been taken for the security and preservation of information:

1. All information passes through a secure SSL connection.
2. Information is stored on the server in encrypted form (AES-256), and Dropbox personnel do not have access to other people's files. Yes, according to at least, the company claims.
3. Only users who have received an invitation can access public folders.
4. Only users who have a link to the file can access files in the shared folder. It is not possible to view the entire folder or other files in this directory.
5. All Dropbox applications are protected to the maximum extent possible.

That is, when using cloud service you have comfortable, fast and completely secure access to information from any computer or mobile device that is connected to your account. Big advantage Dropbox is that it is easy to use even for an untrained person, and the entire procedure for communicating with this application is simplified as much as possible. Complex and long settings absolutely excluded.

What does LAN Sync do?

Not long ago, Dropbox introduced a new feature - “LAN Sync”. It makes it possible to synchronize files on corporate local networks, without the participation of the Dropbox server. This function greatly increases the speed of data transfer and information synchronization within the network. If previously changes to files and folders went through the Dropbox server, now they first check for the presence of a changed file on the local network, and then this file is downloaded. That is, the width of the external server channel no longer affects the speed of the application.

Hello users Today I will tell you what kind of Dropbox program this is and whether you can remove it. So, Dropbox is a very popular, if not the most popular cloud on the Internet, in which you can store personal files, while all files are uploaded there via special program(client), which is installed on your computer. From myself I can say that the program has free version, it is safe, no viruses and stable. In general, a respected company, therefore it has existed for a long time and occupies a leading position among Internet clouds

Why do you need Dropbox?

Why do you need Dropbox? Well, here everyone will see the pros and cons for themselves, basically this is a service for storing files. In general, I will try to list the main key points:

with the help of Dropbox you can store important documents, personal files on the Internet and not worry about their safety, believe that Dropbox will take better care of this; at the same time, no one will see your files and will not be able to obtain them unless you allow it;
all your files that are stored in the cloud can be accessed by other people; for example, you can upload photos to the cloud and then provide a link so that someone can download them;
initially you are given 2 GB of personal space for files, but believe me, thanks to interesting system increasing the volume, you can easily increase it up to 25 GB;
on your computer, after installing the special Dropbox software, a certain folder will appear and everything you throw in there will automatically appear in the cloud, this is very convenient;
the only negative that I don’t like is that your data on Dropbox servers is not encrypted; the transfer process itself is encrypted by HTTPS, but the files on the servers are no longer encrypted; Certainly this problem you can decide, you can manually encrypt files using TrueCrypt or BoxCryptor, or what’s even easier is to use the function of setting a password for the archive into which you will pack the files (by the way this opportunity is in the archiver); but again, I don’t think that at Dropbox their company didn’t think about the security of your files;

What does this Dropbox even look like?

Before using the program, you need to register in it, that is, in the Dropbox service. I’ll say right away that I did this through their client and there is nothing complicated there. You just need to enter your first name, last name (it can be fake, of course) and email, then a link will be sent to this email where you will need to activate your account. And then in the program there will be a mini-introduction to the service:

Once you have read everything and completed this short guide, the program will already be installed on your computer and the Dropbox folder will immediately open, you can already throw files there and they will soon automatically end up in the cloud. It's convenient, isn't it? This is the folder:

If you click on the program icon below, you will see the following message indicating the latest file transfers to the network cloud:

Dropbox program settings

I think you can easily figure out the settings, here’s how you can get into them:

And here is the settings window itself:

If you want Dropbox not to boot with Windows, then uncheck the second box on the General tab. On the Account tab, you can move the folder into which you can drop files, that is, the Dropbox folder. But do it when there is really a need for it. On the Bandwidth tab, you can set the download speeds to/from Dropbox servers so that it does not interfere with your use of the Internet during its business.

If you click on this icon:

Then the browser will start (which is your default), and your page will open in it. personal account Dropbox:

How to uninstall Dropbox?

Can I uninstall Dropbox? Yes, you can, or even need it if you don’t use it. By deleting the client from your computer, you will not completely destroy your Dropbox, you will simply delete the program that connected your computer to the Dropbox servers. At any time in the future, you can install the program again, enter your login and password and everything will start

If you are an advanced user, then I advise you to familiarize yourself with this tool -. This is a super program that can remove software from your PC and then clean the system of debris that the removed software could leave behind. In general, if you have time and desire, then get acquainted, I advise

Before deleting, I think you need to exit the program:

So, now how to completely remove Dropbox from your computer - click the Start menu and select Control Panel there (if you have Windows 10, then right-click Start and this item will be there):

Now we find the Programs and Features icon:

Find Dropbox here and right-click on it, then select Delete:

After this, a window will appear in which you need to click Uninstall to remove it:

The removal process will begin, it should not be long:

And that’s it, then it will be written that everything was deleted successfully and all that remains is to click the Close button:

You don't even need to reboot, well, in any case, we were not informed about this

Well, now you know Dropbox, what kind of program it is, do you need it and how to remove it? I hope that I wrote everything correctly and clearly, now all I can do is wish you good luck

25.05.2016