How to share files and folders from your cloud storage folder

Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He’s written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami’s NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read nearly one billion times—and that’s just here at How-To Geek. Read more.

Cloud storage isn’t just for your own personal files. You can use it to easily share files without any hassle. Share files back-and-forth with your friends and colleagues, or make them available to the entire Internet.

Shared files can automatically sync to each person’s computer, or you can access them via the web or mobile app. It’s a more convenient way to share files than emailing them back and forth.

Dropbox

To quickly share an individual file with someone, right-click the file in your Dropbox folder and select Share Link. You can also right-click the file in the Dropbox web interface and select Share Link, too.

Dropbox will copy a public link to the file to your clipboard. Send the link to someone — or post it online for all to see — and people will be able to access and download your file. Anyone with the link will have access to your file, so it’s not the most secure way to share — but it is the easiest, fastest way.

Dropbox can also share folders with specific people. To do this, either right-click a folder in your Dropbox folder on your desktop and select Share this folder, or right-click the folder in Dropbox on the web and select Invite to folder.

You’ll be taken to the Dropbox website, where you can add the email addresses of specific people you want to share the folder with. They’ll need a Dropbox account to access the folder. Once they’ve accepted, the folder will appear in every person’s Dropbox account and anyone can copy files to and remove file-s from the folder. It’s a great way to ensure you and a friend or colleague all have the same files. The files and any changes or removals will sync to each person’s PC automatically, just like any other Dropbox folder.

Dropbox only allows you to use “view-only” sharing if you have a paid Dropbox Pro or Dropbox for Business account. Otherwise, anyone you share the folder with can edit it, adding new files to it, removing files from it, and modifying existing files.

Google Drive

Google Drive has similar features. To modify sharing settings in Google Drive, right-click and file or folder in your Google Drive folder, point to the Google Drive submenu, and select Share. You can also right-click a file or folder in Google Drive on the web and select Share. This will bring up the exact same dialog you’d see on the web.

The dialog gives you a link to share the file and options for who can access the file. By default, the file is private and only you can view it.

If you want to make the file public so anyone with the link can access it, click the Change link next to private and set the files’ share settings to “Anyone with the link.” You can also set it to “Public on the web” — if you do this, Google will index the file and it may show up in web search results.

To share the file with specific people, add their email addresses at the bottom. They’ll receive an invitation to access the file. You can set sharing settings to choose who can edit or just view the file — unlike in Dropbox, which requires a paid account to do this. If you share Google Docs files in this way, you and other people can edit them in real-time.

To sync shared folders and files to your computer, you have to visit the “Incoming” section in Google Drive on the web and then drag files and folders from “Incoming” to “My Drive.” They’ll then sync to your computer, and any changes you make will sync back.

Microsoft OneDrive

For some reason, OneDrive doesn’t include built-in sharing options in Windows 8.1’s File Explorer. You could use the OneDrive “Store app” to change these settings, but you’d probably prefer to use the website on your desktop. Windows 8.1’s OneDrive integration also doesn’t offer a way to sync folders and files shared with you to the desktop. You’ll have to access them in the web browser. OneDrive does offer all the same sharing settings as Dropbox and Google Drive, but you’ll need to use your browser — you may want to use Dropbox or Google Drive if Windows desktop integration is important to you.

To get started sharing a file or folder in OneDrive on Windows 8.1, right-click the file or folder, point to Share To, and select OneDrive. This will take you straight to the file or folder on the OneDrive website. You could also just open the OneDrive website in your browser and locate the file or folder there.

Click the Share button on the website to share the file or folder. You can use the “Invite people” options to invite specific people by their email addresses and choose whether they can view or edit the file. You can also choose whether they need to log in with a Microsoft account or not.

The “Get a link” options allow you to create a link to the file or folder, and anyone with the link can access it. You can choose what people with the link can do to the file — whether they can just view it or edit it as well. You can also make the file available publically — it will show up in search engines even if people don’t know the link.

To access files and folder shared with you, you have to head to the OneDrive website or mobile app and look in the Shared section. Files and folders shared with you won’t be synced to your desktop, so you’ll need to use your browser to download such files and upload files to shared folders. As with Google Drive, Office Online also allows you to edit documents with other people in real-time.

If you use another service — or one of these clients on another platform, like Mac OS X or Linux — the process should be very similar. Quick and easy file sharing is one of the big benefits to storing your files “in the cloud” — in other words, on a company’s servers.

Once you connect your cloud storage to Documents, you can easily share a link to uploaded files and folders with other people. This is extremely useful when you need to quickly share some files so that other people can view, download, or collaborate on them.

Due to the workflow peculiarities of different clouds and depending on what cloud you use, there are two scenarios of how to create a shareable link.

Google Drive, Dropbox, Box

These clouds allow you to generate a link right in the Documents app. To share a link, open your cloud folder in Documents > find the file or folder you’d like to share > tap . on it > tap Share link. Once a link is opened by the recipient, they can view and download the shared file or folder. If you would like to change the access setting so that people can, for example, edit or comment on your files, you can do it either in a browser or in a dedicated app. Here are the detailed instructions for each cloud:

• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• Box

iCloud, OneDrive, Yandex, and other storages

Due to the performance specifics of these clouds, you need to access either the website of your cloud or a dedicated app to be able to create a link. Here are the detailed instructions on how to create a link for some of the clouds:

• iCloud Drive
• OneDrive
• Yandex

If you don’t see the needed cloud in the list above, please look for a relevant article on the website of your cloud storage.

How do you elevate your local file server network share into the cloud? You can set a cloud network drive for your remote workers for shared web folders at work or home office.

Sync Folders vs. Network Drives?

Many public cloud services provide you with a desktop folder, inside which files are synchronized with a third party site and ready to be synchronized again to remote PC, Mac, and mobile devices. This method works well for a personal user. However, employees may have a different daily workflow in businesses depending on the drive mapping feature to work on files and folders from within a PC drive letter or a Mac mounted volume.

When it comes to shared folders at work, the network drive is one of the standard practices. Shared network drives, or file server network shares, are typically large and have a granular folder and file permissions attached.

These two factors (size and permission) promote cloud network share over synchronization folders when it comes to cloud storage services.

Specific Pain Points for Synchronization Folders

Big Folder and Large File

When folders are big, it requires a lot more bandwidth and local disk space to synchronize to a local folder. When the files are large, unnecessary synchronization saturates the local area network bandwidth and slows everyone down.

Permissions and Control

When the shared folder has granular permissions set, the synchronization folder method breaks down completely. The synchronization folder will typically need to have the files pulled into the local folder before users can read and write operations.

Sensitive Data

Employees sometimes need to work on sensitive data such as those files and folders under non-disclosure agreements. Businesses usually manage these files and folders on a need-to-know basis with limited exposure. The synchronization folder will pull in these kinds of files.

Evolution of the Cloud Network Drive and Network Shares

In 2009, Gladinet released Gladinet Cloud Desktop, one of the first cloud drive mapper tools that can map a network drive to Microsoft SkyDrive (now OneDrive), Google Drive, Amazon S3, etc. cloud storage services. Very soon after, some cloud storage services showed some limitations. For example, OneDrive has a total path length limitation, and Google Drive allows duplicated file names in a folder. The restrictions were so severe that replacing traditional file server workloads with cloud storage services was not 100% possible. A generic cloud drive mapping tool doesn’t work because it reduces itself to a common subset of features among different benefits.

As we worked with more and more business use cases, people tell us to focus on solving file server problems. Specifically, they want us to lift their file servers into the cloud while providing drive mapping and file locking features from the cloud. There is a need for a cloud network share with the following features.

On-Demand Sync

The cloud drive brings in files from the cloud repository only when necessary and only when permission allows.

Endpoint Protection

Encrypt files sitting in the local cache and backup local files and folders to a company-designated cloud location.

Version Control

Inside the cloud drive, users can revert the files under version control to specific dates and times when necessary.

Drive Mapping

Provide a cloud network drive to the company-wide cloud network shares or the hybrid local file server network shares.

File Locking

Provide a global file locking feature for employees that may need to work on the same set of documents.

Offline Editing

Employees may prefer to work on files and folders in an offline detached mode (such as doing work during flights).

Problem Statement

You have an existing file server like Windows 2016 in the local office. Everyone in the local office is using a network share from the file servers. Some users from the branch office may need to access the file server share from outside through VPN as well.

There are multiple problems that you are concerned about at this moment.

First, you are concerned about the life of the file server, and if the server stops functioning, you need to have a quick way to continue the work. However, if you can extend the life of the file server and maximize the return of the previous investment on the file server, you don’t want to throw the file server out any time soon.

Second, the remote users complain about the speed of access to the file server since they need to go through a VPN. It is cumbersome and slow. You are also looking for a VPN alternative method to access the file server.

In general, you have built your company infrastructure around Microsoft File Server and Windows network share. You would like to extend the file server with cloud capability and extend the file server network share to the cloud so remote office and branch office will have easy access, while cloud is serving as a backup and recovery media to the file server.

Modernizing Windows File Server

CentreStack gives on-premise file server new remote web access, file sharing & mobile application capabilities while retaining the old security safeguards, permission controls, and data ownership. It allows you to share files and folders with existing permission! More importantly, CentreStack presents a cloud network share interface with cloud network drive capability to employees working remotely.

CentreStack Solution

CentreStack File Server Agent allows you to attach File Server Network Share to the cloud. Once it is connected, it synchronizes data to the cloud storage service in the background. Meanwhile, the file server content can be immediately assigned to a team folder, allowing remote users immediate access.

On the one hand, it solves the access problem for the remote user. On the other hand, you have a backup copy in the cloud. Once the local folder on the file server is entirely in sync with the cloud storage content, you are ready to shift the center of the team workspace from the local file server to the cloud.

Securely share any file type and file size outside the firewall

Easily share files and folders with anyone

With your content in the cloud, file sharing is as easy as creating a link or sharing directly from Box. Share any size file, from zipped folders to large raw images to videos, with anyone inside or outside your enterprise. Eliminate large email attachments and the security issues they create. And with Box, you can preview 120+ file types including Word, Excel, PDF, Zip, and PSD — without downloading a single file.

Anytime, anywhere access

File sharing in the cloud creates flexibility in the way you share and view both small and large online files. Box allows you to send all types of files from your desktop, laptop, or mobile device, from iOS to Android. The recipient of your file can preview, edit, comment, send, or download on any device, too — with or without a Box account.

Get everyone on the same page

A shared workspace in the cloud makes file sharing seamless, so you and those you work with both inside and outside your organization can quickly collaborate on your most important work. Centralized cloud storage also helps you avoid version control issues, so you always have the latest version on hand and can prevent edits to the wrong online file. With Box as a cloud backup, any time anyone makes a change to a shared file, those updates will automatically sync for everyone.

Secure, compliant file sharing

Leveraging a cloud solution like Box prevents data leakage and enables tighter control over online file sharing. With seven different permission levels and the ability to manage folder and file permissions, you can ensure your files are always in the right hands. Create expiration dates on shared files, enable optional password protection, and set link controls such as “people with the link,” “people in your company,” or “invited people only.” Box is also compliant with regulations like HIPAA, FedRAMP, and FINRA, so your content will stay in compliance no matter the context. Learn more about our security features.

The benefits of Cloud Content Management

Box offers far more than just file sharing services. You get a single place to share, manage, and govern all your content, helping streamline and speed up processes. Box connects with all the apps you already use, so while your content is protected in the cloud, your users can still work in their preferred tools. And Box makes collaboration easy with both internal users and external partners. It’s called Cloud Content Management — the simple, secure way to bring all your people, information, and applications together.

See what else Box can do

Project management

Simple, stress-free project management

File transfer

The simple, secure way to send large files

Cloud storage

Store your files online and access them from any device

What is file sharing?

File sharing is the act of sharing a file with another party, traditionally performed via FTP, flash drive, or email attachment. Today, file sharing is possible via the cloud. With Box cloud sharing services, you can share a link to a file that lives in the cloud, without having to send the actual file itself. And any documents uploaded to Box are encrypted to ensure your content is protected.

How do I share files?

With Box, sharing files is effortless. Quickly copy and share links to content stored on Box with those inside and outside your organization. You can create a shared link from any device and share it directly or through email or messaging.

How do I share folders?

It’s easy to share entire folders with Box with people inside and outside your organization. Create a shared link from any device, then share it directly or through email or messaging.

Is file sharing illegal?

Who can I share files and folders with?

With Box, you can share files and folders with internal colleagues, as well as external partners, vendors, and suppliers. To ensure the security of your content, Box enables granular file sharing permissions so you can use the proper shared link settings depending on the person or team you’re sharing the content with.

Information about tools for storing and sharing files.

Enhancing data storage at KI

In Autumn 2020, a project was initiated to simplify and improve data storage at Karolinska Institutet. Some of the changes involve the phasing out of KI Box, KI Cloud, and the home directory H:, as well as re-modelling of the shared data storage G:.

Central storage on a file server

Central storage means that the servers on which data is stored are located in Karolinska Institutet’s own data center. This storage solution is offered to the departments that are part of Coordinated IT. Other departments can order it.

There are currently four different places for storage, H:, G:, P:, and L:. The ongoing improvement of data storage implies that:

• G: will house only a small amount of administrative data
• P:, the new share folder, is where you store researcher data and data for projects that was previously stored on G:
• H: moves to OneDrive
• L: remains unchanged

Which storage place to choose will depend on who is to have access to the files/data.

Group folders (G: on Windows)

The group’s common storage space for administrative data, such as processes and routines for how to work in the group, vacation lists, etc.

Access and rights to the group folder is controlled by the persons employed or affiliated to the group. The folder is automatically connected if you have a KI client computer.

This is only available for departments with Coordinated IT.

Project folders (P:)

Storage space for projects and research data for the groups. The owner of the folder decides who is to have access to it. Only persons within KI (who have KI ID, not students) can access the storage space on P:.

Find instructions on how to order a project folder in the next section.

Home directory (H:)

Personal space that only the individual user has access to (only available for departments with Coordinated IT).

Lab folders (L:)

Storage space similar to the project folders, but that can also be accessed from the lab network. Lab folders can be ordered as a personal folder of a folder for a group.

How to save files from the lab network

You must be connected to KI’s client network or VPN to access your folders. You can access the lab folders even when you are connected to the lab network.

Order folder on P:

To order a folder on P: or L: create a helpdesk ticket in KI Selfservice with the following information:

• The folder’s name
• Person who owns the folder, first and last name and KI ID (is going to approve who is going to have access to the folder in the future)
• How big do you think the folder will be (if predictable)
• How much will the folder grow in size (if predictable)
• Which users should have access to the folder, first and last names and KI ID

If your department is not part of Coordinated IT and you want to order central storage on a file server, read more about storage in our service catalogue (in Swedish only).

OneDrive

OneDrive is a cloud service for storing and sharing folders and files. OneDrive is available to all employees and affiliated at KI. Employees and affiliates have 5 TB of storage available on their OneDrive.

The maximum size of files that can be saved in OneDrive is 250 GB. If the file is larger than a few GB, we recommend using the OneDrive Sync app instead of uploading it on the web.

On migrated KI computers, OneDrive is pre-installed. The computer automatically connects to OneDrive and synchronizes Desktops, Documents and Images to OneDrive from the computer.

You can also log into OneDrive through a web browser and access your files.

You can also visit Learning Pathways in Teams to learn more about OneDrive.

Storing and sharing sensitive personal data requires multi-factor authentication

You can save sensitive personal information in OneDrive if you have multi-factor authentication enabled to log into your account.

If you want to distribute folders or files with sensitive personal data, you must ensure that the recipient also has multi-factor authentication enabled. It is up to the employee or affiliated to notify the recipient and ensure that multi-factor authentication is enabled before sensitive personal data is shared.

Shared files

Previously, you have been able to share files from KI Box. From now on you can continue to share your files via OneDrive instead. If you do not know which files you are currently sharing, you can find more information on Microsoft support See files you shared in OneDrive.

KI Cloud (ownCloud)

KI Cloud is a cloud-based file synchronizing service “share and sync” where all data is stored and backed up in KI’s central IT Department’s data center. With KI Cloud, you can synchronize files between the computer, mobile phone and tablets, as well as share files with colleagues both inside and outside KI. KI Cloud is based on a third-party solution; ownCloud.