Box Drive is an application that is installed on your computer and allows you to work with Box files in the cloud just as if they were on your desktop through your Apple Mac Finder or your Windows Explorer. Whether you create a new Microsoft Word document or edit a PDF in Adobe, any changes you make automatically save back to Box.
Box Drive is useful for Bowdoin staff who need to regularly move files from Department Folders on Microwave to Box in order to give their student employees access to departmental materials. Student employees will not have access to use Box Drive.
See the sections below for working in the Finder in MacOS and Explorer in Windows. More information can be found at the Box Community: Using Box Drive Basics
Working in Finder in MacOS
If you use a Mac, you can access Box Drive by opening Finder. In the sidebar, navigate to Devices > Favorites > Box. Open this folder to display all of the contents of your All Files page on Box.com. You can navigate through any folder and open every file you see just as if it were a local file.
The blue cloud icon beside a file or folder indicates the item is safely stored and up to date in Box. Add or update a file or folder in Box Drive, and the icon changes to an orange syncing icon. The icon also displays as syncing when Box Drive is uploading changes you made to files offline. When the sync completes the icon resets to the blue cloud.
Tip If you don't see the Box folder in Finder, Box Drive may not be running. In this case, if you're using Launchpad click the Box icon; if you're using Spotlight search for 'Box Drive'.
You can also right-click a file or folder to display additional Box functionality to copy or email shared links and to view the item on Box.com. In addition, you can lock or unlock files, create Box Notes, or mark files to be made available offline.
Working in Explorer in Windows
If you use Windows, you can access Box Drive by opening Explorer and navigating to the folder named Box. Open this folder to display all of the contents of your All Files page on Box.com. You can navigate through any folder and open every file you see just as if it were a local file.
The blue cloud icon beside a file or folder indicates the item is safely stored and up to date in Box. Add or update a file or folder in Box Drive, and the icon changes to an orange syncing icon. The icon also displays as syncing when Box Drive is uploading changes you made to files offline. When the sync completes the icon resets to the blue cloud.
Tip If you don't see the Box folder in Finder or File Explorer, Box Drive may not be running. In this case, from your Start menu click the Box icon or search for 'Box Drive'.