More File Access Resource Center Stories
February 17, 2010
Working with Online Storage Sites
By Lance Whitney
Journalist, IT Consultant, Web Developer
In my last two columns, I wrote about online file storage sites that I use, the first column on Box.net, Dropbox, Google (News - Alert) Docs, and Zoho Docs; the second column on Office Live Workspace, SkyDrive, and Office Web Apps. One limitation with many online file sites is that by default they don't integrate directly into your Windows desktop as mapped drives or network locations. Microsoft's (News - Alert) Office Live Workspace and the upcoming Office Web Apps do integrate with your MS Office suite, so it's easy to save and open files within Word or Excel. But sites like Box.net and Google Docs force you to launch your browser and surf to the Web site to access your online files.
To sneak past this limitation, different utility programs are available that let you map a drive letter or set up desktop access to online storage sites. This direct access can help you more easily view and work with your online files without leaving Windows or your applications. It also allows you to copy and move files between your computer and online storage area just by dragging and dropping them from one Explorer window to another.
Dropbox is one of the few sites that offers its own software program to provide quick access to your files. After you install and launch the Dropbox software, an icon rests in your Windows system tray. Right-click on the icon, and a popup menu appears where you can open your online Dropbox folder directly in a Windows Explorer window. You'll also find a new folder under My Documents called My Dropbox. You can easily copy or move files into this folder, and they'll automatically be uploaded and synced to your online Dropbox site. The software also is compatible with the Mac and with Linux.
SDExplorer, formerly known as SkyDrive Explorer, is a third-party utility that lets you access your SkyDrive space from Windows. After you install the software, an icon appears in your My Computer area called SkyDrive Explorer. Double-click that icon and log in with your SkyDrive username and password. A Windows Explorer window pops up displaying your SkyDrive folders and files.
But my favorite utility in this category is Gladinet. Through a software program called Cloud Desktop, Gladinet's drive mapping can point to multiple online storage sites in one shot, including Box.net, Google Docs, SkyDrive, and many more. You simply open your Gladinet drive to get to all of your online files no matter where they reside.
The company offers both a free Starter edition and a Professional version that includes certain options, such as an advanced backup manager and the ability to transfer an unlimited number of files. After you install the software, a new Gladinet folder appears in your Windows Start Menu Programs area. Open the Cloud Desktop shortcut. You first choose whether you want to use the free version or enter your license number for the Pro edition. After clicking Next, you'll see a window asking if you want to register. Click Next again, and now you can select the storage sites you wish to incorporate. Click Next when finished, and you'll see the specific settings for your Gladinet desktop, including the drive letter, name, and type of connection. Click Finish, and your new cloud desktop appears.
You'll see folder icons for each of the storage sites you included. Double-click on any one of them. Gladinet will prompt you to enter your name and password for that site and then mount the drive. Once that's done, you can now access your online file sites through the Gladinet desktop. In your My Computer window, you'll see a new drive mapping for the Gladinet desktop from which you can get to your storage sites. Gladinet also sets itself up as an icon in your Windows system tray with quick access to your sites and Gladinet options.
You can always add additional sites by running the Mount Cloud Storage feature, available from your Gladinet Windows Explorer window and from the System tray icon. Simply trigger this feature, select the online service you want to include, and enter your username and password for that service. The new site will then show up in your Gladinet desktop. Since Gladinet is mapped as a drive letter, you can open and store files on any online site directly from any Windows application.
I especially like Gladinet's backup tool. You can easily create and manage backup sets to copy files from any local folder on your computer to any of your online storage sites. For example, I created a task to back up all of my Word documents to a backup folder on my SkyDrive site. The Professional version adds several advanced options for backing up. I can include or exclude specific files, set up a schedule for my backups, and automatically back up files from one storage site to another.
Besides these utilities, you can also take the do-it-yourself approach. Windows itself offers built-in WebDav functionality through which you can map a drive letter to Internet sites that store files. But even here, Gladinet throws in its own user-friendly option to set up a WebDav connection. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to access your online storage sites, Gladinet is probably your best bet.
Lance Whitney is a journalist, IT consultant, and Web Developer with almost 20 years of experience in the IT world. To read more of Lance's articles, please visit his columnist pageEdited by Stefania Viscusi
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