How to use Dropbox cloud storage. Dropbox cloud storage

Dropbox is one of the most famous cloud storage services. Its main functions are file synchronization, the ability to exchange information, store data in the cloud, collaborate with files, documents, photos, presentations or any other projects, and even create simple websites.

Cloud storage represents a server, or several servers with hard drives large volume. Servers can be located either nearby or at any distance from each other. When a client registers with the server, a certain amount of memory is allocated to that client. In the case of Dropbox, the client is given 2 GB free of charge upon registration disk space. For additional fee, according to the tariffs, you can get from 1 terabyte to unlimited space on the server.

You can access your files stored in the cloud from large quantity devices and operating systems: this includes Windows and Mac OS and Linux and Android smartphones, iPhone, BlackBerry, iPad tablets And Kindle Fire, and also recently added support for Windows phones and tablets.

Working with Dropbox is very simple: after registering and installing the application, you will be asked to create a folder, the contents of which will be copied to cloud storage and synchronized between all devices on which the Dropbox client is installed. If suddenly your device is not supported, you can access files in the cloud through the web interface. Files can be shared, that is, made public. The program creates a link to the selected file or files, which can be sent to anyone. If the file was accidentally deleted or downloaded wrong version- then it can be easily restored; for 30 days Dropbox saves the history of changes to each file in the storage.

And this is far from full list all the features of Dropbox!

Key Features and Functions

Dropbox allows you to share files. You control this process yourself. Now you don't have to work with FTP server or use the web interface;
Data processing occurs in a mode convenient for you. It happens independently, that is, it does not require your direct participation. Several computers can be connected to one client;
saving required versions files. The previous version can be updated;
the program works with all file and folder extensions;
simplifies the publication of files on the network and is updated in automatic mode, when you make changes to your computer;
partial transfer of data is possible, only those that have been subject to changes;
has the ability to recover lost data;
All data on file changes that were made in the last 30 days is saved. It is possible to connect an indefinite history “Pack-Rat”;
has ideal protection. Data is output over an encrypted channel (SSL) and stored “in the cloud” in encrypted form (AES-256);
has the option of opening files for public access using the “Public” folder, file sharing is also possible;
it is possible to create “Shared” folders for access by a certain circle of people who have different accounts on the service;
high efficiency of the program, you can independently regulate the speed of sending and receiving data.

Dropbox Cloud is one of the most popular cloud services on the Internet that can be used for backup storage and file management digital photos. Its main advantage is the high reliability of information storage, which is of course very important for any photographer (Fig. 1).

Fig.1 Dropbox cloud login page.

Servers for cloud Dropbox storage are provided by special service company and are located in several US data centers. Dropbox is used to transfer data and store information. SSL protocol and the AES-256 encryption algorithm, which are used in banks to ensure the security of customer data.

The contents of files stored in the Dropbox cloud service are hidden from its employees, as well as from Internet users. They can be accessed using a login and password or via special links created by their owner. Such links can be targeted or public.

The popularity of the Dropbox cloud is mainly due to the fact that it is one of the first cloud services that has managed to win many fans around the world. As of July 2015, there are already more than 400 million people. The date of birth of the service is considered to be the first appearance on the Internet on December 16, 2010. stable version Dropbox programs.

After the formation of the Dropbox cloud, many similar services began to appear on the Internet, the number of which is growing every year. But, despite the competition, Dropbox is still among the leaders, second only to services such as Google Drive, Yandex Disk and Onedrive.

Dropbox Cloud Features for Photos

In Dropbox cloud storage, just like in any other cloud on the Internet, it is convenient to store any type of files, but not everything can be viewed. For example, digital photo files with the extension .jpg, .jpeg, .tiff, .tif, .psd, .png, .gif, .bmp, .ai are available for viewing on the Dropbox website (Fig. 2).

Fig.2 Window for viewing photos and video files in the Dropbox cloud.

If photographs are stored in the form of various slide shows, they must be stored in popular videos formats. In the Dropbox cloud you can view files with extensions .3gp, .3gpp, .3gpp2, .avi, .dv, .flv, .m2t, m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mp4, .mpeg, mpg, .mts, .ts, .vob, .wmv.

Here you need to pay attention to the fact that viewing a video file in the Dropbox cloud becomes possible after you share a link to it on the Internet. In this case, the owner can view any file in its entirety, and the owner of the link can only view the first 15 minutes. For full view video he needs to download the file to his computer.

The file size that can be uploaded to the Dropbox cloud via a browser should not be more than 10 GB. To upload larger files, you need to use the Dropbox program or mobile application on any device (Fig. 3). This is relevant in cases where photographs are stored in one archive file large size.

Fig. 3 The Dropbox cloud mobile application is available for different mobile devices.

When using mobile application or the Dropbox program on several devices, files of any size are synchronized online between them. This is possible on all major operating systems and different devices– Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Symbian and Bada. If connection with Dropbox cloud missing, all photos remain in special folder programs.

For collaboration with photo files in the Dropbox cloud you can create separate folder and open to her personal access any Internet user. In this case, he must register with the service and install the Dropbox program (Fig. 4).

Fig.4 Invitation window from the Dropbox cloud for collaboration with photo files.

Your files will also be synchronized on the devices of other users who have access to them. At any time, these files can be deleted from all synchronized devices by blocking access to the Dropbox cloud folder or deleting the files from it.

When collaborating on photo files in the Dropbox cloud, it is possible to control changes in their versions, which is also important when storing photos. During the last 30 days, you can return to any previous version of a file, and, if necessary, restore deleted files.

And one more thing to note from useful features Dropbox cloud is an opportunity quick sort folders with photos and creating different photo galleries. For this there is convenient application Carousel, in which digital photos are distributed automatically by date, time or event (Fig. 5).

Fig.5 Carousel application page in the Dropbox cloud.

Attention! December 07, 2015 The Carousel team announced that on March 31 next year this service will be separate application will be completely closed. You'll revert to storing photos in the Dropbox cloud app environment, and they'll be available in the Photos tab. This is due to the low popularity of the Carousel application.

In the remaining time, all the main functions of the Carousel application will be integrated into the main Dropbox cloud application. This service plans to preserve all the best from the Carousel application and add new ones useful features for storing photos.

Dropbox cloud storage capacity

When registering an account in the service Dropbox to client 2 GB free is immediately allocated cloud space. It can be used to store your digital photos or other types of files as long as the account you create exists.

If desired, the initial volume of the Dropbox cloud can be increased using different ways. For example, for each new user who registers using your link, you will receive 500 MB of additional cloud space. This way you can increase your cloud storage by 16 GB for free. And if you register yourself using someone’s referral link, you can start with 2.5 GB.

If you want to register right now, here is my referral link: https://db.tt/y7NanKeB. Register using this link and your initial storage volume in the Dropbox cloud will not be 2 GB, but 2.5 GB. After registration, you can offer your link to your friends (Fig. 6).

The next thing you can do to increase the free amount of cloud space is to fulfill at least 5 of Dropbox’s 7 conditions. They can be found in your account using the “Where to start” link. For this you will receive another 250 MB extra space(Fig. 7).

Fig.7 Conditions Dropbox service to get additional cloud space.

For linking your account to social Facebook networks and Twitter will add another 125 MB for each. In addition, on Twitter you will receive another 125 MB for “news” and “publication”. And if you answer “why do you like Dropbox”, you will receive another 125 MB.

Managing mail using the Mailbox app for iOS from Dropbox will add 1 GB. But there is another little-known method. Must be installed on mobile device Dropbox app and “Enable camera upload”. For 500 MB of uploaded photo or video files, you will receive the same 500 MB in the Dropbox cloud. This way you can add another 3 GB.

Now let's calculate the entire volume free space, which you can get in the Dropbox cloud.

Registration using someone else's link +0.5 GB.
- Registration itself in the Dropbox cloud +2 GB.
- Attracting friends to the Dropbox service +16 GB.
- Compliance with the terms of the Dropbox service +0.25 GB
- Linking your account to social networks+0.25 GB.
- For “Publications” and “news” on Twitter +0.25 GB.
- Why do you like Dropbox +0.125 GB
- Mail management in Mailbox +1 GB.
- Upload from phone +3 GB.
Total 23,375 GB.

But this is not the limit. The Dropbox service often holds various promotions with other companies. In this case, you can additionally get from 500 MB to 25 GB or more. Although their validity period is limited, 3 GB of them can still be left to you.

If you fill the entire temporary volume of the Dropbox cloud with photos, videos or other types of files, they will not be lost when the term expires. But you need to remember that when deleting files, the amount of temporary cloud space will be reduced by size deleted files, but you won’t be able to download new ones.

If your files exceed your free storage, Dropbox has two cloud storage options: tariff plan– “Advanced” and “Dropbox for Business”. For $10 per month you will get another 1 TB, and for $15 an unlimited amount of cloud space and more file storage options (Fig. 8).

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?

- This cloud system storing information 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 volume. 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 most safe 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. In Dropbox you can work with a large number 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 multiple users - 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 about updating information.

Updating program versions and the ability to return to previous versions also exists. With Dropbox you can use 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 inexperienced user The PC 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, which 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, in detail and with pictures, how to easily and quickly install the Dropbox program on your computer and launch it. Let me remind you once again - developed special versions programs 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 as 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

The “Dropbox” item will appear in the Explorer context menu, in which you will see what additional things you can do with folders and files. And for public access, you will need to install Dropbox on another computer, indicate your current account, and get all the current copies of the cloud. Folders and files will be synchronized automatically. Sharing(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, as 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 personal computer and wait for them to load. 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 postal 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 the users who have access to shared folder up to their deletion with the deletion of files on his 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 on 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. At 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 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. Everything Dropbox apps protected to the maximum extent.

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 lengthy settings are completely eliminated.

What does LAN Sync do?

Not long ago appeared in Dropbox 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 local network modified file, and then this file is downloaded. That is, the width of the external server channel no longer affects the speed of the application.

Hello dear readers of the blog site! I am sure that not every one of you knows about the existence of such online service like Dropbox, which allows you to store a huge amount of information directly on the Internet, rather than on your computer.

Dropbox is a service that has already established itself as a convenient and easy-to-use tool with an intuitive interface and a very friendly design.

You will learn how to work with this system in this article.

The Russian-language version of Dropbox can be found on the official website at www.dropbox.com/ru. That's where we'll go today.

What is Dropbox

This is a cloud storage in which registered Internet users can store a wide variety of files.

The idea and development of the project belongs to American entrepreneur Drew Houston. As usually happens, an unforeseen situation arose - Drew forgot the flash drive with important information Houses.

This is how the idea was born to create the ability to quickly access necessary files at any moment.

What attracts users all over the world

Functionality. Dropbox is very easy to use - you can start working with it immediately after registering, which takes a couple of minutes of your time.

The interface is so clear and accessible that even an inexperienced user can work with it. It is possible to synchronize downloaded data with any devices running on Windows platforms, Mac OS, Linux and many others.

Availability. The account is provided by the service free of charge up to 2 GB, and it is also possible to get a bonus space by following a few simple recommendations.

An extended package of features can be purchased for an additional fee. For business, Dropbox has developed a service with unlimited use information space and priority service.

Confidentiality. The company values its reputation and guarantees closed access to information. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a photo from a recent vacation or a document with secret data.

Available age limit to use Dropbox - 13 years.

Dropbox Features

As mentioned earlier, you can use up to 2 GB of information space for free in the storage.

There are three tariff plans in total - basic, advanced and Dropbox for business.

Basic account is easy sharing and backup files within specified size. There are ways to increase volume by inviting friends to join the service or by following the steps that will be discussed a little later.

Extended package– this is an increase in the occupied space up to 1000 GB, additional access control (two-stage), the ability to set a password for each download link and independently determine its validity period.

And if the device you downloaded files from Dropbox gets lost, you can remotely erase it.

Business Pack – Unlimited storage usage, file recovery and ability to install individual system access to corporate files.

There is a function to create several accounts for each employee so that personal data does not accidentally become public knowledge. Provided wide system data protection and encryption.

How to use Dropbox

Let's get straight to using the service. Let's start with registration:

go to the address indicated at the beginning - you will see home page and the “Register” button;
then you will see a small form where you will need to enter your first and last name, indicate your address email, enter your password and agree to the terms of service;

in a couple of moments you will be given access to personal account and functions basic package services. You will receive an email notification that you have started working with Dropbox. No registration confirmation is required.

So where to start? One of the departments in your personal account is dedicated to this.

There are 7 tasks presented, completing which you can get even more space in your storage. You can start with an introductory review.

The first thing I decided to do was check how the program works online. To do this, click on the “Files” section - here a document with a brief introductory guide is already waiting for us.

Everything is there necessary information about how to upload a file to Dropbox and how to work with files.

We click on the first icon to download the file we need. A field pops up, click “Select files”. Using the search, we find the document we need, select it and click “Open”.

A few seconds later the picture is already in our office. You can click on the line with information about the downloaded file and see its size, how long ago it was in the storage and get access to working functions.

We will select the “View in Dropbox Photos” function to go to the next section of the account. This is where your uploaded photos will be stored.

What other capabilities does it have? basic account? You can create a shared folder by selecting "Sharing" in the interface.

After confirmation sent by e-mail, you can place a folder with files and provide access to specific people.

When they sign up to use your information, all files will be synced across all of their computers.

Dropbox provides a Carousel service specifically for working with images. First, you just need to upload at least two photos using regular file upload.

Now go to Carousel by clicking on the name in the menu on the left. We find ourselves in the “Chronicle” section, mark the necessary photos with a tick in the right top corner file and select “Add 2 to album” from the Menu.

Next, you need to enter the album name and press Enter. After that, go to the “Albums” tab - the photos are already there. Carousel also has a “Sharing” section, where the entire history of correspondence with your friends will be stored.

In addition to Carousel, you will be given 1GB access to postal service from Dropbox – Mailbox, compatible with Android and iOS apps.

Installing Dropbox on your computer

You can also get a bonus for installing the program on your computer, so we’ll definitely do it. If you didn’t download Dropbox right away, as I did, the link can be found in the same “Where to start” list.

Click “Install Dropbox on your computer” and get started.

We save the application to the computer by independently selecting a folder for this. Next, we proceed to launch the boot file.

Click “Run”, go through initialization, give permission to make changes and proceed to install Dropbox.

We've already registered in the system, so we'll just log in by entering our email address and password.

Click on “Open my folder on Dropbox” - now the files that you uploaded to your cloud storage are located in a special folder on your computer. A characteristic icon will appear on the toolbar, opening quick access to all documents.

If you install the program on other devices you use, you can get closer to the coveted 250 MB free memory one more step. But it's not that much.

The service is ready to provide much more memory for sharing information about the service with your friends and acquaintances.

Dropbox is ready to provide 500 MB for one person. If your referral also installs the program on your computer using your link, he will receive the same amount of free information as a gift.

Well, let's try to send an invitation.

It’s more convenient for me to use, since all the addresses of my friends are there. I provide access, select the address I need and send a notification.

By the way, it turned out that quite a few of my friends are already using the capabilities of the service, which I was not very surprised by.

It’s easy to find out - opposite the address you will see the phrase “I already use Dropbox!” As indicated in the picture, in total you can “earn” in this simple way up to 16GB to your karma.

That seems to be all. I hope after this review It became clear what kind of Dropbox program this is and how to use it. Before that, I mostly used the services myself. file storages, if you needed to upload birthday photos or other bulky files.

What Dropbox surprised me with was its thoughtfulness and ease of use. The service is available to absolutely everyone and is set for further active distribution thanks to the developed “incentive system”.

Function of synchronization, data recovery or remote erase- just a find.

That's all, I'm waiting for your comments and see you soon!

Dropbox cloud storage is used to store user data. Data saved in cloud storage is available to the user not only from his computer, but from other devices. You can share your files via the Internet with other users, as well as download data from cloud storage to your computer.

Dropbox file storage available for operating rooms Windows systems, Linux and Mac OS X, as well as for mobile iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, Bada and Kindle.

Using cloud data storage is convenient for the user for many reasons. You can exchange files with other users, simply store data there that you will always have access to from another computer or device, while the data is physically stored on the server.

The cloud service can be used as backup storage data. For example, if your computer breaks down, you will not lose important data if one of the storage locations was a cloud drive.

All data stored in the cloud storage will be synchronized and ready to be shared with other users. Dropbox uses AES-256 encryption to ensure security.

To begin with using Dropbox you need to follow this referral link to the official website of the data warehouse. By following this link and registering, you will receive an additional 500 MB of free disk space on top of the 2 GB you will initially receive upon registration with Dropbox.

Installing Dropbox

The email address must be valid. To this address a letter will arrive with confirmation of registration in the cloud storage. You must enter a password other than your email, but come up with a different password to use Dropbox. Next, activate the “I accept Dropbox Terms of Service” option, and then click on the “Register” button.

After this, a window will open from which it will be downloaded to your computer. installation file Dropbox client programs for installation on your computer. You will need to run the installation of the client program on your computer.

In the installation wizard window, you should click on the “Install” button. Next, the installation of the program on your computer begins. In the new window, you need to check the box “I already have a Dropbox account”, and then click on the “Next” button.

In the next window you need to log in to the program. To do this, you will need to enter your email address and password for the Dropbox service. After entering the data, click on the “Next” button.

A new window will open in which you should select free option- “Basic 2 GB” and then click on the “Next” button. This window also offers paid options using cloud storage with large volumes for data storage.

In the installation option selection window, you can choose the future location of the Dropbox folder (advanced installation) or set the default folder to My Documents ( typical installation). Next, click on the “Install” button.

In the "Merge with" window existing folder Dropbox", you will need to click on one of the buttons, depending on the folder location you choose.

Now you'll go through five more steps where you'll get an overview of how Dropbox works.

IN last window Installation wizard, click on the “Finish” button.

Dropbox is installed on your computer. Then the Dropbox folder opens and you will see cloud storage icons in your Favorites and notification area.

How to increase Dropbox

Dropbox cloud storage provides the user with 2 GB of disk space for free. This free volume can be slightly increased by taking some steps.

To log into cloud storage via the web interface, you must log in to Dropbox.com and enter your credentials. After opening the web page, you will be offered to expand your storage by 250 MB for free.

To receive a 250 MB bonus you will need to go through a few simple steps. You will need to complete 5 tasks out of 7 offered by the cloud service.

To do this, you will need to watch a video about the service, install Dropbox on your computer, put files in cloud storage, install Dropbox on other computers you use, share the folder with friends, install Dropbox on your mobile device, or invite friends to use this storage.

To further increase your free space, click on the link “ Free place", which is located at the top of the web page window. Here you can also take a few simple steps to slightly increase your free disk space.

How to use Dropbox

After logging into the cloud storage via the web interface, a web page with controls will open. Storage controls are located on the left side of the page window, as well as in top menu. In the center are folders and files that are located in cloud storage.

After clicking on the file, a context menu with the corresponding commands will open.

After hovering your mouse over the menu items, you can perform the necessary actions - upload files, create folders, share a folder, or look at deleted files.

You can add files to the storage via the web interface using the “Upload” menu item, or simply drag the necessary files from your computer to the Dropbox folder. After this you can see the status of this file - blue circle with arrows means that the file in at the moment, is synchronizing, and green with a checkmark indicates that the file is already synchronized.

Files up to 300 MB in size can be uploaded via the web interface, and files uploaded through the client program have no size restrictions. In this case, the file size will be limited by the storage capacity.

Synchronization time depends on the speed of your computer's Internet connection. If Dropbox finds in your storage transferred file, then this file will not be downloaded entirely, but only the changed data will be downloaded.

To configure and manage cloud storage, click right click mouse over the Dropbox icon in the notification area. In the window that opens, you can go to the Dropbox folder or to the Dropbox.com website. If you click on the gear, a context menu with cloud service settings will open.

After clicking on the “Options…” item, the “Dropbox Options” window will open, in which you can change the already configured cloud storage settings.

In particular, if you click on the “Advanced” item, then in open tab You can change the location of the Dropbox folder after clicking on the “Move...” button. You can also select folders for selective synchronization there.

After this it will open new tab, in which you will need to click on the “Get link” button. The link will be copied to the clipboard and you can immediately paste it into e.g. email or into a text editor.

If necessary, you can always remove the provided link. You can also revert to a previous version of a file if it has been changed. The history of changes is kept for 30 days.

To share files from cloud drive from a computer without using the web interface, you need to create a shared folder for sharing. To do this, you need to open the Dropbox folder, then you need to right-click on the shared folder, and in the context menu click on the “Sharing folder...” item.

After clicking on the cloud storage icon in the notification area, you can see recently changed files, open the cloud storage folder or web page, and find out the file update status.

Files or folders deleted from cloud storage are placed in the trash, but they continue to take up disk space. For complete removal file from Dropbox, you must click on the menu item “Show deleted” (trash), and then select the file and select the action in the context menu - “Delete permanently”.

If necessary, you can not delete the file, but restore it from the trash.

You can find out about all the changes and actions taken in your cloud storage if you click on the “News” control.

Conclusions of the article

Dropbox cloud storage provides users with a place to store their data. User data is synchronized and accessible from a computer or other device.