Box - Box Drive


Box Drive is a program that allows users to create files on a local computer which are then uploaded to Box without the user interacting with the web client. It also functions when there is no internet connection. A user can work offline and his or her files will sync with Box cloud storage when internet connection is reestablished. If you delete a file out of Box, it will be deleted off your computer. If you add a file into the Box folder, it will be added online.

Important: Please know that we no longer recommend using Box Sync. The main reason for this change is that Box Sync is no longer being maintained. Also, note that Box Sync and Box Drive are not compatible. If you are having trouble with Box Sync we recommend that you delete it and install Box Drive. 

Note: For frequently asked questions concerning Box Drive, visit this link.

Table of Contents

 

Install

To install Box Drive:

Automated install:

  1. On Windows, open the "Software Center" application, search for "Box Drive", and click on the "Install" button

  2. On MAC, open the "Self Service" application, search for "Box Drive", and click on the "Install" button

  3. Once installed, click the "open" button or launch the Box application from your operating system

  4. Click the "Log In" button

  5. Sign in to Box via the web browser popup page

NOTE: You can also use the "Reinstall" option if you need to reinstall the Box Drive application

Manual steps from your box account:

  1. Go to box.byu.edu.

  2. Sign in and Authenticate with Duo.

  3. Click on your initials in the top right corner of the window.

  4. Select Integrations.

  5. Search for "Box Drive" in the search box at the top of the window.

  6. Click on Box Drive.

  7. Directly above the Support Resources heading, there are links to Install Box Drive for PC and Mac. Choose accordingly.

  8. After downloading, open the file.

  9. Follow the on screen instructions for installing Box Drive.

  10. Log in using your NetID@byu.edu and Password.



  11. You will be redirected to the BYU Sign in page.  Log in.

  12. Authenticate with Duo.

  13. You will now find all of your Box files cached on your machine.

  14. Use Box like you would another flash drive in Windows Explorer (PC) or Finder (Mac).

                     

One thing to note when using Box Drive: When using Box Drive, Files saved in your box account are not stored locally on your machine. They are shortcuts to the originals which are stored in Box. In other words, If you do not have an internet connection, you cannot access your files via Box Drive once you restart your computer on either Mac or Windows.

 

Uninstall Box Drive PC or MAC

For help uninstalling Box Drive from either MAC or PC, please follow the directions on this article:

https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044196293-Uninstalling-Box-Drive

 

Troubleshoot Saving Files In Box Drive (Mac)

If you are having a hard time saving files to Box Drive on a Mac, make sure that the application is a shortcut in finder. If it does not show up when finder is open, open Box Drive and drag the application into finder, which will create a shortcut.

 

Troubleshoot Logging in to Box Drive

If a user is unable to log in to Box drive, try logging in to box.byu.edu first to see if the user is able to log in to the website. Sometimes after doing this, the user will be able to get in to box drive.

Problem: Box is installed on my computer but is not running when I click on it and the Box icon does not show up in my system tray. If the icon is not in the bottom right corner of your screen, click on the Up expand arrow to the left of the Box icon in the following picture and check to see if it's there.

Solution: Box Drive only works for 1 user on any given computer at any given time. If you are experiencing this issue, there is probably another user on the computer who is running Box Drive. To resolve this issue, you can either have the other users on the computer log out of their accounts, or Force stop Box Drive (Right click on the Box icon and click Quit). You may also force log out everyone else on the computer by restarting the computer. Note: This will cause all users on the computer to lose any unsaved data.

 

General Troubleshooting

The following steps are helpful to try for issues that are not specified in above or that are unfamiliar.

  1. Log out and log in again to the Box Drive.

  2. Uninstall and reinstall Box Drive.

  3. See if the problem persists on the online version of Box.

  4. See if the problem persists on Box Drive across devices.

  5. Recreate the file/folder on the online version of Box and see if the problem shows up on Box Drive.