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What is DropBox?
In short, DropBox is a way for you to keep a copy of all of your important documents and files. It is basically and online back-up service which makes it easier for you to protect your documents. DropBox is:
- Absolutely free for anyone to use
- An online storage and back-up service
- Carefully encrypted so that your files and documents will be absolutely 100% protected
It is important to remember that it is still better to backup your important documentation on an external hard drive. DropBox is just an extra measure that you can take to make sure that everything that is important to you in the electronic world remains safe. It is basically a redundancy service to make extra sure that you won’t lose any of your important files.
How to backup files with DropBox
DropBox will function slightly differently with different operating systems, but there are some basics that will be the same for Mac, Linux, and Windows machines. For more specific information Google ‘How to use DropBox with [your operating system]’.
- The first step is to go to the DropBox website at www.dropbox.com and download the necessary software that you will need in order to run DropBox on your computer. You could try clicking on the link www.dropbox.com, copy and pasting the link into the URL, or simply using Google to find the DropBox homepage.
- Once the download is complete you should have a Dropbox.dmg file in your Downloads. You will have to double click on this file name. Once you have done that you will have to send DropBox to your applications folder.
- To use DropBox you will simply have to double click on the DropBox icon. This is the same thing that you would do with any other application or folder that you may want to open ion your computer.
- The first time you open DropBox you will be required to create an account with DropBox. This can be done by simply following the instructions that will automatically appear the first time you attempt to launch this program. These instructions are very basic to follow and are similar to most other accounts that you have set up in the past, such as your email account. Once you have completed this sign up process an icon for DropBox should appear on your toolbar on your desktop. To open DropBox in the future you will simply have to click on that icon.
- Once you have opened DropBox, you will be able to change a few things. For example, if you click on the drop down menu bar you will have the opportunity to adjust the location of your DropBox. This is if you are not happy with its default position. If you are happy to keep it where it is, you will be able to find it in your “My Documents” folder on your computer.
- The next step is to choose what files you want stored on DropBox. To back up files with DropBox you simply need to drag them into the DropBox window. Remember that you will have 2GB of free storage space to begin with, and that if you go to www.dropbox.com you will be able to find out how to get more storage space for free.
- Anything you add to your DropBox account will automatically be saved online. The same applies to files that you choose to modify in your DropBox folder. All of these updates will happen quickly and automatically with no intervention from you whatsoever.
- The most useful feature of DropBox is that it can be accessed from absolutely anywhere in the world. If you go to www. GetDropBox.com you will be able to access the information that you have backed up to your online DropBox account. This is one of the main advantages of DropBox. It is not only a way to keep your important files and information safe, but also a way for you to continue working on various documents without having to be at the computer where you originally saved the necessary files. You will need to remember your login information that you specified when you first launched DropBox on your computer in order to log into your account from anywhere in the world. If you own more than one computer you will be able to download DropBox on all of the PCs that are yours and link them to each other, making it easy for you to do any of your work fro any of the computers that you work on most frequently.
How to rename folders in DropBox
There are two ways to rename folders in DropBox. If you want to do it through the web you will have to firstly go to the DropBox website and log into your account by first launching a web browser on your computer. Once you have logged onto your account online you will be able to hold the mouse over the various folders that you have in your DropBox. When you hold your mouse over a folder, a roll over list will automatically appear. On this list there will be a ‘rename’ option. Click on this and you will be able to rename the folder to whatever suits you the best. This new name will automatically be updated on all of the computers that you use DropBox on.
The second way is to go to DropBox on your actual computer. Remember that if you are struggling to find DropBox, it always goes to the ‘My Documents’ folder by default. Click on the DropBox icon. You will be presented with a list of the documents that you are keeping in your DropBox account. Look for the document that you want to rename. Once you have found the document, right click on it once. Again a list of options will appear. Once of these options will be ‘Rename’. Click on that and you will be able to rename the file to whatever suits you.
There are many other basic things that you may want to know about DropBox, but the above information should be enough to get you started with using DropBox. The rest you will figure out as you go along, but if you want to get some more information on what to do with your DropBox account, go to www.dropbox.com for all the answers you may need.
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