Basic instructions for Dropbox

1. Why might I want to use Dropbox?
Dropbox is a cloud-storage solution for
sharing (large) files online. Rather than clogging up email
in/outboxes, files can be uploaded ‘into the cloud’, to be
downloaded by collaborators. Particularly useful for the
development of large, complex documents which are
developed over time.
Important Note: Dropbox, like other file storage sites, hosts its
data in the USA, and therefore data covered by the Data
Protection Act shouldn’t be saved/passed through such sites.
Setting Up an Account
It is possible to set download software and set it up on
your home computer, but for the
benefit of most universities, we’ll be
looking at the online only version.
Go to https://www.dropbox.com/
Look for ‘Sign In’
Select ‘Create an account’
Fill in the simple information
required and agree to the Dropbox
terms.
Select ‘Create account’
Dr Bex Lewis: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. 1

2. Uploading a File
Look to the top right, and find the
‘Upload’ icon.
Select ‘Choose Files’, which will take
you to your computer hard drive/memory stick.
You can choose any kind of file to upload, and can select
more than one file at a time.
Sharing a File
Files need to be shared within a folder.
Look in the left hand menu for ‘Sharing’
Choose a folder (or ‘Create new sharing
folder’, and select ‘Options’
Invite other users via email (they will need to sign up to
Dropbox to access the file).
You can see if users have joined
in the space above. On the drop
down arrow, you can email
users, remove them from the
folder, or make them the owner.
Public Files
Look on the ‘Links’ item in the menu, and look for ‘Public’.
Any files in here, when you click on them, will provide a
URL you can give to others without them having to join
Dropbox.
Dr Bex Lewis: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. 2