Cloud-based storage services

This page explains what cloud-based storage services are, and provides some tips on saving data using cloud-based file storage services.

Watch this overview on using the cloud to get you started and download and save our cloud-computing guide for more information on the advantages and disadvantages of cloud-based computing and how to manage it successfully.

Thanks to Cliff Tindall from Christmas Island Computer Services for contributing information used in the above content.

Tips and tricks for Dropbox

Dropbox is a file hosting service that works via the cloud

How to pause and resume syncing

Dropbox allows you to pause and resume syncing through the Dropbox menu in your menu bar on your computer.

When syncing is active, Dropbox will try to be smart about the amount of bandwidth it uses. Dropbox will use any remaining bandwidth available to download changes and only 75% of available bandwidth to upload changes. You can also adjust your bandwidth usage through the Dropbox desktop application’s preferences.

If you’d like to stop Dropbox syncing entirely, you can do so through an option in your Dropbox menu.

Dropbox: Pause and resume file sync and uploads

How to disable automatic photo uploads from mobile

  1. Open Dropbox
  2. Tap the Settings gear icon (bottom right)
  3. Now, tap on the “Camera Upload” option
  4. Turn the switch to OFF

That’s it. Dropbox will now stop automatic syncing of photos from your camera album.

Dropbox: How to use the Dropbox camera upload feature

 

Tips and tricks for iCloud

iCloud is used by Apple, it’s computers and devices, including iPhone, iPad, iMacs, MacBooks, and so on.

By default, these devices use iCloud to store a lot of their content; in particular, photos and videos. This frees up a lot of space on devices that may not have a lot of storage available.

However, automatically storing and synchronising photos and videos to iCloud uses a lot of data.  Turning off iCloud’s automated services can help reduce the amount of data you’re using.

These computers and devices also automatically back up their entire system to iCloud, unless you turn this feature off. This automatic backup is very handy for upgrading or restoring your devices if something happens but can take up space.

Apple has extensive documentation on iCloud management.

Apple Support: iCloud User Guide

Apple: Change your iCloud settings

Apple: Manage your iCloud storage

Apple: What does iCloud back up?

Turn iCloud features on or off

Depending on which device’s settings you want to change, do one or more of the following:

On your iOS device (iPhone or iPad):

Go to Settings > iCloud, then tap to turn on or off iCloud features.

On your Mac desktop or laptop:

Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then select or deselect each feature.

NB Some features aren’t available or are listed differently in earlier OS X versions.

On your Windows computer:

  1. Open iCloud for Windows, then select or deselect each feature.
  2. To make your changes take effect, click Apply.

Some features aren’t available on your Windows computer, or are listed differently, depending on whether your computer has Microsoft Outlook 2007 or later installed.

If you have Outlook installed:

●        You use iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks in Outlook.

●        Note that iCloud reminders are called tasks in Outlook.

●        If you turn off Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks, the iCloud information remains available in Microsoft Outlook, but it isn’t kept in sync with iCloud.

If you do not have Outlook installed:

●        You can use iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders in your web browser on iCloud.com.

 

Tips and tricks for Google Drive

Google Drive is a cloud-based file sharing system from Google.

Turn off Google Drive Syncing

If you have the Google Drive app downloaded to your computer or device, and you wish to prevent your documents and photos from automatically syncing to the Drive folder on your computer, you can turn off syncing.

  1. On your desktop, click the Google Drive icon.
    1. On a Mac, the icon is usually found in the menu bar at the top right of your desktop screen.
    2. On a PC, the icon is usually found in the taskbar in the bottom right of your desktop screen.
  2. In the top right, click the overflow menu – three dots.
  3. Select Preferences.
  4. Uncheck the box next to “Only sync some folders to this computer.”
  5. Click Apply changes.

Google: Stop syncing Google Drive files with Backup and Sync (covers computer, Android, and iOS devices).

Change how much bandwidth Google Drive uses

You can increase or decrease the bandwidth – the download and upload rates – used by Google Drive on your Mac or PC while syncing your files. Decreasing this bandwidth can allow more bandwidth for other programs on your computer.

  1. On your desktop, click the Google Drive icon.
    1. On a Mac, the icon is usually found in the menu bar at the top right of your desktop screen.
    2. On a PC, the icon is usually found in the taskbar in the bottom right of your desktop screen.
  2. In the top right, click the overflow menu – three dots.
  3. Select Preferences.
  4. Select “Advanced” or “Network”. The “Proxy and Bandwidth” screen will display:

 

  1. The default is to not limit the rate.
  2. To choose a different rate, click the radio button next to “Limit to” and use the up and down arrows to change the rate. The numbers are measured in kilobytes per second.
  3. When you’re happy with the rate, Click “Apply”.

Note: Changing the rate for downloads or uploads to a higher rate than your Internet connection allows may significantly slow other programs that you’re running using the Internet.

Tips and tricks for OneDrive

OneDrive is available as a downloadable application for any computer or device, including Apple Mac, iOS, Windows and Android devices. You need a username and password to use it.

If you’ve bought or subscribed to Office365 or Microsoft365, and have downloaded the applications to your computer, they will try to save their files to OneDrive unless you tell them otherwise.

If you have Windows 10, it will automatically try to save all your documents, music, and photos automatically into its cloud service, if you don’t tell it not to.

Microsoft wants you to store your data in the company’s cloud-based storage service. You have to change some settings to avoid this, as not only will it consume your data allowance, it will also start to charge you when you use up your available space.

Before you stop Windows from saving anything more into OneDrive, you might want to bring everything saved in there across to your local hard drive. This will use up data.

Go into your OneDrive folder/s and copy-and-paste the contents into appropriate folders on your local C:\ drive.

How to cancel or turn off OneDrive syncing

If uploads or downloads with the OneDrive website are taking too long, or you selected the wrong files, they can be cancelled. If you are using the OneDrive sync app and want to stop a file from syncing or backing up, you can pause the upload or download. You can also cancel uploads and downloads on mobile devices.

Detailed instructions are on the Microsoft website:

How to cancel or stop sync in OneDrive

Turn off OneDrive for your documents, music, pictures and videos

Right-click Documents in the Navigation pane (must be the Documents library, not any of the folders listed below it) and select Properties.

In the resulting dialog box, select the local location (probably C:\Users\yourname, where yourname is your login name) and click “Set save location” button.

When you close the dialog box, your local Documents folder will be your default Documents folder. While both folders will be part of the library, new files will default to being saved locally.

Repeat and change the library settings for your Music, Pictures, and Videos libraries.

PC World: How to stop Windows 10 from saving files to OneDrive

How-to Geek: How to Disable and Remove Windows 10 Account Sync Settings

Guiding Tech: Top 4 Ways to Stop Windows 10 From Saving Files to OneDrive

 

More information

https://www.techradar.com/best/best-file-syncing-solution