• Tips for Working on the Cloud

    Cloud-based storage services can help you use less data and storage space on your device. 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.

    Wi Fi

  • Common Types of Cloud Storage Options

    Below you will find ways to manage some of the more common types of cloud storage.

    Please Note: Increasing the download or upload rate beyond your internet connection’s capacity can greatly slow down other programs using the internet.

    • 1 Tips for Dropbox

      • Dropbox is a file hosting service that works via the cloud.

        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. For more information visit Dropbox: Pause and resume file sync and uploads.

    • 2 How to disable automatic photo uploads from mobile and desktop
        • Open Dropbox
        • Tap the Settings gear icon (bottom right)
        • Now, tap on the Camera Upload option or click backups.
        • Turn the switch to off
        • Dropbox will now stop automatic syncing of photos from your camera album.

        Check this resource: How to use the Dropbox camera upload feature.

    • 3 Tips for iCloud

      • iCloud is a service Apple provides for devices like iPads, iMacs, and MacBooks. By default, these devices use iCloud to store photos and videos, freeing up device storage.

        However, automatically storing and syncing photos and videos to iCloud consumes a lot of data. Turning off iCloud’s automated services can help reduce data usage.
        These devices automatically back up their entire system to iCloud unless you turn off this feature. While this automatic backup helps upgrade or restore devices, it can consume storage space.

        Apple has many resources on how to manage iCloud,

        How to turn iCloud features on or off

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

      • 01
        On your iOS device:
        • 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 on your Apple ID, click iCloud, then select or deselect each feature.

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

      • 02
        On your Windows computer:
        • Open iCloud for Windows, then select or deselect each feature.
        • 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.
      • 03
        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.
      • 04
        If you do not have Outlook installed:

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

    • 4 Tips for Google Drive

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

        How to turn off Google Drive Syncing

        f 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. Desktop: click the Google Drive icon.
        2. Apple Mac: the icon is usually found in the menu bar at the top right of your desktop screen.
        3. PC: the icon is usually found in the taskbar in the bottom right of your desktop screen.
          • Once in the Google Drive settings, click the overflow menu (three dots) in the top right corner.
          • Select Preferences.
          • Uncheck the box next to “Only sync some folders to this computer.”
          • Click Apply changes.
        4. Visit Google: Stop syncing Google Drive files with Backup and Sync (covers computer, Android, and iOS devices) for more information.
    • 5 Changing how much 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. Desktop: click the Google Drive icon.
        2. Apple Mac: the icon is usually found in the menu bar at the top right of your desktop screen.
        3. PC: the icon is usually found in the taskbar in the bottom right of your desktop screen.
          • Once in the Google Drive settings, click the overflow menu (three dots) in the top right corner.
          • Select Preferences.
          • Select “Advanced” or “Network”. The “Proxy and Bandwidth” screen will display: The default is to not limit the rate.
          • 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.
          • When you’re happy with the rate, Click “Apply”.
    • 6 Tips for OneDrive

      • OneDrive is 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 or above, it will automatically try to save all your documents, music, and photos into its cloud service unless you 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, but it will also start charging you when you use up your available space.

        Before you stop Windows from saving more to OneDrive, you should move everything saved to your local hard drive. This will use up data.

        To do this, 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 at How to cancel or stop sync in OneDrive.

    • 1
      Select Documents

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

    • 2
      Set Location

      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.

    • 3
      Confirm Changes

      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.

    • 4
      Adjust Other Libraries

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

  • For further information:

  • Explore more of our resources

  • Back to resources

  • Phone with speech bubble

    Didn't find the answers you were after?

    Chat to us on our hotline with one of our team members and let’s get the conversation started. If we don’t answer, we’ll get back to you in no time at all.

    1300 081 029