Choose how to upload
Use Upload or drag files and folders into the application. Your destination determines whether to keep a copy in the local folder or upload only to the server.
Drive / Desktop application
Drive.
Your server. Your files.
Your applications.
Drive connects your computer to your server or hosting so you can open files from Drive with the applications you already use. Organise folders, work on documents and send your changes back to your remote storage.
Storage on your server.
Work on your computer.
Drive is a desktop application that connects your server or hosting storage to your everyday work on your computer. From one interface, you can browse folders, upload and download files, organise them and open them with the applications associated with their formats.
When you open a document, the application you use to edit it still runs on your computer. Drive makes a local copy available and manages the connection to remote storage. You can work on documents, spreadsheets, images and other files, provided a compatible application is installed.
01 / How it works
From opening to saving,
a complete workflow.
Here is what happens when you work on a file in your main Drive.
- 01
Connect your storage
Configure and verify access to your server or hosting. To use the Drive manager, the application installs the required components on the server; the desktop interface and your editing applications stay on your computer.
- 02
Choose and open a file
Browse your folders and double-click a document. If it already exists in local storage, Drive opens that copy. If it is only on the server, Drive prepares a working copy on your computer and opens it in the default application.
- 03
Work in your application
Edit the file with familiar tools and save it from your application. Drive detects changes actually written to disk: text and operations that you have not saved yet remain in the editor.
- 04
Check synchronisation
With Drive running and the connection verified, stable changes to the monitored copy are transferred to the server. The status bar shows activity, progress and any issues. Completion time depends on your connection and file sizes.
02 / Files and storage
Know where each file lives.
Remote storage, files kept on your computer and copies opened for editing serve different purposes. This distinction helps you choose what to keep locally.
| Location | What it means | When you open the file |
|---|---|---|
| Only on the server | The document is in remote storage, rather than the local Drive folder. | Drive downloads a working copy to your computer. Opening a server file therefore uses local storage while you work. |
| On your computer | The file is in the local folder managed by Drive. Its status indicates whether it also exists on the server. | The local copy opens directly. In your main Drive, changes to monitored files can be synchronised. |
| Working copy | This is the local copy Drive prepares so a desktop application can open a remote file. | In the current desktop application, this copy persists: it can be reused when reopened and preserves pending saves. |
Organise your documents
Create folders, browse paths, select multiple items, copy, cut, paste, move and rename. Available actions depend on file location and access permissions.
Distinguish the two deletions
Remove local copy removes the managed copy from your computer while keeping the remote file. Delete from server affects remote storage. Use the command for the location you want to change.
Persistent working copies are not a RAM disk and do use local storage. Synchronisation and working copies do not replace a backup with a dedicated retention policy.
03 / Synchronisation
What happens after you press Save.
Your main Drive synchronises local copies registered by the application. The starting point is always a file saved to disk.
Stable changes
Drive checks file contents and waits for consistent observations before sending them. This avoids treating an unfinished save as complete. You do not need to close the editor to synchronise a save.
An interrupted connection
Copies already on your computer remain available and pending saves are preserved. Opening a remote file that has not been downloaded, or transferring changes, requires a working connection. Drive checks file status again when connectivity returns.
Multiple devices
When the remote version changes and a monitored local copy has no new edits, Drive can update it. An open editor shows the new version automatically only if it supports reloading files; otherwise you need to reload it.
Conflicting versions
If a check detects that both the local and remote files have changed, synchronisation for that document stops and the local copy is preserved. You need to compare versions and decide how to proceed: Drive does not merge their contents automatically.
This synchronises saved files, rather than individual keystrokes in a live editing session. Keep Drive running during transfers and check status before shutting down your computer or removing a copy.
04 / Sharing
Your Drive and connected drives.
Drive distinguishes your main storage from spaces added through a connection link. Opening documents is similar, but saving back to the server follows two different workflows.
Main Drive
Registered local copies are monitored and synchronised by the application. This is the workflow described in the opening, editing and saving steps.
In the account-based configuration, administrators manage users and workspace sharing. File access depends on assigned permissions.
Drive added through a connection link
A link provides access to shared storage with read or write permissions. The server checks these permissions.
In the current desktop version, after editing a copy opened from a connected drive, you must upload it manually using Upload to server. This requires write permission; read-only access allows viewing and downloading.
05 / Setup
What you need to get started.
Drive needs a computer to run the application, programs compatible with your files and remote storage configured for your chosen connection mode.
- 01
Install the desktop application
The current desktop version is distributed for Windows and includes the components the app requires. Applications for opening and editing your documents must be installed separately.
- 02
Configure the connection
Enter your server details and choose the remote folder. Drive supports direct FTP/FTPS connections and a manager installed on your hosting. These modes have different requirements and protections.
- 03
Prepare the manager, where required
The HTTPS manager needs compatible hosting, a dedicated directory and the settings required by your configuration. Account-based installation also prepares the database and the first administrator.
- 04
Verify before you work
Complete access checks and save the configuration. Check that a file opens in the correct application and verify synchronisation status after your first save.
Server and hosting requirements
- Direct connection: FTP or FTPS access and permissions for the selected folder. FTPS adds TLS protection; plain FTP does not encrypt the connection.
- Drive manager: HTTPS with a valid certificate, PHP 8 or later, ZipArchive and a writable directory with a protected data area.
- Account-based manager: MySQL, the PDO MySQL extension and Argon2id support. The SQLite variant requires PDO SQLite instead.
- Web-server protection: working access rules for manager data; .htaccess on Apache or equivalent configuration on other servers.
- Capacity: available space, file sizes, execution time and transfer limits must be compatible with your hosting plan.
Compatibility must be checked in the actual environment. Having hosting space alone does not guarantee that every Drive mode is available.
06 / File protection
How your files are handled.
The manager’s encrypted storage
In the manager workflow, file contents are encrypted on your computer with AES-256-GCM before transfer. Names, sizes and dates remain metadata. Existing files in FTP storage do not become encrypted automatically.
Copies opened on your computer
Your application needs a locally readable document to work with it. Working copies are therefore unencrypted on the device and also depend on the protections of your account and computer.
Credentials and access
On Windows, credentials saved by the application are protected for the current user through DPAPI. Keep the encryption password safe: the manager cannot reconstruct it to recover your content.
HTTPS, FTPS and storage encryption protect different parts of the workflow. The encrypted manager’s protections do not automatically apply to direct FTP/FTPS connections.
07 / Frequently asked questions
Key questions before you start.
Do I need to change my editing applications?
No. Drive uses your computer’s default application for each file format. You need a compatible application installed; its licences and editing features remain those of your chosen program.
Is the file edited directly on the server?
Opening starts from Drive, but your application works on a copy on your computer. Saved changes are then transferred according to the connection type: synchronisation of monitored copies in your main Drive, or manual upload in connected drives.
Can I work without a connection?
You can keep editing a copy already available on your computer if your application supports it. Files that exist only remotely must be downloaded first. Uploading and comparing with server state resume when the connection is available and Drive is running.
Can I close Drive while editing a document?
The editor can stay open, but Drive must be running to check and transfer changes. In the current desktop app, working copies and registered tracking persist and are checked again after reopening. Wait for status confirmation to complete a transfer.
Can two people edit the same file?
They can access it with the required permissions, but Drive does not provide a live shared writing session. Parallel edits may create divergent versions: a check can flag them and stop synchronisation without merging their contents. For shared documents, agree on who is working on the current version.
Do I need to keep every file on my computer?
No. You can keep files only on the server and download them when needed. Opening them with a desktop application still creates a local working copy that uses device storage.
Does Drive replace a server backup?
No. Synchronisation maintains a workflow between local and remote copies; backup requires separately defined version retention, schedules and recovery procedures.
Does it work with any hosting and operating system?
Check the requirements for your selected mode. The current desktop version is for Windows; availability on other platforms and compatibility with your specific hosting should be confirmed before adoption.
Start with the way you work.
Tell us which server or hosting you use, your file types and the applications you work with. We can assess the Drive configuration that fits your environment.