Goggle Drive Works Really Great For Sharing Chief Files

[dshall]

Many folks believe the "DropBox" files are only located out in the cloud but that is not the case. Yes there is a copy of the file kept on the DropBox server(s) but it is just that, a copy of the most recently updated local file, uploaded to the DropBox server(s) from whatever computer you where using when you last worked on that file. The DropBox application insures that the local files on your computers are kept in sync. A file changed on Computer A gets uploaded to the server, then downloaded to Computers B,C,D etc as needed.

Where on my computer would I find the file? I did not save it to a folder. Try this, open a new plan, draw four walls and save it to the drop box folder. Shut the computer down, restart the computer, I would venture to guess that the only place you will find that file is in the drop box folder.

If you do this test and find the file anywhere else than in the drop box folder, please let me know and I will fall onto my magical sword and swear my allegiance to you for the rest of my life....... or at least until tomorrow morning.

[fcwilt]

Where on my computer would I find the file? I did not save it to a folder. Try this, open a new plan, draw four walls and save it to the drop box folder. Shut the computer down, restart the computer, I would venture to guess that the only place you will find that file is in the drop box folder.

You will only find that file in your DropBox folder BUT as I said that folder and all the folders/files in it are normal Windows folders/files that are located on your local hard disk.

The ONLY thing that makes them "special" is the DropBox application has asked Windows to monitor those folders/files for changes and tell the DropBox application so it can upload the changed files to the DropBox server.

If you update a file, in the DropBox folders(s) on Computer A, any copies of that file on Computers B, C, D, etc are now out of date. The DropBox application on Computer A, informed of the changed files(s) by Windows, will upload those changed files to the DropBox server(s). The DropBox application on Computers B, C, D, etc will determine (by communicating with the DropBox server(s)) that the local files (on Computers B, C, D, etc) are out of date and get the new updated files from the DropBox server(s).

[dshall]

You will only find that file in your DropBox folder BUT as I said that folder and all the folders/files in it are normal Windows folders/files that are located on your local hard disk.

The ONLY thing that makes them "special" is the DropBox application has asked Windows to monitor those folders/files for changes and tell the DropBox application so it can upload the changed files to the DropBox server.

If you update a file, in the DropBox folders(s) on Computer A, any copies of that file on Computers B, C, D, etc are now out of date. The DropBox application on Computer A, informed of the changed files(s) by Windows, will upload those changed files to the DropBox server(s). The DropBox application on Computers B, C, D, etc will determine (by communicating with the DropBox server(s)) that the local files (on Computers B, C, D, etc) are out of date and get the new updated files from the DropBox server(s).

I assume that what ever you just said is true. I will not argue. I will say that I just opened a file at home from drop box that I edited at the office 2 hours ago, on a different computer, and it opened up to the latest changes I had made at the office. So if you agree with what I just said, and you believe what I just said, we are not in dispute. I truly do not understand what you are saying.

All I am saying is all of my files now reside in drop box, and no matter what computer I use to access those files, when I do access said files, they reclect the latest revisions, and none of the files are on any of my computers, they are on drop box. I have not files except those files which are on drop box.

Do you agree that what I just stated is true?

[dshall]

Did anybody try this test?

Try this, open a new plan, draw four walls and save it to the drop box folder. Shut the computer down, restart the computer, I would venture to guess that the only place you will find that file is in the drop box folder.

If you do this test and find the file anywhere else than in the drop box folder, please let me know and I will fall onto my magical sword and swear my allegiance to you for the rest of my life....... or at least until tomorrow morning.

[PhoenixConstruction]

Scott;

I just saw this thread, so if what I'm saying is redundant, my apologies - Your beginning assertion that drop box is not a folder on your hard drive, as you probably already know is in error, but to verify here's the way to check;

Click on "Computer" in your start folder, and then double click your main hard drive (usually MAIN (C: )). Go down to "Users" and double click, and then to [probably] your name "Scott", and double click. You will see a "Dropbox" file folder (right there on your main hard drive, in living color, just like all of the other file folders). If you double click it, you'll see all of the files you put there.

On your desktop, where the dropbox shortcut is, is just that, a shortcut as noted by the little blue arrow down in the bottom left corner, which means that that is a shortcut to a file that is on your hard drive, or any other drive for that matter. When you are on the desktop, you are actually in a folder that is called "Desktop", which has lots of other folders and shortcuts. By the way, you'll also see the "Desktop" folder in the same file location as your Dropbox folder.

Knowing how your computer uses files and folders, and how it manages them is pretty important if you ever need to hunt something down. If you have ten drives on your computer, and you want quick access to any file on any of them, for instance a plan file you're working on. just right click on the file and drag to your desktop, and then choose "create shortcut here", and you'll have desktop access to that file. Try this one for a project that you're working on a lot; open your dropbox folder, find the file, say the "SMITH JOB" - now right click on it and drag it to your desktop and then choose "create shortcuts here". Now, instead of having to find the file every time, you just double click the "shortcut" (SMITH JOB), and Chief will start up if it isn't already, and you have the smith job. any changes saved will save to the original [dropbox] folder, and when you close, it will be there. When you're done with the job, delete the shortcut, and there is no consequence to the actual file, and dropbox will do their job of synchronizing it to your other devices.

Hope this helps.