File storage

File storage options

OneDrive

OneDrive gives you 1 TB of storage in the cloud (as part of your Microsoft Office 365 account).

Box

Box gives you 1 TB of personal storage in the cloud (your MyBox folder) and unlimited storage for department shared folders.

Home network drive (M: Drive)

Your home network drive gives you 1 GB of personal storage on the University network.

  • You can access your home network drive from your My Documents folder when logged into a University Windows computer.
  • To request additional storage space contact the IT Helpdesk.

Shared network drive

Shared network drives give you unlimited storage on the University. Shared network drives are intended for groups, teams or departments who need to access or work on the same files.

  • Access to shared network drives is granted by a delegated group owner or by your role at the University. If you don't know who the delegated group owner is then you can check with the IT Helpdesk.
  • To request a new shared network drive or request more storage space, contact the IT Helpdesk.

Connect to a network drive

Connect to a shared network drive

To access a shared network drive you must:

  • have permission to access the drive
  • be connected to the University network.

You can then map a shared network drive:

  1. Follow Microsoft's instructions on how to map a network drive.
  2. In the folder box, enter the path to the network drive using the format \\server\folder, for example \\sernt2\sociology

If you need to access a shared network drive remotely, please contact the IT Helpdesk for assistance.

Connect to your home network drive off campus

You can access your home network drive off campus using Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

We recommend using the FileZilla Client but you can use a different SFTP client if you prefer.

  1. Download and install the FileZilla Client.
  2. Open FileZilla and choose FileSite Manager...New Site
  3. Enter a name for the site, for example "My home drive", and then enter the following settings:
    Setting Value
    Host unix4.essex.ac.uk 
    Port 22
    Protocal SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol
    Logon Type Normal
    User Enter your University username (do not add @essex.ac.uk after your username)
    Password Enter your University password
  4. Choose Connect.
  5. Choose OK if you're asked to confirm the host's key fingerprint.
  6. Once you're connected you'll be able to see all of your files and folders stored in your drive. Drag and drop files to download or upload.
  7. To disconnect from your drive simply close FileZilla Client.

For help using the FileZilla Client, visit FileZilla Support.

Sending large files (ZendTo)

Use our ZendTo file transfer service to send files up to 5 GB to anyone. Files are automatically deleted 14 days after you upload them.

Recovering lost files

You can request a file recovery from a network drive from up to two years ago.

We're unable to restore files from removable storage, such as external hard drives and USB sticks, or local storage, such as your desktop or C: Drive.

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