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Using the Desktop App

The Files.com Desktop App provides fast and efficient data transfers between your local system and Files.com. It supports three modes of operation: Mounted Drive Mode, Turbo Transfer Mode, and Sync Mode.

Use Mounted Drive Mode when you want to browse, open, edit, and save files directly from your file system using applications installed on your computer. Mounted Drive Mode integrates with your operating system so you can work with Files.com files in a way similar to working with files on a local drive.

Use Turbo Transfer Mode when you need to transfer large files or large volumes of files, including documents, videos, audio files, images, and archives. This mode optimizes uploads and downloads for high performance.

Desktop App Sync Mode runs a one-time comparison and transfer between a local folder and a folder on Files.com. If the contents of both folders match exactly, nothing transfers. If they differ, only the files that are new or changed are transferred in the configured direction. It is well suited for major one-time transfers like migrating a media library, moving a completed project archive, or consolidating files from a local drive into Files.com. The Desktop App's parallel transfer engine delivers high-speed throughput for these bulk operations. Each run is a Push or Pull, and you configure options including include and ignore patterns and dry-run mode before the Desktop App sync begins.

On Windows Server hosts running Remote Desktop Services, Windows 10/11 machines using Fast User Switching, and shared kiosk machines, multiple users can each run their own Desktop App session. See Multiple Concurrent Users (Windows Only) for details.

Account Access and Connectivity

To use the Desktop App, users must have Desktop App access enabled on their Files.com account. This access is enabled by default unless restricted by a Site Administrator. Users must also have the appropriate folder-level permissions for the action being performed. Missing or insufficient folder permissions can prevent uploads or downloads even when the app is connected. If access is restricted, contact your Files.com Site Administrator to enable Desktop App or protocol access, or to review folder permission assignments.

The Desktop App communicates outbound over HTTPS on port 443 and operates behind most corporate firewalls. Authentication requires that the Desktop App and the default web browser connect from the same IP address. Confirm that your site's Desktop session lifetime is not causing connection interruptions, and verify that Desktop session IP pinning is set to Do not require users to log in again if their IP address changes. This configuration matters most in environments where IP addresses change frequently.

Automatically Start on Login

The Files.com Desktop app includes an option to Launch application on login, which is enabled by default.

Enabling this setting means that any connections which mount as volumes will be automatically available on your computer without needing to manually start the Files.com Desktop app.

You can choose to disable the setting. If you do so, the Desktop app will not automatically start when you log into your computer, and any mounted volumes will not work until you run the Files.com Desktop app.

Authentication

When you connect to your site using the Desktop App, log in as you would in the Files.com web app, including your 2FA method. After login, the app generates and stores a dedicated API key. The Desktop App also supports SSO, authenticating through your organization's Single Sign-On provider.

If you experience issues with login or 2FA, enable Use default browser for authentication under Preferences on macOS or Settings on Windows. This option can also be used when compliance or IT policies require authentication through a specific system browser.

You can connect to multiple Files.com accounts or manage profiles by opening the app menu and selecting New Tab or Manage Files.com Connections.

If you have access to multiple Workspaces, use the workspace picker in the app to switch between them. Switching workspaces remounts the drive. The app asks you to confirm before proceeding, then remounts the drive for the selected workspace.

While a file transfer is in progress, the workspace picker is disabled. It re-enables once no transfer is active.

The workspace selection does not persist across restarts. Each launch mounts your default workspace, and you can switch to another workspace from the picker after launch.

If you have permissions to a Child Site, you can connect to it when you log in.

Expired Credentials

If credentials expire on your account, sign in to that account again in the Files.com Desktop App before reconnecting. In Turbo Transfer Mode, any in-progress transfers pause until you sign in, then resume from where they stopped.

Credentials expire in these situations:

  • Your site has Desktop Session IP Pinning enabled, and your IP address changed while you were signed in to the Desktop App.
  • Your session reached the Desktop Session Lifetime that your Site Administrator set for the site.
  • You or a Site Administrator revoked the Desktop App connection from the Active Desktop Connections list in the Web App.