Using the Desktop App

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

Use Fast 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.

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.

Account Access and Connectivity

To use the Desktop App, users must have Desktop App access enabled on their Files.com account, which is enabled by default unless restricted by a Site Administrator. Users must also have the appropriate folder level permissions, including read access, write access, or both, depending on 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 is designed to operate 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 is especially important 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 securely generates and stores a dedicated API key. The Desktop App also supports SSO, allowing authentication 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 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 Fast 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.