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.

Fast Transfer Mode

Fast Transfer Mode delivers the highest performance for uploading and downloading large files. It is optimized for speed, reliability, and secure file exchange between users and systems.

Fast Transfer Mode can be launched by opening the Files.com Desktop application interface. On Windows, launch it from the system tray Files.com menu or by searching for “Files.com Desktop” in the Start menu. On macOS, launch it from the menu bar Files.com icon or by opening the Files.com Desktop app from Applications or via Spotlight search.

The interface is simple and intuitive, featuring drag-and-drop functionality with the local file system displayed in the left pane and Files.com content in the right pane. Users can upload, download, create folders, rename, delete, move, and copy files directly from the interface. Transfers can be paused or canceled at any time, and progress is clearly displayed with success and failure tracking.

Automatic retries and overwrite options are also supported and can be configured in Settings or Preferences.

Mounted Drive Mode

Mounted Drive Mode allows users to access Files.com connections as mounted volumes directly from Windows and macOS. When the Desktop App is launched, any configured connections set for mounting are automatically mounted. Multiple connections can be mounted at once, and new connections are set to auto-mount by default when created.

This mode provides a convenient, native experience for browsing and editing Files.com content from the file system, similar to using a network drive. It enables users to open and save files directly from applications including Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite.

You can enable or disable this behavior using the Mount as Volume option available under Manage Files.com Connections. If any mounting-related settings are changed in a connection’s configuration, the volume will be remounted automatically to apply the updates.

How Mounted Drive Mode Works Across Windows and macOS

On Windows, mounted connections appear as mapped drives in Windows Explorer under This PC. The highest available drive letter is used when mounting a volume, and if no drive letters are available, the mount will fail. You can configure a specific drive letter for each connection, but if that letter is already in use, the mounting process will not succeed. Mounted Drive Mode is available when installing the Desktop App using the EXE installer, but it is not supported with the MSI installer.

On macOS, mounted connections appear as standard network volumes in Finder under Locations. macOS uses standard mount points rather than drive letters. Note that files or folders containing certain special characters are not supported in mounted drive mode on macOS and will be hidden from Finder. Mounted Drive Mode is available when installing the Desktop App using the PKG or DMG installers.

Working with Files in Mounted Drive Mode

Mounted Drive Mode allows you to browse folders, open files, edit content, and save changes directly through your native file browser. Files are automatically transferred in the background by your operating system and internet connection, letting you work with them as if they were stored locally. When you open a file, it is downloaded if not already cached; when you save changes, the file is uploaded back to Files.com automatically.

File Locking Behavior in Mounted Drive Mode

Files.com uses file locks to protect business document files that are opened for editing. This locking behavior applies when editing these documents through the Desktop App Mounted Drive, the Files.com online editor, or Office for the web, and applies only to business document files including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.

When a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document opens for editing from a Mounted Drive using the corresponding desktop application, the Files.com Desktop App requests a lock for the file. If no one else is editing the file, the lock is granted and the file opens for editing.

If another user or editing session already has the file open, the application opens the file in read-only mode. This prevents multiple users from editing the same file at the same time and causing conflicting changes or accidental overwrites.

For example, if one user opens a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document from a Mounted Drive using a desktop editing application and another user tries to open the same document for editing from another Mounted Drive or the Files.com online editor, the second user will see the file open in read-only mode.

If you make changes while the file is open in read-only mode, the application prompts you to save the file with a different name or in a different location. The application does not allow saving changes to the original file while another editing session holds the lock.

The lock is released when the user closes the file in the editing application that opened it. If the file remains open and the lock is not released, the lock expires automatically after 12 hours.

File locking does not apply in Fast Transfer Mode because Fast Transfer Mode is used to transfer files, while Mounted Drive Mode allows files to be opened and edited directly.

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 an account has expired credentials, you will be required to sign in to that account (through the desktop app) again before reconnecting. Credentials may expire for a number of reasons, including the Desktop session was manually revoked by you or a site administrator via the web app, or the Desktop session lifetime that's set for your Files.com site has lapsed (defaults to 30 days, unless modified by a site admin). Credentials may expire if your site has Desktop Session IP Pinning enabled, requiring you to sign in again if your IP address changes while already signed in to the desktop app.