Many organizations have long-term archival or regulatory needs that require local, offline access to their files. Sometimes, this takes the form of a request to export content to a physical external drive and have it mailed. While Files.com does not currently offer a service to write data to a hard drive and ship it to customers, there are effective, secure alternatives that can meet the same goal.

This article walks through those options, whether you want to manage the backup yourself or rely on large-scale cloud integrations that support physical exports.

Using Cloud Syncs for Physical Exports

The most scalable way to create a physical backup from Files.com is to use our ability to sync content to major cloud storage platforms that offer their own physical export services. This approach allows you to export terabytes of data efficiently, securely, and with minimal manual handling.

Sync to Amazon S3 and Request an AWS Snowball

Files.com can Sync directly to Amazon S3, after which AWS provides the Snowball service, this is an appliance they ship to your location, preloaded with the data from your bucket. This is a particularly effective solution for customers dealing with large volumes of content.

The process begins by configuring an Amazon S3 Remote Server Sync inside Files.com. Once the sync is complete, you initiate a Snowball job from your AWS Console, specifying your S3 bucket as the data source. AWS then handles the secure loading of the data onto the Snowball device and ships it to you.

Snowball offers encryption, integrity verification, and secure erasure of the device upon return. It’s designed for customers who need to offload large datasets from the cloud while maintaining physical control of the archive.

Alternatives: Azure Data Box and Google Transfer Appliance

If you're using Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud instead of AWS, similar services are available.

With Microsoft’s Azure Data Box, you can sync Files.com to an Azure Blob Storage container. From there, you can request a Data Box device, which Microsoft will load with your data and ship to you. This service supports up to 80TB per device and follows secure encryption and shipping protocols.

Google’s Transfer Appliance works in much the same way. After syncing Files.com to a Google Cloud Storage bucket, you can request a Transfer Appliance that arrives at your location loaded with your content. Google offers devices in 100TB and 480TB capacities, designed for secure high-volume transfers.

These alternatives offer the same end result: a physical, secure copy of your data, delivered to your location, without requiring you to manually download and manage the files yourself.

Managing Backups Yourself with Local Tools

If you already have your own external drives or prefer a more hands-on approach, Files.com offers two solid options for downloading content directly: our Files CLI App and our Desktop v6 App.

Using the Files.com CLI

Files CLI App is ideal for users who are comfortable with the command line and want to script or automate their download process. After installing the CLI and authenticating with your Files.com account, you can point the tool at any directory in your Files.com storage and mirror its contents to a connected external hard drive.

For example, once you’ve mounted your drive, a single CLI command can recursively download your entire folder tree from Files.com to that location. This approach is efficient, scriptable, and repeatable. This method is ideal for ongoing local backups or exports in preparation for cloud cleanup or archival.

Using Files.com Desktop v6

For those who prefer a graphical interface, Files.com Desktop v6 App offers a straightforward drag-and-drop experience. Once installed, the app mounts your Files.com storage as a drive on your local file system, just like plugging in a USB stick.

From there, you can navigate your Files.com folders using the app, and copy files/folders to an external drive. This is especially useful for ad-hoc or one-time backups where scripting isn’t necessary, but full file control is still desired.

Choosing the Right Method

The right solution depends on your organization’s infrastructure, scale, and comfort with technical tools. Customers handling massive data volumes often benefit from syncing to a cloud provider and leveraging physical export services like AWS Snowball or Azure Data Box. On the other hand, if teams within your organization needs immediate access and prefer to manage the process on their own, they may opt for the CLI or Desktop v6.

Here’s a quick summary of the scenarios each method best serves:

• Cloud sync + physical export (Snowball, Data Box, Transfer Appliance): Ideal for large-scale exports, long-term archives, or regulated industries.
• Files.com CLI: Best for scriptable, automated backups to local drives you already own.
• Files.com Desktop v6: Perfect for visual workflows and one-time or manual downloads.