This user guide will explain the basic functions of Box and how to use them. For further assistance, please email support@unitehere.org.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Accessing Box
There are two ways to access files in Box, Box Online and Box Drive.
Box Online
- Log in at: https://unitehere.account.box.com/login
- It always reflects what is currently saved in the cloud.
- The best option to use if collaborating with others.
Once logged in, users are taken to a Home Screen that shows the folders they have access to. Users can add new files to Box by opening the folder where it should go clicking New + > File Upload.
Users can edit files directly from the web page. To do so, hover the mouse the file to edit. Then click on the button with the three dots and select Open with > Excel online.
Excel Online works like Google Drive where it live updates. This means that users can collaborate with other people on editing a file at the same time. It automatically saves every change made to the file. The option to use Excel Online will only appear if the user has Editor level access to the files.
Box Drive
- Lives in File Explorer just like other Shared Drives.
- Lets users work offline.
- Allows users to edit and save files using their desktop Office 365.
Important to Know: If something is showing up in Box Drive but not on Box Online, something has gone wrong and the file in Box Drive has not been uploaded to Box.
Box drive is an app that works on a user's computer to give them access to their box files in the file explorer. This lets them work on files using your desktop office apps which are more powerful and can work offline. Files only update when saved by the user. Users can add new files to BOX using "Save As" and navigating to a box folder or dragging and dropping a file into a Box folder.
Important to Know: If two people are editing a file in Box Drive at the same time and save their work, it creates two versions of the document. "Lock” the file before opening it to avoid this issue.
Important to Know: Box Drive will let users drag files and folders to the space in the BOX tab that is not in any folder, but these files will not upload.
- This is because files must live in one of the root folders.
- If the user is logged out of Box drive, these files will be deleted and there will be no way to recover them.
- Double check that new files uploaded through Box Drive show up on the website.
- The website will always show what is actually saved to box, if it’s not there it’s not in Box.
- A little error message will also appear on the Box Drive icon in the applications tray on the task bar.
Box Structure
Everything stored in BOX lives in a file structure that branches out like a tree.
- At base are Root Folders for each department that hold all of the files for that department.
- Inside Root Folders things are organized into sub folders and sub folders of the subfolders.
- New folders and document have to live within the existing structure.
Sample Structure
In BOX users only see what has been shared with them. In this example, the Test User will only see Sub-Folder A, B, and F.
- Test User's home screen shows them the "deepest" sub folder in the structure they have access to
Important to Know: When a folder is shared with someone, they automatically have access to all of its files and sub folders. There is no way give someone partial access to a folder.
*Users cannot add new folders or files to their BOX home screen. Everything must live in a Sub Folder of one of the Root Folders.
- If a new folder needs to be created that doesn't really belong in one of the folders the user has access to, they can reach out to support@unitehere.org.
Sharing Files
There are different levels of access on BOX. Users can check who the file is shared with and the level of access they have by looking on the right-hand side of the page under "Sharing".
Important to Know: The level of access a user has on a given folder is "inherited" by everything in that folder, but it is possible to be shared at a higher level of access on thing in a folder.
- For example: If a user has "Viewer" level access on Folder 1, they automatically have Viewer level access on Sub-Folder A, B, and C, but it is possible that they could have Editor level access to Sub-Folder A. (See image above).
- Box defaults to the higher permission level.