Using Box Drive Basics

Supported Operating Systems

Two latest version of macOS. Windows & Windows Server - The two latest major versions (64-bit)

Working in Finder

If you use a Mac, you can access Box Drive by opening Finder. In the sidebar, navigate to Devices > Location > Box. Open this folder to display all of the contents of your Files page on Box.com. You can navigate through any folder and open every file you see just as if it were a local file. Box Drive icons tell you at a glance the status of your files and folders. For each file in the Box folder, Box Drive displays these standard properties:

File name
File size
File type
Date created (more information on Box timestamps)
Date modified (more information on Box timestamps)

Box Drive icons tell you at a glance the status of your files and folders.

For supported document, video, audio and image file types, when you view files in Box Drive, you will see thumbnails of the file content instead of a generic file type icon. To learn which file types are supported, visit Get Thumbnail Representation.

If you don’t see the Box folder in Finder, Box Drive may not be running. In this case, if you’re using Launchpad click the Box icon; if you’re using Spotlight search for ‘Box Drive’.You can also right-click a file or folder to display additional actions such as:

Share
Send to Box Sign
Refresh file

Items (files or folders) dragged and dropped from your local drive into Box are moved instead of copied. Similarly, items dragged and dropped from the Box folder to your local drive are moved instead of copied and hence deleted from Box.

Working in Explorer

If you use Windows, you can access Box Drive by opening Explorer and navigating to the folder named Box. Open this folder to display all of the contents of your Files page on Box.com. You can navigate through any folder and open every file you see just as if it were a local file. For each file in the Box folder, Box Drive displays these standard properties:

File name
File size
File type
Date created (more information on Box timestamps)
Date modified (more information on Box timestamps)

Box Drive icons tell you at a glance the status of your files and folders.

Windows File Explorer showing Box folder files and folders with cloud and synced status badges.

For supported document, video, audio and image file types, when you view files in Box Drive as Extra large icons, Large icons, Medium icons, Tiles, or Content, you will see thumbnails of file content, rather than generic file type icons. The supported file types are listed in this topic of the Box developer documentation.

If you don’t see the Box folder in Finder or File Explorer, Box Drive may not be running. In this case, from your Start menu click the Box icon or search for ‘Box Drive’.

You can also right-click a file or folder to display additional actions such as:

Share
Send to Box Sign
Refresh file

If you are currently using Box Sync, it’s important to uninstall Box Sync before you install Box Drive.

Logging in to Box Drive

You can use the Box Drive app to access and edit all your Box files from your desktop.

Download Box Drive and open it.
Click Log In if you already have a Box account.

Your browser opens - you can now log in to your account or create one.

If your admin enabled Single Sign On (SSO), the log in window asks you to choose an account you want to use for logging in.

If the Device Trust is enabled for your enterprise, you need to have Box Tools installed on your device to log in to Box Drive. If Box Tools is already installed, no additional updates are required. If Box Tools is not installed, you can install its latest version from Box downloads. A loading screen with message Launching Box Drive… appears. You will be prompted to open the Box app in the browser. Once you log in, you can start working with your Box files in the Windows Explorer or macOS Finder.

Working with Other Applications

Working with Box files in other applications such as Word or Excel is seamless. Open the file from Box Drive and work with it as you usually would. When you’re done, save the file. The file automatically syncs back to Box. You can also use Save As to save the file to a new location, save the file with a new name, or create new folders to store your file. All of those changes save automatically in Box. You can also use Save As to easily save new local files into Box Drive. To do this, select the Box location and browse to find the folder you want to contain your file.

MacOS_Box Drive_Working with other apps.png

Box Drive Icons and File or Folder Status

Box Drive icons tell you at a glance the status of your files and folders.

Icons in Windows

	Item is up-to-date in Box and available online only.
	Item is problematic. For more information on problem items and how to resolve them, see Problem Item Notifications.
	Item is in the process of being saved to Box.
	Item is locked.
	Item is marked for offline access.
	Item is marked available offline and online
	Item is open in an active co-authoring session.

Any icons not included in this list are unrelated to Box Drive, and are provided by the file’s parent application, not by Box Drive. An example of an icon unrelated to Box Drive is Excel Spreadsheet’s macros icon.

Icons in Mac

No icon	Item is up-to-date in Box.
	Item is not downloaded to the device’s hard drive. You do not need to click this item to open files or folders with Box Drive. You can select files and folders by clicking this item, or open them by double-clicking on this item. When you double-click on the item, Box downloads the item and displays its contents in the default application you’ve chosen for the file type.
	Item is not saved to Box.
	Item is being downloaded to the device’s hard-drive, or is being saved to Box.
	Download is in progress.
	Item is a problem item. For more information on problem items and how to resolve them, see Problem Item Notifications.
	Item is being saved to Box.
	Item is locked.
	Item is marked for offline access.
	Item is open in an active co-authoring session.

Marking Content for Offline Use

You can also mark content in Box Drive to make it available offline. Drive downloads this content to your device’s hard drive so you can work when you’re not connected to the Internet. When you get back online, Drive automatically uploads the revised content, so you are always working with the most up-to-date versions of your files. More information about making content available offline.

You cannot make G Suite files (Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides) and Box Notes available to work offline. These are all online-only formats.

Searching Box Drive

As with the Web, searching is the fastest way to locate your content. You can search either through Box Drive entirely, or through a specific Box Drive folder. Searching through a specific folder can be a more efficient way to find the content you’re seeking. It also gives you more granular search capabilities.

Searching on a Mac

To begin searching on a Mac, in your menu bar, click the Box icon to open the Box Drive search interface.

- Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Option + Cmd + Space.

Now do one of the following:

To search throughout Box Drive, type in your search term(s). Results display as you type.
- To display a result, double-click on it.
- To get more information about a result, right-click on it.
To search within a specific Box Drive folder:
1. At the bottom left, click the Search inside a Folder icon (). The Browse for Folder window opens.
2. Click the folder you want. Then click OK.
3. Type in your search terms. Results display as you type.

You can also search through a specific folder via Finder. To do this, in Finder right-click on the folder you want and then click Search in this Folder.

The Box search interface opens with the folder pre-selected. At the top of this window, in the Search Box area, type in your search term. Unhiding content Search for the content and then right-click the item and click Unhide File or Unhide Folder; item will reappear in Finder. See Hiding files and folders in Box Drive for more information on hiding content in Box Drive

Searching on Windows

To begin searching on Windows, in your menu bar, click the Box icon to open the Box Drive search interface.

Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Alt + B.

Box Drive onboarding screen: Drag Box Drive to Your Tray for Easy Access, with system tray diagram.

Now do one of the following:

Search throughout Box Drive. To do this, type in your search term(s). Results display as you type.
- To display a result, double-click on it.
- To get more information about a result, right-click on it.
Search within a specific Box Drive folder. To do this:
1. At the top right, click the Search inside a Folder icon (). The Browse for Folder window opens.
2. Click the folder you want. Then click OK.
3. Type in your search terms. Results display as you type.

You can also search through a specific folder via Windows Explorer. To do this, in File Explorer right-click on the folder you want and then click Search in this Folder.

Windows context menu with Box submenu open; arrow points to Search in this Folder.

The Box search interface opens with the folder pre-selected. At the top of this window, in the Search Box area, type in your search term. Unhiding content Search for the content and then right-click the item and click Unhide File or Unhide Folder; item will reappear in File Explorer. See Hiding files and folders in Box Drive for more information on hiding content in Box Drive

For both Windows and Mac machines, if you recently added a new file or folder to Box, it may take a few minutes to see the item in your results after the upload finishes.

Logging Out of Box Drive

Logging out completely removes all traces of your Drive usage from your machine and enables you to log in again as a new user. Also, when you log out, your Box Drive session ends and the login screen displays. In addition, logging out of Box Drive deletes all of the downloaded content you had marked for offline availability. This of course clears up hard disk space on your device. It also returns to an online-only state all of the content you have marked for offline availability. You will have to repeat the process of marking folders for offline availability.

To log out on a Mac:

Navigate to the search menu by going to the menu bar and clicking the Box icon. *
- Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Option + Cmd + space.
Click the gear icon, and from the list that displays click Log Out.

Box Drive prompts you with an alert about the following types of files:

Open Files - You can save and close these files to prevent the loss of any work.
Items Uploading - You can wait for these to upload to Box. Box Drive cancels any uploads that do not complete before you log out.
Problem Items - These are local files or folders that cannot be synced back to Box. Logging out deletes these items. To view these items, navigate to the Search Menu, click the gear icon, and from the list that displays click Error Updating an Item….

To log out on Windows

Navigate to the search menu by going to the system tray and clicking the Box icon. *
- Alternatively you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Shift + B.
Click the gear icon, and from the list that displays click Log Out.

Box Drive prompts you with an alert about the following types of files:

Open Files - You can save and close these files to prevent the loss of any work.
Items Uploading - You can wait for these to upload to Box. Box Drive cancels any uploads that do not complete before you log out.
Problem Items - These are local files or folders that cannot be synced back to Box. Logging out deletes these items. To view these items, navigate to the Search Menu, click the gear icon, and from the list that displays click Error Updating an Item….

Manually Resetting Box Drive

In rare cases Box Drive fails to start or keeps asking for a reset. A reset signs you out and removes Box Drive’s local data and settings. Files that have not uploaded to Box yet stay in a folder on your Desktop. If you can, update Box Drive to version 2.55.140 or later before you reset. Earlier versions can fail to complete a reset on some devices.

Reset Box Drive on Windows

Step 1: Use the built-in reset if Box Drive offers it

If Box Drive shows Box Drive needs reset, save and close any files you have open from your Box folder, then select Reset. Files that have not uploaded yet move to a folder on your Desktop named Box (YYYY-MM-DD HH-MM). After Box Drive restarts, sign in and copy those files back into your Box folder. If you don’t see this prompt, or it keeps coming back, continue with Step 2.

Step 2: Check which architecture your Box Drive uses

Box Drive for Windows runs on either the new architecture or the previous architecture. Which one you have depends on your organization’s rollout, not on the Box Drive version number. The reset steps are different, and using the wrong steps can delete files that have not uploaded or stop Box Drive from starting. Open your Box folder in File Explorer and check:

What to check	New architecture	Previous architecture
Details view in File Explorer	A Status column shows cloud and check-mark icons	No Status column
Right-click a file in your Box folder	Always keep on this device and Free up space appear in the menu	Box options such as Make Available Offline appear in a Box menu (on Windows 11, under Show more options)

Not sure? Contact your IT admin or Box Support before you continue.

New architecture: reset Box Drive

Save and close all files you have open from your Box folder. Also close any app that might be scanning or using files in your Box folder, such as backup, indexing, or document-management tools.
Sign in to Windows as the user whose Box Drive you’re resetting. Open Command Prompt normally (don’t select Run as administrator).
Run "C:\Program Files\Box\Box\FS\cf\cfctl.exe" drive reset Box. This stops Box Drive, moves files that have not uploaded to a folder on your Desktop named Box (YYYY-MM-DD HH-MM), and removes Box Drive’s local data and settings.
Wait for the message Box Drive reset completed successfully. If you see Box Drive reset completed with error, a file in your Box folder is usually still open or locked by another app. Close that app, or restart Windows, then run the command again. Don’t continue until you see the success message.
- If the reset fails while backing up files that have not uploaded to Box, an administrator can rerun the command with --skip-backup-unsynced-data: "C:\Program Files\Box\Box\FS\cf\cfctl.exe" drive reset Box --skip-backup-unsynced-data
  This skips the Desktop backup. Files that have not uploaded to Box are deleted by the reset and can’t be recovered afterward. Use this only when the backup step itself is failing, and only if losing those files is acceptable. Files already saved to Box are not affected.
Start Box Drive and sign in. Copy any files from the Box (YYYY-MM-DD HH-MM) folder on your Desktop back into your Box folder.

On the new architecture, don’t reset by deleting registry entries, deleting your Box folder, or uninstalling and reinstalling Box Drive. The command above already clears Box Drive’s settings. Deleting HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Box\Box can stop Box Drive from starting. Uninstalling, or deleting the Box folder, can delete files that have not uploaded yet.

If the reset still fails after you restart Windows, open a support ticket and include the full text from the Command Prompt window.

Previous architecture: reset Box Drive

Use these steps only if your Box Drive uses the previous architecture (see Step 2).

Quit Box Drive. If needed, use Task Manager to end the Box.exe process.
Check whether any files exist in C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Box\Box\unsyncedFiles. These files have not uploaded to Box. To keep them, copy them to a location outside C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Box\Box (such as your Desktop). The next steps delete them. You may need to show hidden folders to see AppData.
Delete the folder C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Box\Box.
In Registry Editor, delete the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Box\Box.
Start Box Drive and sign in.

If you’re still having trouble, open a support ticket.

To manually reset Box Drive on a Mac

Quit Box Drive if it is running.
Download and open the Box Reset Tool zip file.
Open the Box Reset Tool from the Downloads folder.
Click Reset.
- You should see a prompt stating “Box Drive reset successfully”.
Open Box from your application folder and log back in.

The Box Reset Tool will write logs of actions performed to your Desktop folder under “Box-ResetTool-logs_(<currentday>)”.

Once you restart Box Drive, you can review any archived unsynced files and either upload them manually or delete them to free up hard drive space. If you are still having trouble, open a support ticket.

Quitting Box Drive

Exiting Box Drive does not remove any locally stored Box Files from your computer and it does not log you out. If when you exit there are changes in the midst of being saved, the next time you open Box Drive it picks up right where it left off and finishes saving these changes.

To Quit Box Drive on a Mac

Click the Box icon from the top menu bar.
- Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Option + Cmd + space.
Click the gear icon, then select Quit.
Follow the prompts to close any open files and quit Box Drive.

To Quit Box Drive on Windows

From the task bar, open the system tray in the lower right corner and click the Box icon.
- Alternatively, you could use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Shift + B.
Click the gear icon, and select Exit.
Follow the prompts to close any open files and quit Box Drive.