Tutorial

Getting Started

ExtDrive is a new type of online file storage solution. It provides fast and easy access to files, with intuitive methods for saving and retrieving files. Getting started is very easy. First, create a new G-mail account for the storage medium. Make sure to remember both the G-mail address and password. You will need both for creating an ExtDrive account. Go to www.ExtDrive.com. In the top middle of the login screen, there will be a white tab: "ExtDrive Main." Click it, then navigate to the left sidebar button: "New Account." Fill in an username, password, and the G-mail account's specifics. Then, complete the other fields. All of the fields given must be completed in order for the account to be made. To activate the account, head over to the given G-mail and click the URL to activate your account.

Site Navigation

ExtDrive's site navigation is fairly simple. Each page consists of a top bar, bottom bar, and main content area. The top bar contains links to other pages: "Home, Settings, Help." Additionally, there is a "ExtDrive Main" button located in the center, below the top bar. The "Main" page contains links to all areas of the website: logging in, creating an account, Main, Home, User Info, Settings, Tutorial, FAQs, and About. However, most of the time, you will be focused on the "Home" page, as well as some of the "Settings" page features. An important thing to note is that each of the different pages resides on the same index file. Thus, you cannot go "back" after clicking one of the buttons; it simply changes the window's view. To understand what this means, try clicking some of the top bar buttons. You'll notice that there is no way to go "back" to a previous page. The reason the website is designed this way is so that site navigation is fairly quick; your browser does not need to download data for each page it goes to.

Login/Logout

There a couple ways to login. When you first navigate to www.ExtDrive.com, there will be a login box where you can simply type your username and password. Another way to login is to navigate to the "Main" page (see Site Navigation) and login on the left sidebar. In order to logout, click the I/O button at the top right of the page and confirm logout.

Points

Points are a form of "currency," you gain them the more time you allow ads to show, and you can spend them by going to "Settings." Each minute you allow ads to show, you receive one point. Thus, it is advantageous to use ExtDrive more, since points can be used to get items such as Encryption and Searching capabilities. Once you buy a certain capability from the "Settings" page, you can then use it the next time you log in. If there is something you need to use immediately, and you can't wait to accumulate enough points, you can also purchase points ($1.00 = 100 points). Alternatively, if you purchase a premium account, you will be given an infinite number of points. Premium accounts cost $50.00. Points can not be converted back into money.

Home Page

The "Home" page was designed to resemble an operating system, even though there are key differences. Since operating with files is the main purpose of ExtDrive, the "Home" page is designed for opening file explorers. To open a file explorer, either double click "Computer," "ExtDrive," "Shared," or "Trash," or single click the icon on the bottom left of the page (in the taskbar). This will open up a window to the respective file location and will create a task in the taskbar. To close the task, either click "X" in the file explorer window, or click "X" in the taskbar task. Notice that file explorers can be moved around in the "Home" page.

File Explorer

The file explorer has many neat features. At the top right, there are the standard buttons: minimize, maximize, and close. There is also an expand (arrow) button that pops the file explorer out of the browser window, into a popup window. Below this top bar are standard file explorer methods: go back, go to parent directory, go forward, an address bar, a pop-down bar of recent files, and a cancel button. Below this are a variety of buttons that for different features. For more information on these features, see "File Explorer Buttons." There is also a search bar on the right (enabled only if you buy the extension; see "Points"). Below this are two sub windows. The left one provides a tree structure for the current directory, and the right one shows the folders and files contained within the directory.

Storing and Retrieving Files

In order to add files to a directory, either copy and paste selected files to the browser's file explorer, or drag files from a file explorer on your computer to the website's file explorer. To retrieve files, select the desired files and double click them. They will then be downloaded to the default downloads folder, under a subdirectory whose name is given by the time of download.

File Explorer Buttons

Select All: Selects all folders and files in the current directory.
Copy: Copies selected folders and files.
Cut: Cuts selected folders and files.
Paste: Pastes copied or cut folders and files to the current directory.
Restore Default Magnification: Set the window's magnification to the default zoom.
Zoom In: Increase the thumbnail and font size of folders and files.
Zoom Out: Decrease the thumbnail and font size of folders and files.
New Folder: Add a new folder to the current directory.
Share Selected...: Allow friends to see these folders/files if they open their "Shared" drive on the desktop.
Un-share Selected...: Disallow certain people from seeing folders/file you'd previously shared.
Encrypt: Encrypt a certain folder or file with a given password.
Decrypt: Decrypt a certain folder or file given the encryption password.
Search: Search for files in the current directory and subdirectories.

Settings

The "Settings" page holds two key components: User Information and User Settings. User Information provides details about the user's account, such as storage usage and current points levels. The second component, User Settings, provides options for customizing the user's account, such as background image, theme, and buying extensions with points.

Adding Additional Storage

If you gain enough points, you can purchase an option to merge multiple G-mail accounts for more file storage. To do this, go to the "Settings" page and purchase the "G-mail merger," then add the G-mail accounts' information (address and password).

Disclaimer

While we try to ensure stability and privacy of data, since the data is stored in the provided G-mail account, if the something happens to the account or someone obtains your account's login information, we cannot be held responsible for lost or stolen data. Our system can be used for backup, but we recommend not relying on it as a singular backup. As per our privacy statement, we will not share, sell, or release any personal information under any circumstances. We hold the right to terminate the accounts of any users who are not in compliance with our Terms of Use.

FAQs

Why do you require a G-mail?

G-mail provides close to 8GB of storage per user account, as well as providing fast access to the files. Since G-mails are both free an easy to obtain, they pose a cheap and useful form of storage for consumers. While other E-mail services provide free storage, G-mail proved the most viable option.

Is the site secure?

Yes. We try to ensure the security of all of the user's data by encrypting user information. We also guarantee that no user information will be shared, sold, or released to other parties. See the Disclaimer for more information.

What is the storage limit?

The total storage limit depends solely on the G-mail account(s)'s storage. Thus, there is theoretically no limit, as long as you keep adding more G-mail accounts to your ExtDrive account. (To add more G-mail accounts, first buy the G-mail merger extension, then you can add more G-mails). The file size limit depends on the remaining total storage, so there is theoretically no file size limit either.