One of the best things about the internet is that there's so much free software out there, just waiting for you to download on to your computer. However, this download process can also work the other way around. There are many companies that provide free online storage services, allowing you to upload files from your computer and store them on the internet.
These services allow you to create a kind of 'virtual hard disk' on the internet, that you can use as an extension of your computer's built-in hard disk. You can treat this online disk just like any other storage device, freely copying files to it or from it as long as you're connected to the internet.
There are all sorts of uses for your online storage space. The most obvious is simply to use it as back-up storage for important files. You could store copies of files you need for work, or make a back-up of your email address book. Then, if your computer breaks down, you know there's a copy of your files stored safely on the internet.
An online disk is also a good insurance policy against break-ins or theft. A burglar can easily steal your back-up disks along with your main computer, but they can't steal the entire internet as well. Your data will still be there even if every computer in your office is stolen.
Another problem with most ordinary back-up devices is that they can only be connected to one computer at a time. The internet, however, connects millions of computers all over the world. This means that your online disk space can be accessed from anywhere in the world. If you're going on a business trip and you don't want to lug a Zip drive around in your briefcase, you can simply upload your files to your online disk from any office, hotel or cybercafe.
You can also use your online disk space as an alternative to email. Many email systems put a limit on the size of files that can be attached to messages. This means it may be impossible to send large files, such as MP3 songs or video clips, to your friends. But most online storage services allow you to create a 'public' or 'shared' folder that is open to other people. Just tell your friends the location of your online disk and they can view or download files you put into the shared folder.
To illustrate how these online disk services work, we created an account with Idrive, one of the best known online storage services. You get 50 megabytes of free storage space when you sign up with Idrive, but there are similar services that offer 15MB to 100MB.
You can generally upgrade your account to provide even more storage space if you need it, although you'll probably have to pay a subscription fee for this.
Step By Step
1) Go to www.idrive.com and select New idrive user to create your account.
2) You'll need to fill out the subscription form with your chosen user name and password.
3) An email will be sent to you to confirm your Idrive details. This should only take a few minutes.
4) You can now return to the Idrive site and log in to connect to your online disk space.
5) You control your Idrive account through your web browser. Once you've signed in, you can choose a number of options. Click the Upload button when you're ready to upload files.
6) The Browse button allows you to locate and select the files you want to upload.
7) You can create a series of folders within your Idrive to store different files, just as you can on your computer's built-in hard disk. You can create one folder for your work files, another for MP3 files and another for photos.
8) Click the Share button to create a special folder that is open to other people. You can also specify a password that restricts access.
