Getting started

What is PowerFolder all about?

PowerFolder lets you share multiple folders over all your desktop and mobile devices and therefore is one easy way to sync, share and backup files. 

• The PowerFolder desktop client is a software that monitors one or more folders on your desktop computer and syncs any changes to the web and other computers.
• The PowerFolder website allows you to access your files on any computer from a web browser. You can also use the PowerFolder website to share your files or folders with others.
• The PowerFolder mobile apps let you connect to your folders on the web and let you sync the files and folders you need right to your mobile device, so you can take your files with you wherever you go. 

Is it useful for me?

A lot of people are nowadays exchanging data connecting to networks drives, passing USB thumb drives to each other, sending emails with large attachments or uploading them via web forms. With PowerFolder you can drop all of those obsolete ways and instead use PowerFolder to securely transfer data over the internet and improve productivity within your team.

Adding files and folders to your PowerFolder

You may notice that PowerFolder will create a new folder called PowerFolders right under your user profile as soon as you logged in the first time. From there you are just a few clicks away of sharing or backing up your files. Let's start synchronizing your first folder!

• Step 1: Create a new folder in PowerFolders.
• Step 2. Drag and drop some files into that new folder.

 That’s it! The new folder you've just created and its contents will now be synchronized to the server. All changes in this folder will be synchronized automatically in the future. The folder is also ready for sharing with others now.

What do I do now?

There are three ways to interact with PowerFolder installation on your computer:

The PowerFolders Folder

You probably found the PowerFolders folder already, if you read this guide from the beginning. When you start PowerFolder for the first time, it creates a folder for you on your hard drive called PowerFolders. It's like any other folder on your hard drive, however the PowerFolder Desktop Client will automatically detect if you create a new folder including some files in it.

Whenever you move a file to one of these folders managed by your PowerFolder Desktop Client, you are also moving your file to the same folder on the web and your other computers. No need for manual copying or 
uploading anymore, PowerFolder takes care of everything for you!

You may ask yourself how to check what's the status of the folders you have created in your PowerFolders folder. Just continue reading the next section.

The PowerFolder Desktop Client

When you start the client it will ask you to login. You simply have to supply your username and password and it will start. Once started you will see the overall status.

 The circle with the check mark means PowerFolder is fully synced.

 The circle with the rotation means PowerFolder is currently syncing.

 The circle with the hourglass means PowerFolder is waiting to sync your folders, for example when the client waits for a connection to the web.

 The circle with the exclamation mark means PowerFolder is requiring your attention. Common reasons are that you are not logged in yet, your hard drive is full or your storage quota is exceeded.

 The circle with the two bars means PowerFolder has been paused.

 Not only you can see the overall status of all your folders here, but also a list of all folders managed by PowerFolder as well as their status. Simply click on Show Folders.

The PowerFolder System Tray/Menu Bar Icon

The PowerFolder system tray or menu bar icon is where you can check the current status of the synchronization. The same status icons which you can see in the desktop client are displayed in the system tray as well, so you can check the status without opening the client.

When you right-click the system tray or menu bar icon, you have a menu, where you can

• • open the desktop client
  • go to your folders on the PowerFolder website
  • go to your PowerFolders folder on your hard drive
  • stop all sync-process
  • see the latest changes
  • change preferences
  • set desktop client to finish syncing and to shut down automatically
  • set desktop client to finish syncing and to exit automatically
  • simply exit the desktop client

How do I share my files with other people?

There are two ways of sharing files with PowerFolder:

• Send download links to quickly share files and folders.
• Send invitations for others to synchronize your folders using a desktop client.

To share a file or folder via download link:

1. Log in to the web interface.
2. Click on Folders.
3. Click on a folder or browse inside of a folder.
4. Click on the share icon  next to a folder or file.
5. Click on Copy link to clipboard to copy & paste it into another application or click on Share link to send it directly via email.

 To stop sharing links, click on Links in the main menu and remove the files you want to stop sharing from the list.

To send an invitation for others to synchronize your folders:

1. Log in to the web interface.
2. Click on Folders.
3. Click on the invitation icon  next to a folder.
4. Insert the email address of the person to invite into the input field, select the permission to grant to that person and click on Add.

 In the same place you can also manage existing members of your folders and their permissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

PowerFolder is slow! How long until my files are fully synced?

PowerFolder will download as fast or as slow as your network allows the files to be synced, doing its best not to interfere with your normal activity.

PowerFolder is fast! How could it have possibly synced all of my files in that time?

PowerFolder will look to see if it already has the file you’re uploading on our servers before it uploads it. If it recognizes a file that has already been uploaded, it won’t bother to upload it again. If the file has been changed recently, it will only upload/download the changes rather than the whole file.

How secure is PowerFolder?

We take the utmost care to ensure PowerFolder is secure. All transfers are encrypted using AES and the access to the PowerFolder website is secured using SSL. These are the same standards that banks and the military use to protect their data!

Can I access PowerFolder on my mobile device?

Just point your mobile device to the PowerFolder website for an optimized version of the site. If you have an Android mobile device, iPhone or iPad, native PowerFolder applications are available for free. To install PowerFolder on your mobile device, go to the built-in stores of your mobile device, search for PowerFolder and install it.