GreenCloud

You can use the Network Drive function built into Windows to access your cloud files. This is one of various methods available for accessing your cloud account on your computer, as explained on our general NextCloud support page.

This page explains how to set up your NextCloud files to be accessed and modified as a network drive on Windows.

However, note that Windows 7 appears to have a bug that means the 'WebClient' Windows service needs to be activated before the network drive will work. If you are on Windows 7, then please see our instructions on enabling the 'WebClient' service before continuing with the steps listed below.

Mapping a network drive in Windows

Go to the Start menu and click on 'Computer'.

[[{"fid":"5656","view_mode":"media_original","fields":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Start Menu with Computer circled","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","alignment":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"Start Menu with Computer circled","height":"514","width":"411","class":"media-element file-media-original"}}]]

When the 'Computer' file browser window opens, then click on 'Map network drive'.

[[{"fid":"5657","view_mode":"media_original","fields":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Map network drive button","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","alignment":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"Map network drive button","height":"652","width":"1024","class":"media-element file-media-original"}}]]

A window will appear asking you to choose a drive letter for the network drive (any drive letter not currently in use will work) and supply the address of the network folder.

[[{"fid":"5658","view_mode":"media_original","fields":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Map network drive dialogue box","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","alignment":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"Map network drive dialogue box","height":"460","width":"629","class":"media-element file-media-original"}}]]

If you have an individual GreenCloud account, then the folder address is https://greencloud.gn.apc.org/remote.php/webdav/

If you have a dedicated OrgCloud installation, then use the hostname of your cloud web interface in place of 'greencloud.gn.apc.org' (e.g. 'https://share.example.org/remote.php/webdav/').

Make sure the 'Reconnect at logon' and 'Connect using different credentials' boxes are ticked below the folder address, then click on the 'Finish' button.

You will be promted for the cloud username and password that were set for your account.

[[{"fid":"5659","view_mode":"media_original","fields":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"WebDAV username and password prompt","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","alignment":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"WebDAV username and password prompt","height":"652","width":"1024","class":"media-element file-media-original"}}]]

Enter the username and password that you use to log into the NextCloud web interface. If you wish to save the password on your computer so that you don't have to enter it each time the computer establishes a connection with the server, then you can tick the 'Remember my credentials' box. Then click the 'OK' button. If the details you've entered are correct, then all the files from your cloud account will then be available under the new drive letter.

[[{"fid":"5660","view_mode":"media_original","fields":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Cloud files successfully mapped as a network drive","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","alignment":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"Cloud files successfully mapped as a network drive","height":"652","width":"1024","class":"media-element file-media-original"}}]]

GreenNet uses the NextCloud platform (formerly ownCloud) to provide online storage for files, documents and media as well as shared contact and calendar management.

To use our GreenCloud and OrgCloud services, you'll need to know the URL (web address) of your cloud installation, as well as the username and password for your account there.

For example, our GreenCloud service is available at this URL: https://greencloud.gn.apc.org

You would log in there with the username and password that we issued to you.

If you have a dedicated OrgCloud installation with us, then your organisation's installation will have its own dedicated URL that we will have given you.

There are various ways that you can access the files stored in your cloud account.

Web interface

The NextCloud web interface will allow you to log in and view all your files, along with the web interfaces for viewing and editing contacts and calendar items. It is good for browsing the files in your account and managing contacts and appointments. It is also useful to use if you are away from home or using a different computer than you usually use. Just go to the web address of your NextCloud installation (which we will have given you) and enter the username and password issued to you.

The web interface also has tools for setting a new account password or for emailing you a login link in case you've forgotten or lost your password.  See here for the official documentation on the NexCloud web interface.

NextCloud sync client

The NextCloud client allows you to have all your files stored locally on your computer, while keeping everything synchronised up with the NextCloud server. This way, you can view and edit your files even if your internet connection is currently down, the client will upload your changes to the server the next time the computer has an internet connection. This is similar to how Dropbox and other file sync clients work. However, if you are planning on having lots of really big files stored on the server, you might not have enough disk space on your computer to store all files locally, as well. In that case, the NextCloud client will allow you to exclude certain folders when setting up synchronisation, so that some files sit on the server but are not downloaded to your computer's hard drive. In that case, you can still access the excluded folders via the web interface.

There is also a mobile client that allows you to access your files from your phone or tablet. However, since such devices usually have relatively little local storage, the mobile client stores everything on the server and only downloads the files that you want to use on your phone.

To install the sync client, go to the NextCloud download page and click on 'Mobile Clients' or 'Desktop Clients' under 'Sync your data' at the top right of the page. Deskop clients are available for Mac OSX, Windows and Linux. Mobile clients are available for Android, iOS and Windows Mobile.  You will need to configure the client with the URL of your cloud installation, which we will provide.  For more information on the NextCloud/OwnCloud synchronisation client see the OwnCloud website.

Network drive

Both Windows and Mac OSX have features that allow you to set up a 'network drive' using the WebDAV protocol. The NextCloud server supports the WebDAV protocol so that you can access your cloud files without needing to install any additional software on your computer. This is ideal if, for disk space or security reasons, you don't want to store files on your computer, but you want to be able to open, edit and update files just as if they were on the local hard drive. You'll need a working internet connection whenever you access or edit files, but you won't have to worry about the files taking up valuable disk space on your local machine.

See our instructions on setting up your NextCloud account as a WebDAV network drive on Windows. For setting up WebDAV access on a Mac or Linux, see the relevant instructions on the NextCloud website.