You want to keep your files in the cloud up-to-date with the version on your computer or tablet. SURFdrive offers the option of synchronizing these files with a folder on your PC. This means you always have your files in the correct version. You can easily synchronize folders and files with the SURFdrive desktop application. Choose which SURFdrive folders you want to synchronize on your computer's hard drive. Save your files easily on your own desktop; so you have always access to your personal files. This page will show you exactly how to synchronize your data.

Sync your first folder

1. To sync your files with a folder on your hard drive, you'll need the desktop client for Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. You can find it on the website under the 'downloads' tab.

The desktop client automatically creates a folder on your hard drive where your files are stored. This folder is called 'SURFdrive' and can be found in your home directory (Op Windows: C:/Users/<username>/SURFdrive; Via Mac OSX: /Users/<username>/SURFdrive). To easily access this folder, you can create a shortcut on your desktop. You can also click on the SURFdrive icon in the taskbar, and click 'Open folder SURFdrive'.


2. Log in to the desktop client. This is done in the usual way, by selecting your own institution and logging in here with your institution account. After logging in, click on the 'Add Folder Sync Connection' button.

3. Choose a local folder on your computer to sync.

4. Select a remote destination folder and click next.

5. Click on 'Add Sync Connection' and the desktop client will start synchronizing.

The synchronization is completed

Now your data is synced between the desktop client and the cloud you can check if everything works as is should be. The folder in your desktop client is now visible in the SURFdrive web interface and visa versa. You can either upload files/folders in the web interface or your desktop client, and because of the synchronization your data will end up in both environments.

Choosing which data will be synchronized

Within the SURFdrive desktop client you can select which folders and files you want to sync. You can find this option by opening the settings of the SURFdrive application and clicking on the arrow to the left of the SURFdrive logo. Folders that you no longer want to synchronize are removed from your computer, but not from SURFdrive; all files and folders will remain there.



By default, all files (the root folder) from SURFdrive are synchronized with the desktop client. If you only want to synchronize certain folders or a single folder, you can indicate this during configuration or at a later time. In the desktop client, 'uncheck' the folders/files by clicking on the check mark that you don't want to synchronize on the relevant device.



Extra information

You can use a few other features with the desktop client. (By clicking on the SURFdrive icon in your status bar)
Here you can choose:

  • Open SURFdrive in your web browser
  • Open SURFdrive folder on your local hard drive
  • View which files have been (recently) synchronized
  • Settings in the desktop client
  • Log out
  • Exit the desktop client






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