General FAQ
Who can use the UCB Files service?
UCB Files is available to CU Boulder faculty and staff or student groups.
Can I use this service with my Mac?
Yes. The UCB Files service uses the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol which is built in to macOS.
How do I access the UCB Files service?
You can connect to UCB Files from any Mac or PC, on campus or off, using the VPN. When you're connected, the server will show up like any other drive on your computer and you may simply click and drag or copy and save files to UCB Files. Visit the UCB Files - Help page for connection instructions and more.
Can I share files on the UCB Files service?
Yes, you can share files with other members of your department and any CU Boulder affiliate who has an Identikey, provided you authorize access.
Can I share files with people external to CU Boulder?
Yes, but external affiliates will need a sponsored Identikey account and will need to connect to our VPN in order to access UCB Files. For this reason, we recommend sharing files with external affiliates using Microsoft OneDrive instead. You can upload files to OneDrive and then share them with any email address you specify.
What data is allowed on UCB Files?
UCB Files is the best option for sharing business data within a department. This includes all CU Boulder work-related, non-research data handled by university employees. It is typically comprised of Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, scanned documents, etc., and is related to the day-to-day operations of the university. Other data solutions OIT recommends:
| Data Type | Recommended Solution |
|---|---|
| Research Data | PetaLibrary |
| Personal Data | OneDrive |
Why don’t you allow personal home folders on UCB Files?
The University of Colorado Boulder has partnered with Microsoft and Google to provide cost effective cloud storage to members of the university. Therefore, it is the most fiscally responsible option to save data in these cloud storage solutions whenever our business needs align.
Personal home folder data fits well with Microsoft OneDrive. In the end, it provides the most cost effective storage to the university for home folders, compared to the cost of hosting home folders on UCB Files. This includes data you would normally keep in your Desktop, Documents, Pictures, and Videos folders.
Is UCB Files backed up?
UCB Files is backed up daily for purposes of disaster recovery. In addition, UCB Files allows you to undelete or restore previous versions of files up to 2 weeks in the past. UCB Files keeps hourly snapshots of your data for the past 48 hours, and daily snapshots for the past 14 days.
Can I restore data older than 14 days?
No. UCB Files only keeps snapshots of your data for 14 days. Our disaster recovery backups are only available for use in the event that UCB Files experiences total equipment failure. These backups are used to restore the service to the most recent version available only.
How do I retrieve a file deleted from the network drive?
If you are using Windows PC, you can recover a deleted file using the following instructions: retrieving deleted files. If you do not have a PC, contact the IT Service Center for assistance.
How do I grant or revoke permissions to my file share?
It depends on whether you have Dedicated Desktop Support, your own IT team, or have elected to use our Basic Access Management option. Visit the Access Management page for more information about these access management types.
| Access Management type | What to do |
|---|---|
| Dedicated Desktop Support | Contact your DDS Professional |
| Manage your own permissions (for IT Professionals) | Contact your department's IT team. IT Professionals, use the UCB Files - Managing your permissions instructions |
| Basic Access Management | Use the UCB Files - Basic Access Management instructions |
How do I get UCB Files for my department?
Submit the Request UCB Files form to get started.
