There is a free online service that I use all the time, that is so 
good, that I have decided to share it with the list. While it is not 
part of the operating system, it works so well, and seamlessly with 
XP, Vista, and Windows 7 32 or 64 bit, that it seems like it is part 
of the OS and probably should be. In fact with a little extra effort 
it can be run as a service. The freeware is called Dropbox. And in 
it's simplest mode, it  is a easy to use online storage site. 
However, it can be used for so much more then that. A online place to 
keep your drivers, your computer pdf manual, even an AES encrypted 
container file, for  something like Truecrypt. You get 2GB of free 
easily accessible storage. Of course, you can purchase  more storage 
if you need it. but for most people 2GB free storage is going to be 
more then they will ever use.

All you do is create the account here 
https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTE0NDEwOTE5  , and then download, 
and install the application, on your computer. Once you do that you 
will see this little  blue icon that looks like a open box running in 
the lower right hand tray of your desktop. That is the dropbox, and 
represents a My Dropbox folder in your My Documents folder.

Now anything you put in that folder will automatically sink with your 
online Dropbox folder. I use it to keep files I am working on in sync 
from my laptop, to my desktop, but it could be setup to sync to any 
single or multiple of computers. All I have to do is install dropbox 
on those computers with my user name and password.  If I am out, and 
about ,and I download something to my laptop, I can put it in my 
Dropbox, and when I get back to my desktop it will be waiting for me.

There is a public folder, as well, that you can share with others. I 
can make files available to others I give access rights to. You could 
use it for audio files, as a free backup for your documents, or 
whatever. The different things you can use the Dropbox for are 
limited only by your imagination. For example, you could link to each 
others drop box account, and drop a audio file in the public folder, 
it will sink with everybody else automatically who is authorized to 
access that folder. I use this make files available to my sisters.

All you have to do is log in from any computer to access your 
data.  That makes it  a great way to back up your important 
documents. Just make sure you save the file to that folder. If you 
are worried about security then use another freeware application 
called True Crypt to create an AES encrypted drive and put the 
container file in your dropbox. Now everything you put on the drive 
will be AES encrypted and will now reside on your computer, and in 
the cloud. Loose your computer, or the hard drive dies and it doesn't 
matter because your files are safe online, in the cloud in a AES 
container that no one can crack.  Once you install Dropbox, all you 
have to do is put things in the folder, and the rest just happens.

I have been using Dropbox for over a year. It's free, easy, flawless, 
and brain dead to use. It is the best free service I have seen to 
date... Period. I can't think of a single reason that you would not 
want to install it, unless of course you never go online.

To get started click on this link and create an account.

https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTE0NDEwOTE5

Have fun with it.

Mark Rode
List Owner PCBUILD\PCSOFT

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