UW-Madison Box - Clients and Syncing

Box Support provides an extensive knowledge base for frequently asked questions and troubleshooting. Learn more here: https://community.box.com or Getting Started with Box.

For assistance getting started with UW-Madison Box Service, select a topic below.

• Getting Started
  • First Time Users
  • Login Options
  • Layout
  • Configuring Notifications
  • Creating an External Password
  • Keyboard Shortcuts
  • System Requirements
• File Management
  • Uploading Files and Folders
  • Upload Troubleshooting
  • File and Folder Actions
  • Organize Files and Folders
  • Locking a File
  • Delete a File or Folder
  • Recovering Deleted Items
  • Version History
• Collaboration
  • Sharing Files and Folders
  • Shared Links
  • Collaboration Folders
  • Advanced Collaboration Features
  • Collaboration Permissions
  • Project Directories
  • Box Collaboration Best Practices
  • Collaboration with External(non-UW Madison) users
• Clients and Syncing
  • Box Drive
  • Box Note
  • Mobile Apps
  • Microsoft Office
  • Box Tools
  • Box Sync
• Additional Apps
  • Available Apps
  • Available by Default Apps
  • App Security
  • Installing Apps
  • App Passwords
  • Review App Access
• Security and Sensitive Data
  • Box End User Terms of Service
  • UW-Madison Terms of Service
• Box FAQ

• Box Drive
• Box Notes
• Mobile Apps
• Microsoft Office
• Box Tools
• Box Sync

Box Drive

In addition to the Web App, Box also offers Box Drive. Box Drive brings your entire Box folder tree to your desktop. For instructions on how to download and install Box Drive see: Installing Box Drive

Only certain collaborator permission levels allow you to mark Box Drive content for offline access. see Understanding Collaborator Permission Levels for more details. Use of Box Drive can not be disabled for a specific folder or collaborators.

For a comparison of Box Drive and Box Sync, see: Switching from Box Sync to Box Drive

Note: There are known issues with having both Box Sync and Box Drive installed on your machine. You should uninstall Box Sync before installing Box Drive

Box Drive v2.24 now supports Apple File Provider Extensions (FPE). The switch to FPE mode has some known issues with drag/drop behavior that is discussed in UW-Madison Box - Known Issues

Interested in the beta release for Box Drive on devices using the Apple M1 chip? See our FAQ.

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Box Notes

Box Notes is Box's native document creation tool. You can use this feature for note-taking, sharing, and real-time collaboration with other Box users.

For additional details on Box Notes, please see: Introducing Box Notes

On August 22, 2022, Box released the all-new Box Notes experience. You should see the new features and functionality the next time you create a Box Note file. Existing Box Notes will be upgraded to the new experience the next time you edit the file. See Known Issues: Box Notes for troubleshooting issues related to Box Notes.

On June 15, 2022, Box will discontinue the Box Notes Desktop app. After June 15, you will need to access Box Notes using either the Box Web App or Box Mobile App.

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Mobile Apps

With Box, you are not limited to your computer—Box and other third-party developers have created a variety of apps for use with mobile devices. These apps include Box Sync for Android and iOS, as well as additional apps for Android and iOS.

For links to Box mobile device support articles, please see:

Using Box for iOS

Using Box for Android

Note: Automatic uploading from mobile devices is disabled for all UW-Madison Box accounts. 

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Microsoft Office

For Microsoft Office files like Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations, Box has also released an official Office add-on that lets you take syncing to a whole new level. With this add-on, you can connect directly to your Box account from Office, which means that you can open, edit, and save your Box files without ever leaving your Office application.

Download the add-on here: Box for Office

For instructions on using the add-on to open and save files, please see: Using Box for Office

Note: Box for Microsoft Office Co-authoring is not currently available to UW-Madison Box accounts. As a result you will not be able to add your Box account via "Add a Place" in Office applications that support that feature.

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Box Tools

Like Box for Office, Box Tools allows you to modify and save Box files with Microsoft Office. However, instead of opening files from Office on your desktop, this browser add-on provides an option to edit files with an Office program from the Box web client. Additionally, it has an added feature that allows you to create brand new Box files with Word.

For additional information about how to install Box Tools in order to use Box Edit, please see: Opening and Editing Files with Box Tools

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Box Sync

Note: Long term, Box intends to deprecate Box Sync in favor of Box Drive. The UW-Madison Box team recognizes that Box Drive does not have full parity with the Box Sync product but we recommend discontinuing use of Box Sync wherever possible.

For a comparison of Box Drive and Box Sync, see: Switching from Box Sync to Box Drive

Much like Box Drive, Box Sync gives you the ability to access, manage, and edit files directly from your desktop, without the use of a web browser. For more information about how to download and install Box Sync, see: Installing Box Sync

Learn how to Mark content for Box Sync.

You must be an owner, co-owner or editor in order to sync content to your desktop with Box Sync. You can not disable Box Sync for a specific folder or collaborator.

For more information on how to use and troubleshoot Box Sync, see: Box Sync

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