MyDRIVE is a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server that allows NVCC Students to submit website projects and assignments with large files. This document provides instructions on how to create and upload folders and files in MyDRIVE, as well as share file hyperlinks and URL for a public website.
Notes:
- All users must authenticate with their MyNOVA VCCS account.
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is not allowed on MyDRIVE server.
Log in to MyDRIVE
Go to https://MyDRIVE.nvcc.edu, and sign in with Your MyNOVA Username and Password. If you need assistance with your credentials, you can use the password reset tool or speak to an agent at theIT HelpDesk.
After logging in successfully, the NOVA MyDRIVE Home page appears.
Navigate Folders and Files
1.To view all of your folders in MyDRIVE, click on Home in the left pane, and open the home folder.
2.All of your folders appear in the list. To navigate back to the home folder, click Go Up One Folder.
3.To locate a folder or file, enter keywords in the search field, and click Find.
Create a New Folder
Note: You must open the home folder before you can create a folder.
1.Click on Home in the left pane, and open the home folder.
2.Click on New Folder.
3.Enter the folder name, and click Create.
A confirmation message appears at the top of the page, and the new folder appears in the list.
Upload Folders and Files
Use the following steps to upload folders and files from your local computer. Note: We recommend adding separate subfolders for each project.
Tip: When adding folders and files, you may drag and drop one or multiple folders or files from Internet Explorer 10+, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, as indicated in the bottom right corner of the page.
Add Folders for Upload
1.Open the new folder you just created.
2.Click on Add Folder.
3.Select the folder from your local computer, and click Upload. Note: You can only add one folder at a time. To add multiple folders at once, simply drag and drop the folders from your local computer.
4.The folder/file name appears inside the upload area at the bottom of the page. To cancel the upload and remove folders from the list, click on Cancel.
Add Files for Upload
1.To add files for upload, click Add Files.
2.Select one or more files from your local computer, and click Open. Note: You can only add one file at a time. To add multiple files at once, simply drag and drop the files from your local computer.
3.The selected files appear in the upload area at the bottom of the page. To cancel the upload and remove files from the list, click on Cancel.
Upload Folders and Files
1.You must click Start Upload or Start to upload the files. To upload all of the folders and files at once, use Start Upload. To upload one folder or file, click the Start button.
2.When done, the upload confirmation message appears at the top of the page, and the uploaded files appear in the folder. To remove files from the Upload area at the bottom of the page, click Clear (the uploaded files will remain in the folder).
Manage and Share Folders and Files
Zip or UnZip Folders
To Zip or Unzip large files, select the folder or file, and click Zip(or UnZip).
Delete or Rename Folder/File
To delete or rename a folder/file, right-click anywhere inside the folder/file block (if you click on the link, it opens the file) and click Delete or Rename. To select all files at once, click Check All. Note: Files are automatically deleted after 365 days of inactivity.
Folder/File Options
Select a file and click the arrow icon to expand and display file options.
To make edits to text file content, click Edit. Note: MyDRIVE will only allow you to edit text (.txt) files. The Edit button may not appear for other files.
To Preview the file, click Preview.
To save the file to your local computer, click Download.
To obtain a link to share folder contents, click Share.
A dialog window opens.
- Available Until – This link will be active for 72 hours, unless you specify a different duration (maximum is 30 days).
- Share Link Password – Protection is optional.
- Allow Public Downloads – To allow anyone to download the file, check the box.
- Notify me by email when file is downloaded or uploaded – To be notified by email when the file is downloaded or uploaded, check the box.
When done, click Share. The dialog box closes, and a confirmation message appears at the top of the page. You will see the Public Linkunder the file (shown below). Click the clipboard icon to copy and share the link.
To email the link directly from MyDRIVE, click Email.
Enter the recipient’s email address (all other fields are optional). The link will be active for 72 hours unless you specify a different duration (maximum is 30 days). When you are ready to send the link, click Email. The public URL will be sent to the recipient’s email address.
Share Settings
To see the list of files you are currently sharing, click Share in the left pane of the MyDRIVE page. You can see when you shared the file and when or if it was downloaded. Click the dropdown icon to extend the sharing deadline or to revoke access to the link.
Create aPublic Folder
The Public folder is viewable to the NOVA public; that is, anyone with a Directory/MyNOVA account. Note: Anyone who tries to view the content will be prompted to enter their MyNOVA credentials.
1.Click on Home in the left pane, and open the home folder.
2.Click New Folder.
3.Name the new folder “public” (not case sensitive), and click Create.
4.The newly created public folder appears in the list.
5.Add and Upload folders and files to the public folder: (1) Add Files / Add Folders (2) Start Upload. The path of subfolders that were added to the public folder is shown in images below. Note: We recommend adding a separate subfolder for each project.
6.Navigate through the folders to locate the HTML file. **Important note: If you open the HTML file here, you will only see the HTML code. To view the web page, you must use MyWeb Root, as instructed in the next section.
View Public Web Page
1.To view web page content for files inside your public folder, click on MyWeb Root. Note: Only the public folder and its contents can be viewed in the MyWeb Root page. You will be asked to enter your MyNOVA credentials before accessing this page.
2.The MyWeb Root page opens and lists contents inside the public folder. Click on a folder link (shown below) and navigate to the HTML file.
3.Click the HTML file to open and view the web page. Check to make sure the site content renders as expected, and that all of the links in the site work.
Note: You can provide the URL fromMyWeb Rootto others so they can view the website. The URL format should be similar to this: http://mydrive.nvcc.edu/username/public/ (use your MyNOVA user name).
Password Expiration
You must use your MyNOVA username and password to sign in to MyDRIVE. If your MyNOVA password has expired, MyDRIVE will take you to the MyNOVA page to reset your password. If you have any problems or questions, please contact the NOVA IT Help Desk at 703.426.4141 or email ithelpdesk@nvcc.edu.
FTP Publishing through Dreamweaver & Core FTP
Sometimes students (especially those in web / app design classes) wish to publish directly from Dreamweaver, VisualStudio, etc. FTP Publishing is enabled for this purpose.
To use FTP publishing, follow the normal publishing process of the application you are using to publish your sites directly to MyDRIVE. The settings are:
Core FTP
Host: MyDRIVE.nvcc.edu)
Username: (your MyNOVA credentials)
Password: (blank)
Port: 21
Connection: FTP Deselect PASV
Users will be presented with a login prompt where they enter their MyNOVA credentials. This works with or without the public folder. All files will go to the root folder by default unless they open a folder listed under their MyDRIVE.
Dreamweaver
Go to Edit -> Preferences -> Site (Category):
Change “FTP time out” to 60 seconds
Click “Manage Sites…”, highlight the NVCC site (name will vary) then click the “edit” icon, click “servers”, highlight the NVCC server (name will vary) then click the “edit” icon, then input the following settings:
Connect Using: FTP
FTP Address: MyDRIVE.nvcc.edu
Port: 21
Username: (your MyNOVA credentials)
Password: (password)
Root Directory: public
Web URL: http://MyDRIVE.nvcc.edu/
More Options -> Deselect “Use Passive FTP”
This only works if the public folder already exists on MyDRIVE.
