Bear Driving a Taxi

About Bear Drive

BearDrive is UNC’s new secure, web-based file sharing, information storage and work collaboration solution for students and faculty. It replaces temp drive, the unsecured file storage system used by many students. With BearDrive, files can be securely accessed from on campus and off campus, eliminating the need for carrying CDs or portable storage drives, or sending them through e-mail.

BearDrive is the first major initiative funded by the technology fee that UNC students pay.

BearDrive features include:

  • File Sharing - Share a file or folder with UNC and non-UNC groups or individuals
  • Permissions - if other people can view, edit, delete or manage files or folders you share with them and for how long (from minutes to years)
  • File Storage – Save files on a server that can be easily accessed from anywhere online
  • Intuitive Interface - Familiar visual cues for easy navigation
  • Wizards - Provide assistance with procedures, such as setting permissions on files and folders
  • Drag & Drop - Drag-and-drop file uploads within the browser interface
  • Web Publishing - Supports basic web publishing via a Web content folder
  • Web Interface - Allows easy access (uploads, downloads, etc.) to a user file from any computer on the Internet that has a browser
  • Versatility - For Windows 2000 and XP Professional and Vista; Macintosh OS 9 and X; Internet Explorer 5.0 and higher on Windows, IE 5.2 and higher on Macintosh; Mozilla 1.4 and higher, including Firefox; and Safari 1.0 and higher on Macintosh OS X.
  • RSS – Keeps users informed by notifying and retrieving the latest content from shared files and folders
  • Labeling – User functions such as sharing, moving, and bookmarking are clearly labeled

BearDrive benefits include:

  1. When you e-mail a file to yourself or burn it to a CD, you are creating a duplicate copy. By using BearDrive instead, you’re always accessing the same file from any Internet connection.
  2. You can also set up BearDrive to keep older versions of your files in case you need them.
  3. Using BearDrive instead of e-mail eliminates the use of e-mail as a file storage system.
  4. You can share with UNC people and UNC groups such as course, programs or any other campus group (e-mail distribution groups).
  5. You can also share with non-UNC people by making files “public” or creating “tickets.”
  6. You decide who can access your files by person, course, program or group. You can also grant access to the public or to all UNC people.
  7. You decide the level of access other people have to your files by granting read, write, delete, or administer permissions.
  8. Your files are secure. Search engines and random people cannot search for your protected files.
  9. BearDrive has content management tools that make it easier to share files with others, such as “check in/check out,” “activity tracker,” “comments,” “versioning,” and “tickets.”
  10. When you delete a file or folder in BearDrive, it gets moved to the Trash folder. In case you delete a file or folder by accident, you can move or copy it out of your trash to restore it.