How to Send Large Files to Another Computer Using the Internet
Decide if cloud storage is right for you., Pick a cloud storage service., Upload the file you want to share., Generate a link to your file., Copy and paste the link into an email., Instruct the recipient to download the file.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide if cloud storage is right for you.
Cloud storage services are remote servers that will store your files online for you so that they can be accessed anywhere.
You can share links to these files to anyone you want, and they can then download the file from your cloud storage account.Most cloud storage services allow you to store at least 5 GB of files for free, with some services offering significantly more storage space.
There is rarely a practical limit to the size of the file you can transfer using cloud storage. -
Step 2: Pick a cloud storage service.
There are a variety of cloud storage services available, and they all offer similar services when it comes to file transferring.
You may already have an account with one and not realize it! Google Drive
- This is Google's free cloud storage service, and every Gmail account gets 15 GB of storage.
You can access it at drive.google.com by logging in with your Gmail account.
OneDrive
- This is Microsoft's cloud storage service, and a Microsoft (Hotmail, Outlook.com) account comes with 15 GB of free storage.
You can access it at onedrive.live.com by logging in with your Microsoft account.
DropBox
- This is an independent cloud storage service.
Free accounts come with 2 GB of storage, which can be increased through referrals.
You can sign up at dropbox.com.
Box
- This is another independent cloud storage service.
Free accounts come with 10 GB of storage, but are limited to files 250 MB or smaller.
You can create an account at box.com/personal.
Mediafire
- This is a file-sharing service that has evolved into a cloud storage provider.
Unlike the other cloud storage services here, it is geared more towards sharing files as opposed to storing them.
Free accounts come with 10 GB of storage, with ads on any download links you share.
Free accounts no longer have a file-size restriction (it used to be 200 MB).
You can get started at mediafire.com , Before you can send the file to someone else, you'll need to upload it to your cloud service.
The process for this varies depending on the service you are using, but generally you can simply sign into your cloud service account through your web browser and then drag the file into the browser window.
Many cloud storage services have mobile apps that allow you to upload files from your smartphone or tablet.
Some cloud services such as Google Drive and DropBox create a sync folder on your computer.
Adding a file or folder to the sync folder will automatically upload it to your cloud storage.
The amount of time it takes the file to upload will depend on your internet connection speed.
Files that are a GB or more could take over an hour to upload. , once your file is uploaded, you can generate a link that you can then send to whoever you want to share the file with.
Again, the process varies depending on the service you are using, but you can usually simply select the file and click the "Share" or "Get Link" option. , Anyone with the link you generate can access the file and download it to their own computers.
Paste the link into an email, and then send it to whoever you want to give the file to.
Your email service may be able to easily include links to files on your cloud storage service.
For example, when you are composing a Gmail message, you can include a link to a Google Drive file.
If you are composing as Hotmail email, you can include a link to your OneDrive files. , When the recipient clicks the link you send them, it will typically open the file in the cloud service's online viewer.
For example, if you share a video with OneDrive, the video will open in OneDrive's online video player when the recipient clicks the link.
They can download the video to their computer by clicking the "Download" button. -
Step 3: Upload the file you want to share.
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Step 4: Generate a link to your file.
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Step 5: Copy and paste the link into an email.
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Step 6: Instruct the recipient to download the file.
Detailed Guide
Cloud storage services are remote servers that will store your files online for you so that they can be accessed anywhere.
You can share links to these files to anyone you want, and they can then download the file from your cloud storage account.Most cloud storage services allow you to store at least 5 GB of files for free, with some services offering significantly more storage space.
There is rarely a practical limit to the size of the file you can transfer using cloud storage.
There are a variety of cloud storage services available, and they all offer similar services when it comes to file transferring.
You may already have an account with one and not realize it! Google Drive
- This is Google's free cloud storage service, and every Gmail account gets 15 GB of storage.
You can access it at drive.google.com by logging in with your Gmail account.
OneDrive
- This is Microsoft's cloud storage service, and a Microsoft (Hotmail, Outlook.com) account comes with 15 GB of free storage.
You can access it at onedrive.live.com by logging in with your Microsoft account.
DropBox
- This is an independent cloud storage service.
Free accounts come with 2 GB of storage, which can be increased through referrals.
You can sign up at dropbox.com.
Box
- This is another independent cloud storage service.
Free accounts come with 10 GB of storage, but are limited to files 250 MB or smaller.
You can create an account at box.com/personal.
Mediafire
- This is a file-sharing service that has evolved into a cloud storage provider.
Unlike the other cloud storage services here, it is geared more towards sharing files as opposed to storing them.
Free accounts come with 10 GB of storage, with ads on any download links you share.
Free accounts no longer have a file-size restriction (it used to be 200 MB).
You can get started at mediafire.com , Before you can send the file to someone else, you'll need to upload it to your cloud service.
The process for this varies depending on the service you are using, but generally you can simply sign into your cloud service account through your web browser and then drag the file into the browser window.
Many cloud storage services have mobile apps that allow you to upload files from your smartphone or tablet.
Some cloud services such as Google Drive and DropBox create a sync folder on your computer.
Adding a file or folder to the sync folder will automatically upload it to your cloud storage.
The amount of time it takes the file to upload will depend on your internet connection speed.
Files that are a GB or more could take over an hour to upload. , once your file is uploaded, you can generate a link that you can then send to whoever you want to share the file with.
Again, the process varies depending on the service you are using, but you can usually simply select the file and click the "Share" or "Get Link" option. , Anyone with the link you generate can access the file and download it to their own computers.
Paste the link into an email, and then send it to whoever you want to give the file to.
Your email service may be able to easily include links to files on your cloud storage service.
For example, when you are composing a Gmail message, you can include a link to a Google Drive file.
If you are composing as Hotmail email, you can include a link to your OneDrive files. , When the recipient clicks the link you send them, it will typically open the file in the cloud service's online viewer.
For example, if you share a video with OneDrive, the video will open in OneDrive's online video player when the recipient clicks the link.
They can download the video to their computer by clicking the "Download" button.
About the Author
Frank Shaw
Committed to making creative arts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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