The modern workplace needs seamless access to content across devices and platforms. As organizations continue to use hybrid work models and diverse hardware ecosystems, the tools that connect people to their critical files must evolve to meet these changing needs. Today, we're excited to announce a significant milestone in that evolution.
We've re-imagined Box Drive for Windows to deliver an updated and enhanced experience specifically designed for our Windows users. This update leverages native Windows APIs to deliver improved stability, reliability, and deep operating system integration. The result is a more consistent and reliable experience that feels truly native to the Windows environment, while maintaining the Box Drive experience users know and trust. Here are three game-changing features leading the charge in this update.
Compatibility for Windows Arm devices
One of the most exciting areas of this release is support for Arm-based Windows devices, including Windows Surface devices. As the computing landscape shifts toward more efficient, always-connected devices powered by Arm processors, IT leaders have been waiting for enterprise-grade cloud storage solutions to catch up.
With this update, Box Drive can now run natively on Windows Arm devices, opening up new possibilities for device procurement and deployment strategies. Organizations can now confidently deploy Arm-based laptops and tablets knowing their content management workflows will remain uninterrupted. This is particularly valuable for field workers, remote employees, and organizations prioritizing battery life and connectivity in their device strategies.
One of the most exciting areas of this release is support for ARM-based Windows devices, including Windows Surface devices.
Known folder redirection
One of the most highly requested features, known folder redirection, is also part of this update. This capability allows administrators to use familiar tools like Group Policy Objects (GPO) to automatically sync local folders like Documents, Desktop, and Pictures directly to Box Drive.
This feature solves a critical pain point in enterprise deployments. Previously, users had to manually move files or change their workflows to take advantage of Box's cloud storage capabilities. Now, the transition can be completely transparent to end users while ensuring their critical documents are automatically backed up and synchronized to the cloud.
From a governance perspective, known folder redirection provides IT teams with powerful new capabilities:
- Seamless user onboarding: New employees automatically have their standard folders synced to Box without any manual configuration
- Enhanced data protection: Critical documents are automatically backed up to the cloud, reducing the risk of data loss from device failures
- Simplified device management: IT can confidently refresh or replace devices knowing user data is safely stored in Box
- Improved compliance: Automatic synchronization ensures important documents are captured within the organization's content management and retention policies
Enhanced offline access control
The new Box Drive for Windows also introduces granular control over offline file access, allowing users to mark specific files for offline availability while providing better management of downloaded content.
This enhancement is crucial for users who frequently work in environments with limited or unreliable internet connectivity. Sales professionals traveling to client sites, field workers in remote locations, and employees working from areas with poor connectivity can now proactively ensure their most critical files are available offline.
The offline access improvements include:
- Choose files for offline use: Users can choose exactly which files need to be available offline, optimizing local storage usage
- Smart caching: The system better manages which files are cached locally based on usage
- Clear status indicators: Users can easily see which files are available offline and manage their local storage accordingly
- Improved sync reliability: Enhanced synchronization ensures offline changes are properly merged when connectivity is restored
Additional enhancements
Beyond these three features, this release includes several other improvements that enhance the overall user experience:
- Flexible storage management: Administrators can now change the Box folder location to non-system drives, providing greater flexibility in managing local storage and accommodating diverse IT infrastructure requirements
- Improved user experience: File Explorer now displays progress indicators for key actions, giving users better visibility into sync operations and file transfers
- Better visual integration: Enhanced iconography ensures consistent display of Box Drive icons across the Windows interface, providing clearer visual cues about file sync status and availability
These improvements represent more than just feature additions. By providing Arm support, seamless folder redirection, enhanced offline access, and much more, Box Drive becomes not just a cloud storage tool, but a true extension of the Windows operating system.
Box Administrators can now opt-in to get their organization early access to this new version of Box Drive for Windows. Otherwise, organizations will slowly receive this update over the next few months as we roll it out to customers.
To learn more about enabling this enhanced experience, check out this support article.
Box Drive for Windows FAQs
What is a desktop file sync app, and how does it work?
A desktop file sync app connects your cloud storage to your computer's native file system — so your content appears directly in Mac Finder or Windows Explorer. Instead of opening a browser to find a document, you access it the same way you would any local file. Changes you make sync back to the cloud automatically, so your team always works from the same, up-to-date version. Box Drive is Box's desktop app, giving you on-demand access to all your Box content from your desktop without downloading everything locally — keeping local storage requirements low.
What is Box Drive?
Box Drive is Box's desktop application that gives you access to all your Box content directly from Mac Finder or Windows Explorer — no browser required. It mounts as a local drive on your computer, but your content lives securely in Box. You get the familiar desktop experience you're used to, with all of Box's security, permissions, and compliance applied automatically. Box Drive works on both Mac and Windows, supports offline access for files you mark as available offline, and scales to billions of files and petabytes of data — with no storage limits or capacity planning required.
How do I access cloud files without opening a browser?
With a desktop cloud drive app, your cloud content maps directly to your operating system's file manager — Mac Finder or Windows Explorer. You open, edit, and save files the same way you would with any local document; the app handles syncing in the background. Box Drive does exactly this: it surfaces all your Box content on your desktop so you never have to switch to a browser to find or open a file. And because Box Drive works over the internet without VPN, your team can access content from anywhere — no network connection to the office required.
Can I access my files offline with a desktop cloud storage app?
Yes. Most desktop cloud storage apps, including Box Drive, let you mark specific files or folders as available offline. Those items download to your device so you can open and edit them without an internet connection. When you reconnect, your changes sync back to the cloud automatically. This is especially useful for field teams, travelers, or anyone who works in areas with unreliable connectivity.
What tools and apps does Box Drive integrate with?
Box Drive works with the tools your team already uses. Because Box Drive mounts as a local drive on macOS and Windows, any desktop application that can read from a local file path can access Box content directly — including Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe Creative Cloud apps (Photoshop, Illustrator), and AI tools like Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT. Box Drive also connects seamlessly to Box, which works with 1,500+ apps, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and DocuSign. Your content stays governed in Box while your teams work in the tools they prefer.
How does a desktop cloud storage app keep my files secure?
When you access files through a desktop cloud storage app, your content stays in the cloud and not on your local machine (unless you choose offline access). This means your organization's security policies, permissions, and access controls apply to every file, even when you're working from your desktop. With Box Drive, all of Box's enterprise-grade security stays with your content: role-based permissions, audit trails, encryption at rest and in transit, and compliance with standards including FedRAMP, HIPAA, and FINRA.
Is Box Drive included with my Box subscription?
Yes, Box Drive is available to all Box users, and is available for both Mac and Windows. You can download it from box.com/drive and install it on your desktop in minutes. Your IT admin can also deploy Box Drive across your organization using standard software deployment tools — Box Drive supports silent installation via MSI (Windows) and PKG (macOS) installers, making enterprise rollout straightforward.
What's the best way to share large files with my team?
The most reliable way to share large files with a team is through a cloud storage platform that keeps a single copy of the file in one place — so everyone accesses the same version rather than emailing attachments or managing duplicates. Box Drive lets you share any file or folder directly from Mac Finder or Windows Explorer: right-click and select one of our sharing options to generate a shared link or invite collaborators, and Box handles the permissions. Box supports individual files up to 500 GB and provides unlimited storage, making it practical for large video files, design assets, engineering drawings, and other heavy content.
How does Box Drive connect to Box AI and AI-powered workflows?
Box Drive is not only a cloud sync folder, but can also be used as a desktop-native content layer that gives AI tools and agents direct, governed access to your enterprise content. Because Box Drive mounts as a local drive on macOS and Windows, any desktop AI tool or agent — Claude, Cursor, Codex, ChatGPT, Gemini, and others — can access Box content directly from a local file path, without downloading files, creating duplicates, or moving content outside Box's compliance perimeter.
You can also right-click any file or folder in Box Drive and select "Ask Box AI" or "Summarize with Box AI" to get instant answers with Box AI. The work you do from your desktop feeds directly into the content foundation that powers your organization's AI workflows.
How do I choose the right cloud storage solution for my business?
When evaluating cloud storage for a business, look for four things: security and compliance certifications relevant to your industry, integration with the tools your teams already use, administrative controls for managing permissions and access at scale, and a desktop experience that doesn't disrupt how people work. Box is an Intelligent Content Management platform built for enterprise teams. It combines secure cloud storage, desktop access via Box Drive, 1,500+ integrations, and AI-powered content workflows — so your teams work the way they want while IT keeps content governed and compliant.
How do I get started with Box Drive?
Getting started with Box Drive takes just a few minutes:
- Download Box Drive from box.com/drive (available for Mac and Windows).
- Sign in with your Box account credentials.
- Find Box in Mac Finder (under Locations) or Windows Explorer (under This PC) — your Box content appears immediately.
- Optional: you can mark files for offline access by right-clicking any file or folder and selecting "Make Available Offline."
- Optional: you can also hide files and folders from your view in Explorer/Finder to show only relevant and necessary items. Right click on the item in Box Drive and select Hide this Folder or Hide this File. You can change your hidden preferences anytime by clicking the Box icon in menu bar, selecting the gear icon, and going to Preferences.
- Optional: try Box AI from your desktop by right-clicking any file and selecting "Ask Box AI" or "Summarize with Box AI."
If you don't have a Box account yet, start a free trial at box.com. For enterprise deployments, your IT admin can push Box Drive to your organization using standard MDM or software deployment tools. Box Drive supports silent installation via MSI (Windows) and PKG (macOS) installers.
