How to Use Vault

After installing Vault and connecting to a file storage service, you are ready to use Vault to store files securely.

Note

Look to our “Vault Installation and Set Up” article to help you get started if you have not already installed Vault.

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Connect a local folder

1. From the Vault Services page, click Connect next to Local folder.

2. In the pop-up, click Select Folder.

3. Select a folder to mount Vault to and click Select Folder.
4. Click Connect.

Caution

Note: Vault will not connect to a folder of any kind (Local, OneDrive, Google Drive) if it contains unencrypted content. Please ensure the folder you are tying to connect to is empty or contains only XQ-encrypted content (files with a “.xqf” extension)

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Connect Google Drive

Note

Note: If you have not downloaded or set up Google Drive, click Connect and select one of the available download or set up resources in the pop-up modal before connecting Vault.

1. From the Vault Services page, click Connect next to Google Drive.

2. In the pop-up, click Select Folder.

3. Select a folder from your Google Drive to mount Vault to and click Select Folder.
4. Click Connect.

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Connect Microsoft OneDrive

Note

Note: If you have not downloaded or set up Microsoft OneDrive, click Connect and select one of the available download or set up resources in the pop-up modal before connecting Vault.

1. From the Vault Services page, click Connect next to Microsoft OneDrive.

2. In the pop-up, click Select Folder.

3. Select a folder from your Microsoft OneDrive to mount Vault to and click Select Folder.
4. Click Connect.

If you are using a Mac, your OneDrive folder should appear in the “Locations” section of Finder. If you don’t see it, you can try restarting Finder. To do this, press Command+Option+Escape, select Finder, and click Relaunch.

Note

On Mac, each Vault drive appears as a mounted drive on the desktop and in Finder.

Note

On Windows, each Vault drive appears as a network drive with its own drive letter.

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Open your Vault

Each folder you connect has its own Vault drive. Files you add to a Vault drive are encrypted automatically, and files you open from it are decrypted automatically. You can open a Vault drive in two ways:

• From your Desktop (Mac) or This PC (Windows)
• Using the Services page in the Vault application

To open Vault using the Services page, refer to the following steps:

1. Launch Vault and click the Services tab in the navigation menu.
2. Click the Open Vault Folder button.

3. This opens your Vault drive. Files you drag and drop here are encrypted automatically.

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Add files to your Vault

You can encrypt all types of files in your Vault. Some examples include:

• Documents: PDF, DOCX, XLSX…
• Images: PNG, JPG, GIF…
• Audio: MP3, WAV…
• Video: MP4, MPEG…
• And more.

Caution

Vault supports files up to 250 GB. Larger files may work but are not supported. File size limits set by your storage provider also apply. Vault also supports the Office365 and Google Workspace Suites of products for editing while in Vault. Some other filetypes may not support editing.

When you add files to your Vault, the files are automatically encrypted. Refer to the following steps to add files to your Vault:

1. Launch Vault and click the Open Vault Folder button.

2. Open the Vault drive for the folder you want to use.
3. Drag and drop or copy files into the Vault drive. They are encrypted automatically.

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Open files stored in your Vault

1. Launch Vault and click the Open Vault Folder button.

2. Open the Vault drive for the folder you want to use.
3. Open files as you normally would open them.
4. You can edit the opened file and close it. It will automatically re-encrypt with the changes.

Note

Tip: Vault works by encrypting files automatically. Because of this, it can be difficult to know if Vault is working or not. See How do I know my file is secure? for more information on testing Vault.

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Manage files

If you need to manage your encrypted files (moving or deleting them, for example), you can do it from two locations:

• Vault drive – The drive Vault creates on your computer for each folder you connect, including its subfolders. Open it with Open Vault Folder. Files you add to it are encrypted automatically, and files you open from it are decrypted automatically.
• Connected folder – The folder you connected to Vault (local, OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive). It holds your files in encrypted form, as .xqf files. Work with your files through the Vault drive, not here.

You can rename, move or delete your files from any of the mentioned folders, and an action on one will be reflected in the other.

Tip

Important: if you use Microsoft 365 (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint), you need to turn off the AutoSave feature to avoid files from Vault being saved into OneDrive without encryption.