HAWK DRIVE

Support Guide

Features | Basic Eligibility | Getting Started | File & Folder Management | Restore Policy | Help

The Hawk Drive service is a web-based file storage system available to KU faculty and staff, which allows users to upload, store, access, retrieve, and share files via the Internet using only a web browser.

Features:

  • Login to your space using your KU Online ID
  • Browser-based (works with all major web browsers)
  • OS-Independent web interface (can be used on Mac, PC and standard Linux distributions)
  • 1 GB quota for user accounts
  • Secure File Transfers
  • Alternative to e-mail attachments (share files with collegues off and on campus)
  • WebDAV enabled Hawk Drive
  • Encrypted file store

Basic Eligibility:

  • All current KU Faculty, staff, GTA/GRAs are provided a Hawk Drive account
  • Faculty and staff accounts are removed upon leaving the employ of KU
  • All Students will receive Hawk Drive space Fall, 2009

Getting Started:

  • Login to the service using your KU Online ID and password.
  • The first time you login to Hawk Drive an account will automatically be created for you based on your KU Online ID.
  • When you first login to the service your account will contain a folder/directory under Users2 that will match your KU Online ID.
  • Once you have created an account by logging in to Hawk Drive for the first time you access your account by the same process.
  • To quit your Hawk Drive session, just click on the "log out" link next to your name in the top right corner of the page.

File & Folder Management

Uploading Files

  • Login to Hawk Drive and open the directory that you wish to upload the file into.
  • Click the Upload button on the toolbar.
  • The upload page will appear. Click "Browse" for the file.
  • To add additional files separately, choose the "Add File" button in the upload window.
  • Click the "Start Upload" button to upload your file(s).
  • You may also upload entire folder contents or select multiple files to upload by choosing the "Advanced Upload" feature found on the Hawk Drive upload page.

Downloading Files

  • Login to Hawk Drive and click the name of the file you wish to copy (download) to your current computer. Depending on the type of file and the behavior of your web browser, the file will either open in a new browser window or download directly to your computer (text files and web documents will typically display in a new window, while compressed file archives will typically be downloaded to your computer).
  • If the file you wish to download is displayed in a new browser window, you will need to click File > Save As to save the file locally.
  • If you download a file for editing you must save your file locally and then upload it back to your account for the changes to take effect. You cannot edit files on the server.

Creating Additional Directories

  • You may wish to create additional directories/folders to organize your files and/or to set up different permissions (sharing) for different files.
  • Additional directories can be created by clicking the New Directory button on the toolbar at the top of the page. You can customize the properties of additional directories so access to files placed within them is restricted. For more information on permissions go here.

Backup/Restore Policy

  • The Hawk Drive server is backed up for disaster recovery purposes only. Restoration of individual files (e.g. due to accidental deletion by the user) is not a feature of the Hawk Drive service. For this reason it is critical that account holders maintain a current and complete backup locally of all files placed within their Hawk Drive account.

Help/Assistance

  • Detailed instructions for various features are available by clicking the Help icon in Hawk Drive. This brings up the Hawk Drive Help screen which includes instructions categorized by topic.

If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please contact the IT Customer Service Center at (785)864-8080 or by e-mail at itcsc@ku.edu.