Secure and easy file sharing with non-geeks

I have OneDrive, Google Drive, and DropBox (all dormant at the moment)

I'd like to (occasionally) share files with non-geeks who may use all kinds of computing platforms (Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, mostly) Which one of the above cloud options is the simplest (for them and for myself) to use? They should be able to (occasionally) upload files, too.

How do I securely share the password?

Last no least, I don't want any syncing going on between my machine and any of the cloud options!

You can easily share files on any of those platforms in a number of different ways, as long as your recipient has access to those platforms.
If you're just sharing a file for viewing, for example, the recipient doesn't need to know any password.
Others can share with you in like manner.
If you do so within a browser, there doesn't need to be any syncing going on.

Please note:
I have not used any of those types of sharing platforms in quite some time so, perhaps some things have changed! I usually simply share via mail, as long as it's not an executable or over 25MB.
Best thing is to try them out, send yourself a link or two.

Hello @Haydon,

If you like, the tutorial below can help show you how to share files from your online OneDrive to whom you like.

MS has changed how some of the screenshots below look now, but they are still functionally the same.

Here's a new updated tutorial to share OneDrive files and folders in Windows 11 to help.

Folks, thanks for the comments! It made it clearer in my own mind what I am after:

1) a folder in the cloud that presents itself with a simple login window
2) X can login with a browser after entering email address and password
3) X can then download/upload files and folders (up to a limit)
4) I receive email notifications whatever X does

I know X's email address and could share the URL and password that way.

Can any of the clouds that I have (OneDrive, Google Drive, DropBox) do items #1-#4 ?

Although I have each of them, I mainly use Dropbox only. In Dropbox, you can share one of two ways, you can create links to files you have and share them, but that leaves no way for the other person to upload back to you... or you can share a folder so they can. Sharing a link, they do NOT need to have Dropbox installed, but sharing a folder with the person does require they have their own Dropbox account.

So to address your points above:
1.) If you share the folder, they don't need a login window as it would become part of their Dropbox account as well. (The space used for this folder would count against your total, not the other persons)
2.) They can either access the folder directly via Explorer in the Dropbox folder, or they can use dropbox.com to view it.
3.) You would both be free to upload/download from this folder with the only limit being how much space you have free on YOUR account.
4.) You can set Dropbox to show a message when the folder has been altered.

It's not exactly what you want, but I think it could work easily for you.

Thanks, but I like a login for secure access, not unlike the secure access to this forum.

So, X is a non-geek (see thread title) who has only a browser, the URL, and the credentials, but X has nothing else > X logs in at the URL with the credentials > X uploads/downloads > I get notified so I can check my cloud.

Can I make it work with any of the cloud accounts that I already have? I hope I don't need a forum-like app or some expensive service subscription!

As far as I know, your specific needs can not be done via any of the cloud services without doing something similar to what I already suggested. The only real solution I can think of would be essentially writing your own website with the required features.

@Archigos The point I was trying to make was that the approach you are suggesting with DropBox does not allow me to impose a secure login access for Mr X or did I misunderstood you?

Edit: I am aware of expensive file sharing services that have all the bells and whistles, that's not what I want/need either. What I want/need is very simple file sharing (as described) and wonder if there is some way to do that with my existing cloud accounts.

You didn't misunderstand, I knew what you wanted, but explained what was possible (which is NOT with a login like you want)... The 'login' in this case would be they have to be signed into their own Dropbox after you invite them to the shared folder. This means you'll never see or be notified of any kind of login/access to the files, except being notified that a file(s) have been changed in the directory.

I know it's not what you want, but it's a good alternative if you can compromise on a few things.

Wouldn't Restricted Access, as with Google Drive, be sufficient?

Thanks, folks, but the notional Mr X is a non-geek who does not want to open any DropBox or Google or MS or whatever account. To quote myself:

... X is a non-geek (see thread title) who has only a browser, the URL, and the credentials, but X has nothing else ...

Click to expand...

... just like you and I login this forum, for example, and we download/upload messages without recourse to any other accounts or anything else. The 'without recourse to anything else' is VERY important in the non-geek world. If a non-geek has to open an account to access a file, he will NEVER do it.
------------
While I was typing this message, I saw @Edwin's post, I am not familiar with Restricted Access of Google Drive, please explain.

Haydon said:

Mr X is a non-geek who does not want to open any DropBox or Google or MS or whatever account.

Click to expand...

They have to have something!!! At least a Gmail account, or they won't even get a link from you!!!

Haydon said:

I am not familiar with Restricted Access of Google Drive, please explain.

Click to expand...

You send someone a link...



... they have to Request the appropriate access...



... you grant them the appropriate access...



... they open or download the file(s)...



No credentials involved, other than being logged into their Gmail account.
And, they can share back at you the same way.

@Edwin Thanks, but just imagine how restrictive this forum would be if this forum would require a Gmail account (or a DropBox or a MS or a whatever extra account elsewhere) to download/upload forum messages!

The secure login has to be self-sufficient with URL, Mr X's email address, and credentials ALONE. Then Mr X can download/upload, nothing else is required of him, just like how this forum works.

Even non-geeks are familiar with logging in into an account, they will do that. But as soon as they need an extra account elsewhere, or are required to do extra steps that they are not required to do elsewhere > they will become suspicious, and won't do it, and frankly, I myself would become suspicious too, and won't do it either!

@badrobot Well, I may want to share my porno folder which is not particularly confidential, but can be very embarrassing Just joking, but it begs the question.

Well, I need the security (not often) and I also found a couple of solutions (that can't be discussed if they are to remain secure) but like anything else in security, one is always looking for good alternatives, hence this thread.

Anyway, if someone finds a way to achieve simple security (like how this forum works) with simple cloud accounts, please chime in, thanks!

@badrobot You misunderstand the issue.

It is me who likes to provide simple and secure file sharing, just like it is this forum that provides simple and secure message sharing.

What @Edwin and @Archigos were suggesting for Google and DropBox, respectively, does not provide what this forum provides, because it is way, way too cumbersome. If the message exchange was that cumbersome for this forum, then there would never be any message exchange on this forum.

So, I like to act like a private forum with one, non-geek subscriber at a time. If I can do that with a folder in a cloud account, then I can do that with multiple folders for multiple non-geek subscribers, too.

I can't explain the issue any further, though.

What I described is kind of like this forum, you log in once and you're done... if you no longer need to share with the user, you delete the folder or remove access and start over for the next person.

Archigos said:

What I described is kind of like this forum, you log in once and you're done... if you no longer need to share with the user, you delete the folder or remove access and start over for the next person.

Click to expand...

I think we discussed that. The user needs to have a Dropbox account if he wants to upload, many (potential) users out there don't have a DropBox account.

The user needs only URL, his own email address and password to login with a browser and download/upload from 'my/his private forum'. Any more requirements and the user won't join the 'forum'.

Maybe we can learn from this forum's statistics. There are way, way more guests (that can download messages only) than registered users (that can upload messages also). If this forum would also require a DropBox account to register as a user then even far, far fewer would even register. I am not even aware of any forum that would require an extra account elsewhere to register.

So, no, what you described is NOT like this forum at all.

@badrobot Are you on a vendetta after I pointed out that you misunderstood the issue?

The same argument as with DropBox applies, not everyone out there has Google Drive either ... I know non-geeks that don't even know that DropBox or Google Drive even exists ...