File locks, folder permissions, snapshots and the audit log

Drive is built for a team working in the same folders. These tools keep work from being overwritten, keep private folders private, and let you go back in time.

File locks

When someone opens a file for writing in the Pellio Drive app, Pellio locks it, and the file shows Open by with their name and computer, for example Open by Tom on Edit Bay. Others can open it, but can’t save over it, rename, move or trash it, or restore one of its versions until Tom closes it and his changes have uploaded. If Tom’s computer goes offline, the lock lapses after about 2 minutes.

If someone left a file open and you need it, an admin can open its ⋯ menu and click Unlock. If they save afterwards, their save is kept as a separate (conflict, computer) copy rather than overwriting anyone’s work.

Folder permissions

1. As an admin, open a folder’s ⋯ menu and click Access….
2. Turn on Only the people I choose.
3. Set each person to No access, Can view or Can edit, then click Save. Admins and owners always have access.

People without access don’t see the folder at all: not in the browser, on their computer or in search. Folders someone can only view show View only and are read-only on their computer. Restricted folders show Restricted. Making links needs edit access.

Snapshots

A snapshot is the whole filespace as it was at one moment, and takes no extra storage. On a filespace’s Snapshots tab, click Take snapshot and name it if it marks something. Admins set Automatic snapshots to Daily, kept 30 days (the default), Hourly, kept 2 days or Off; automatic ones are only taken when something changed. Snapshots you take yourself are kept until an admin deletes them.

Click Open to browse a snapshot. Download any file as it was then, or click Restore on a file or folder to bring it back as a copy next to where it was, named after the snapshot. Nothing current is overwritten, and restored folders keep their access settings.

Audit log

Owners and admins see Drive activity in Settings → Audit log under Drive: files added, saved and opened, renames, moves, trash and restores, versions restored, locks broken, links, snapshots, members, billing, and computers connected and signed out. Each entry names the file by its path at the time, and actions from a computer show which one, for example (Pellio Drive on Edit Bay).