General ICT Help

Access Personal File Store using Webdrive

How to access your personal file store if you are staff or student:

off campus - at home or abroad using a personally owned Windows computer,
on campus using a personally owned Windows computer connected to the wireless or personal wired network.
if you have a University owned computer, webdrive should already be installed, so you shouldn't try to install it yourself.

You need to be able to install the webdrive software on the computer, so it is not suitable if you are using an Internet Café, for example. In this case, use FTP or create a Network Location.

You can also access your personal file store using a non-Windows device.

Use Webdrive software to set up a 'My Personal Storage' Icon

Go to: https://homedir.wlv.ac.uk/webdrive/ . You'll need your username and password to access this page of instructions, and install the software. The username and password are the ones you use to log on to a University PC, e.g. 9933201 or in5555.

It is easy to install, and only takes a few minutes on the University network or an ADSL/cable connection. If you get a Security Alert about the security certificate, just click on Yes to proceed. If you have any problems with the installation, call the IT Service Desk on ext. 2000, (01902-322000 from outside the University).

Once it is installed, you will find an extra icon on your desktop labelled "My Personal Storage". Double-click this, supply your user name and password, and you will shortly get a standard Explorer file window on the screen, showing the contents of your personal file store. Or you'll find your files listed under the X: drive in 'My Computer' or Windows Explorer.

If you also see an icon for "UoW Shared Storage" please don't use it. There is a new way of accessing shared storage: see Accessing Shared Departmental Storage outside the University

Notes:

The current version works on all 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, including Vista and Windows 7.
If you want to upgrade to the latest version, just install it again - there's no need to remove the old version.
If you are using a University laptop off campus, you should not install Webdrive. Your laptop automatically synchronises with your personal file store. There is more information on the page about Using a University Staff Windows XP Portable Computer.

Tips for using Webdrive

The server end of this software has a bug which means that every folder in your storage area appears to contain an empty folder with the same name. Take care when copying files back to your X: drive not to select the empty folder.
If you are sharing a PC, you should disconnect from the X: drive, or else the next person to use your PC could access your files. To do this, right click on the Webdrive icon in the system tray at the bottom left of the screen. Select X: My Personal Storage, then Disconnect.
If you are running virus checking software (which we would strongly recommend), you should tell it not to check drive X:, as most virus checkers don't understand the way WebDrive operates.
If you have a firewall at home, you need UDP port 443 (Https) open and your DNS resolving has to work correctly.

Back to How to Use your Personal File Store

Date: 3rd January 2012
Last reviewed: 3rd January 2012