Where is the delete button?

ArDrive deleted the delete button. All data uploaded to ArDrive is permanent and indelible. It can’t be removed by you or by us or by any third party. So think twice before uploading a file you wouldn’t want your great-grandchildren to discover.

However, only files that you make public can be seen by others. All files that you keep private will remain private unless you share them with others.

What type of things should I put on ArDrive?

ArDrive provides permanent data storage. It’s an ideal platform for storing photos, video, audio, Word documents, and other files you don’t want to disappear as technology changes. If you want it chiseled in stone, put it on the permaweb.

Many different people and organizations are already benefiting from permanent data storage. Here are some ways we think it will help:

Family history
Academic papers and research
Legal papers and cases
Architectural drawings
Digital art
Original music
Journalists and bloggers
Digital archives

What type of files should I not put on ArDrive?

Anything you wouldn’t want to be remembered for. ArDrive is about preserving essential archives, indelible memories and the best of human culture, not the worst.

If you put a file onto the public portion of ArDrive, it will be public forever. Therefore, please do not upload the following types of information:

Personal information that includes banking, social security numbers, phone numbers, passwords, etc.
Profoundly offensive or objectionable content
Copyrighted materials
Proprietary information

What kinds of files do you accept?

We accept a wide variety of files including video (mp4, mov, wpv), audio (mp3, wav), photos (jpg, png, tiff) vector (svg, eps, ai), documents (Word, Powerpoint, PDF) and more. You can even save some AR by uploading .zip files. If it’s currently on your computer, you can probably add it to ArDrive.

How do I upload more than one file at a time?

With ArDrive it is easy to upload more than one file at a time.

After you hit the ‘Upload File(s)’ button in ArDrive a browser will appear that allows you to select which files to choose from. Simply choose the desired files and then upload them.

Remember to keep the amount of files you upload to under 1.5 GB at any one time.

If you accidentally choose the same file twice, ArDrive will catch this and ask if you really want to upload the same file twice. You will then have the option of declining the option to upload or proceed with the transaction.

If you want to upload a folder from your computer to ArDrive, there are two options:

Zip the folder and upload that to ArDrive.
Use the 'Upload Folder' option from the NEW button.

READ: https://ardrive.io/bundles/ WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUAERbzmxaY

How long does it take to upload?

Permanent data storage doesn’t happen in an instant. But most files are uploaded in just a few seconds. Larger files can take several minutes to upload. When the circle icon is completely filled, your files are uploaded to the permaweb.

After files are uploaded with ArDrive they are then distributed to the nodes, which can take a few minutes to work through the network.

After that your data will be accessible and on the network forever.

How long does it take to download?

Downloading from the permaweb is about as fast as downloading from the internet, and will only continue to get better. As the permaweb network grows, there will be more nodes all over the world. This will mean that your data will have a redundancy and proximity that will make download speeds continue to increase.

Are there limits to the amount of data I can put on in one transaction?

No, but single file uploads of 1.5 GB or more are not recommended at this time.

See also: ArDrive Web Limits

Is there data size limits on accounts?

No, there are no data size limits on accounts.

Feel free to put as little or as much on as you like on the permaweb. Whether you want to store 1 kb, 1 MB, 1 GB, 1TB or 1 PB – it is up to you!

Will accounts ever be made inactive due to non-use?

No. You can upload a file onto the permaweb, and walk away from it for 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 years and it will still be there. You will never receive a message that your account is going to be closed due to inactive use or a missed payment.

Think of it as your safety deposit box of data that you only have to pay for once. As long as you keep the key, you can always access it.

How do I share my public drive?

One of the great features of ArDrive is sharing Drives with others. Learn about Drive sharing

Are my public files given a URL?

Yes, all of your public files will be made permanent on the web and will be given a unique URL – which includes a long string of numbers and letters. To locate the full URL address and get a preview click on and highlight a file within your public folder.

In the icon list at the top, a square with a diagonal arrow will appear second from the left - this is the public preview button, as it will load or stream any compatible data right into your browser. This includes music, movies and PDFs.

When you click the public preview button, a new tab in your browser will open with the chosen file now as a web page. The web address for the file will be located in the web address box of your browser. You’ll see a long web address with arweave.net in the center. It may look like jibberish, but it works forever as a permaweb URL.

Learn more about permaweb URLs

Can I edit my files after they are uploaded?

Arweave is a permanent blockchain. Whatever you upload to Arweave becomes immutable & can’t be edited or removed by anybody. Thanks to the Arweave File System, you can edit the metadata (name & location of your files on ArDrive). ArDrive will allow you to save a revised copy of the same file, and you will be able to see the history of your changes. Remember, every file you upload to Arweave is a unique transaction.

My files seem missing - where are they?

When you login into your account you may only see a portion of your files at first. This is because ArDrive is still syncing with the permaweb.

Don’t worry! All of your files are still there and safe forever. It should not take too long for all of them to appear.

If you want to speed up the process a little bit you can click on the syncing icon that sits next to the word ‘Personal Drives’ underneath the +NEW button. The syncing will help retrieve any files that have not automatically shown up.

Warning: If you have extremely large files or a large number of files in one folder, some files may not appear even after several minutes. Try clearing the cache on your browser or logging on with a different browser to see if they appear.

SUPPORT
Have a specific question? Reach out to us by email at support@ardrive.io

TRY ARDRIVE
ArDrive offers never-ending storage of your most valuable files. Sometimes the best way to learn is to try it out.

COMMUNITY
ArDrive is community-owned and operated. Get to know us on Discord (tech talk) or Telegram (general chat).

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