Body
Introduction
The "X" Drive is the name of the primary shared network space for the School of Education and Human Development. For Windows computers, the X-Drive should be automatically added to all college computers on-campus and is listed with the other drives on your computer under "Computer" or "My PC." Off-campus computers may get them if VPN is regularly used.
Finding your X-Drive
Open the application "File Explorer." The icon is a manila folder. (Open up the Start menu and search for "File Explorer")
Look on the left hand menu of "File Explorer" for "This PC." Under that is the list of drives on your computer, including network folders. On an SEHD computer, you should see a Home drive and one called "ED Shares (X:)" -- this is your X drive.
Instructions with screenshots available for adding a shared folder are located at https://tamu.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=2163
If the X-Drive is Not on your Computer (Windows)
- Open Windows Explorer (the yellow folder, "My Computer" or "Computer")
- Right-Click on "Computer," "My Computer" or "My PC" (depending on OS version)
- Select "Map Network Drive" from the context menu.
- Choose "X" for the drive letter
- Use \\ED-File.ed.tamu.edu\Shares in the blank for folder.
- Select the checkbox for "Reconnect at sign-in."
- IF you are using a non-college computer, check "Connect using different credentials"
- Click Finish. (If #7 applies, enter your AUTH/NetID credentials [username=NetID@tamu.edu or AUTH.tamu.edu\NetID + password] when asked for credentials)
For Macs
- Under Finder --> Go --> Connect to Server
- Enter the path: smb://ed-file.ed.tamu.edu/Shares
- When prompted for username/password use: name or username = auth.tamu.edu\yournetid and your NetID password
If Off-campus
- You must use A&M's VPN service
- You may already have VPN installed. Search for VPN or Cisco to check. If not, you may need to contact Technology Services to install it for you.
- Information about VPN can be found at http://hdc.tamu.edu/Connecting/VPN/ or by calling A&M's Help Desk Central at 979-845-8300.
- Once connected through VPN follow the instructions above.
Mobile Devices (iOS or Android)
First, if using your device off-campus or through your cellular service then you need to install the Cisco AnyConnect VPN App. See the web page for help with installing this app on iOS or Android devices. http://hdc.tamu.edu/Connecting/VPN/
Second, you will need an App for connecting to Windows Shares. One that is known to work with our server is called FileExplorer. There is a free version and a $5 version. The free version is sufficient, but the $5 version allows for connecting to multiple servers simultaneously, be able to manipulate files on the remote server, play additional videos types from the share, and a few other extras.
- If using FileExplorer, the settings you need are
- Click the "+" sign to add a new connection and use the following settings.
- Display Name: (whatever you like, maybe something like "CEHD X-Drive")
- Host Name/IP: ed-file.ed.tamu.edu
- DNS Domain -- leave blank
- Path: Shares
- Port: leave at default, 445
- The next four can be skipped (Show Hidden Files, Show Admin Shares, Support DFS, High-Speed Transmission Mode)
- Connect As: Use YOURNETID@tamu.edu with your password.
- Save, then you can connect to the share. (Be sure to connect to VPN before trying to connect to the share.)
- If you use a different app, the settings should be similar but may have different names.
Alternative Method to Access
You can also directly access the folder on a Windows computer by typing in the address
\\ed-file.ed.tamu.edu\Shares
from any computer on- or off-campus. (Off-campus requires VPN to be running first.) If you are on a computer not joined to a college domain (ED, CEHD, HLKN), you may be prompted for a password. Use netid@tamu.edu / your netid password.
Web Access to Shared Folders and Files
CEHD personnel can now access the X-drive over the web at https://files.ed.tamu.edu/. The site will direct you to login via CAS and you will have access to the same folders as with the other methods.
Backup Procedures
The X-Drive (along with faculty/staff home drives) are stored within the CEHD file server (ED-FILE). These files are regularly backed up based on the following schedule
- A snapshot is made every three hours between 7am and 9pm. This allows individuals to recover documents (on their own) that were accidentally deleted. These shapshots go back approximately 10 days. To access these snapshots on Windows, right click on a file or the parent directory of the file (for deleted files) and select the option "Restore Previous Versions." You can then find and open the snapshot containing the files you need and copy them back to your folder (or to a new location if you don't want to overwright the current version.)
- Twice a day, copies of the data are transferred from the main server location in Teague to our backup site in PEAP. These copies are kept for a couple months before being overwritten. This allows us to recover from larger problems such as a severe server crash or multiple, simultaneous hard drive failures.
Please report any mistakes or confusing elements to help make improvements to this page.