How to Move Files From Cloud to Computer (and Back) With V2 Cloud

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to move files from cloud to computer and back again: between your V2 Cloud cloud computer and the local PC or Mac you connect from. We’ll cover the V2 Cloud app, RDP, secure FTP for large files, and cloud storage services like OneDrive and Amazon S3.

Before you start, you’ll need:

• An active cloud computer. New to V2 Cloud? Create your first cloud computer first.
• A way to connect: the V2 Cloud desktop app (recommended) or the web browser. Get the app from our downloads page.
• For the RDP methods, an RDP connection. See how to use RDP and set it by default in the V2 Cloud app.

Which Method Should You Use to Move Files From Cloud to Computer?

How to Move Files From Cloud to Computer Using the V2 Cloud App

Use this method to download a file from your cloud computer to the local computer you’re working on.

1. Connect to your cloud computer.
2. Inside the cloud computer, open File Explorer and find the file you need.
3. Right-click the file and select Download to local PC.
4. The file downloads to your local Downloads folder through your browser.

Tip: To send several files or a whole folder at once, zip them first. Right-click the selection, choose Send to, then Compressed (zipped) folder, and download the zip file.

Upload Files From Your Local Computer to the Cloud Computer

1. Connect to your cloud computer.
2. Select the files on your local PC.
3. Drag and drop them into the V2 Cloud application window.
4. The files arrive in the Downloads folder inside your cloud computer.

Move uploaded files out of Downloads and into the folder where your team actually works. If you’re running low on space, you can increase disk space or add a new disk to your cloud computer.

Move Files With RDP

Transferring files over RDP is even simpler, since your cloud computer and local machine behave like one workspace.

Copy and paste (small files)

Copy a file on your cloud computer with Ctrl+C and paste it on your local desktop with Ctrl+V. It works the other way too. Keep this for small files. Large copies over the clipboard can be slow or fail partway through.

Drive redirection (bigger files and folders)

With RDP, your local drives are redirected to your cloud computer and appear as normal drives.

1. Connect to your cloud computer over RDP.
2. Open File Explorer inside the cloud computer and go to This PC.
3. Look for your local drives, listed as “C on ."
4. Copy files between that drive and your cloud computer’s drives, like any other folder.

Local drives not showing up? If you connect with Microsoft Remote Desktop, open Show Options, go to the Local Resources tab, click More, and make sure Drives is checked before connecting. For more on RDP, see how to set up Remote Desktop.

Move Large Files Over 1 GB With Secure FTP

For files larger than 1 GB, use FTP instead of the app or RDP. It handles large transfers more reliably than drag and drop or the clipboard.

Follow our tutorial on how to set up a secure FTP server in your cloud computer. If your firewall blocks the connection, you may also need to forward a port to your cloud computer.

Move Files From OneDrive, Google Drive, or Amazon S3

Sometimes how to move files from cloud to computer means pulling data out of a storage service rather than your cloud computer. Here’s how that works with V2 Cloud.

OneDrive

After you install Office 365 on your cloud computer, OneDrive shows your files in File Explorer. A blue cloud icon means a file is online-only. Right-click it and choose Always keep on this device to store a full copy.

Keep in mind: “Always keep on this device" keeps a synced copy. The file stays in OneDrive. To take a file out of OneDrive completely, move it to a folder outside your OneDrive folder.

Google Drive and Dropbox

Open the service in a browser inside your cloud computer and download the files. They land in the cloud computer’s Downloads folder. Need them on your local PC too? Use Download to local PC from the first method above.

Amazon S3

If your team keeps shared files in S3, you can attach an Amazon S3 bucket to your cloud computer so it appears like a local drive. For S3-compatible storage managed through V2 Cloud, see how to use bucket storage.

Before You Delete Anything

Once your files are on your local computer, check the transfer before you delete the originals:

1. Compare the total size of the source and destination folders.
2. Open a few files, especially the largest and oldest ones.
3. Unzip any archives and confirm nothing is missing.

Deleted something by mistake on your cloud computer? We run daily automated backups, and you can recover a file from a snapshot or manage the backups of your cloud computer from your dashboard. For extra protection, look at our Block Storage and Cloud Disaster Recovery add-ons.

Troubleshooting

“Download to local PC" doesn’t start. Check that your browser allows downloads from V2 Cloud and isn’t blocking pop-ups. The file saves wherever your browser stores downloads.

The transfer is slow or fails. Zip many small files into one archive before moving them. For anything over 1 GB, switch to secure FTP.

The cloud computer is out of space. Increase disk space or change the hardware of your cloud computer to a larger plan.

The cloud computer feels sluggish during big transfers. See how to reduce RAM usage on your cloud computer.

How to Move Files From Cloud to Computer Frequently Asked Questions

How to move files from cloud to computer on a Mac?

The steps are the same. Connect to your cloud computer, right-click the file, and select Download to local PC. The file saves to your Mac’s Downloads folder.

Is there a file size limit?

Use the V2 Cloud app or RDP for files under 1 GB. For anything larger, set up secure FTP on your cloud computer.

Can other users on the same cloud computer see my files?

Multiple users can share one cloud computer, and each user gets their own Windows profile. Files in your profile folders stay private by default, while files saved to shared folders or drives are visible to anyone with access. Admins can control who reaches each cloud computer with the User Access feature.

Are the files on my cloud computer backed up?

Yes. We run daily automated backups of your cloud computer, and you can restore individual files from a snapshot. See how to manage backups.

Related Tutorials

• Connect to your cloud computer
• How to print from your cloud computer
• How to scan from your cloud computer
• How to enable multi monitors on the V2 Cloud client
• How to move users’ profile data to a secondary disk

Not a V2 Cloud customer yet? Our cloud desktops give your team a full Windows desktop they can reach from any device, with daily backups included. See pricing, start a risk-free trial, or book a guided setup with our team.