# Vagon Files Directory

Vagon Files is a cloud storage area built into your Vagon account, designed to optimize file transfer between your local device and your Vagon Computer. It behaves much like a personal cloud drive such as Google Drive: a staging area for moving files in and out, not a working directory.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Do not open, edit, or run project files directly from the Vagon Files folder inside your session. Vagon Files is optimized for transfer, not for live read/write workloads. Opening large project files, rendering, or saving directly to Vagon Files can cause noticeable performance issues, slow saves, and unresponsive applications. **Always sync files onto the Vagon Computer's local disk before working on them, and move outputs back to Vagon Files only when you are done.**
{% endhint %}

## How Vagon Files Works

Vagon Files is separate from your Vagon Computer's internal disk. Files you place in Vagon Files live in the cloud and stay available even when your computer is shut down. You can share, send, and manage these files without starting a session, then move them onto the computer only when you need them.

Because Vagon Files sits next to your computer rather than inside it:

* Files stored there do not consume your Vagon Computer's disk space.
* You can prepare uploads in advance, removing wait time when you start a session.
* You can keep working with your files on the dashboard while the computer is offline.

The trade-off for this separation is that Vagon Files is reached over network calls rather than as a local disk. That is fine for moving files in and out, but it is not designed to back the kind of constant random reads and writes that creative, editing, and rendering applications perform on their working files.

## Working on Files: Sync First, Then Work

The recommended workflow for any non-trivial file is:

1. Upload the file to **Vagon Files** from your Dashboard or from inside the session.
2. **Sync** the file onto the Vagon Computer's local disk (for example, into Documents or a project folder on `C:\`).
3. Open and work on the file from the local disk path so all reads and writes go to the fast local volume.
4. When you are done, save a copy back to Vagon Files (or upload the final outputs) so they persist outside the computer.

This applies to creative projects (3D scenes, video timelines, image stacks), code repositories, large datasets, and anything else that an application reads from and writes to repeatedly during a session.

## Dual Access Points

Vagon Files is reachable from two places, depending on whether your Vagon Computer is running:

* **Computer off:** Open the **Files** section from your Vagon Dashboard.
* **Computer on:** Open the **Vagon Files** shortcut on the desktop or from the Dock menu inside the session.

## Storage Allocation

Every Vagon account starts with **5 GB** of Vagon Files storage. You can raise this limit at any time from the Files section on the Dashboard.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Increasing your Vagon Files storage is irreversible. Once you raise the limit, it cannot be lowered again later.
{% endhint %}

## Upload Files to Vagon

### Small Files: Drag and Drop

For quick transfers, drag a file from your local computer directly into the Vagon session window. The file is copied straight onto the Vagon Computer's disk.

### Large Files: Sync to Vagon

For larger transfers, route files through Vagon Files. It is an independent but integrated cloud storage area attached to your Vagon account.

1. Upload the files from your local device into **Vagon Files** on the Dashboard.
2. Open your Vagon Computer.
3. Use the **Sync to Vagon** button to copy the files onto the computer when you need them.

Because files in Vagon Files live in the cloud, they do not occupy disk space on your Vagon Computer until you sync them across.

{% hint style="info" %}
Uploading to Vagon Files in advance removes wait time at the start of a session. Your assets are ready as soon as you connect.
{% endhint %}

## Download Files from Vagon

### Direct Download

1. Right-click the file inside your Vagon Computer.
2. Select **Download from Vagon**.
3. Confirm the download in the modal that appears.

The file is transferred straight to your local device.

### Upload to Vagon Files

For larger files, or when you want a copy that persists outside the computer:

1. Inside your Vagon Computer, select the file and use the **Upload to Vagon Files** button.
2. Open the **Files** section on your Dashboard.
3. Download the file from the Vagon Files directory to your local device.

Files held in the Vagon Files directory do not consume disk space on the Vagon Computer, which is useful when you are managing storage limits.

## Mobile and Tablet Transfers

Direct file transfers from tablets and mobile devices into Vagon are not currently supported. To move files from a mobile device, upload them to Vagon Files from a desktop or browser first, then access them from your session.

## Large or Slow Transfers

For large files or slow connections:

* Keep the session connected until the transfer finishes.
* Avoid refreshing the browser tab while a transfer is in progress.
* Prefer Vagon Files over direct drag and drop for multi-gigabyte uploads.
* Use a wired internet connection where possible.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Closing the browser tab or disconnecting the desktop app during an active transfer can interrupt the upload or download. Wait for the transfer indicator to finish before ending the session.
{% endhint %}

## Common Uses

Vagon Files is a transfer and persistence layer. Use it to:

* Upload project assets before starting a session, then sync them onto the computer's disk to work on them.
* Move finished outputs back into the cloud after a session so they persist when the computer is stopped.
* Move files between multiple local devices through a single shared location.
* Hold static reference libraries that you only read occasionally (not files an application reads and writes during active work).

{% hint style="info" %}
Keep project files organized in clearly named folders. It speeds up uploads, downloads, and any troubleshooting with the Vagon support team.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
If an application feels sluggish or saves take a long time, check whether the file is being opened from a Vagon Files path. Move the working copy to the Vagon Computer's local disk and re-open it from there.
{% endhint %}

## Next Steps

{% content-ref url="/pages/s3fNasLVpbt4Y0idwk2H" %}
[Expandable Disk Storage](/computer/features/expandable-disk-storage.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/S0YApECnUuanAE3INGZP" %}
[Using on Tablet & Mobile Devices](/computer/features/using-on-tablet-and-mobile-devices.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/6F5apZyWmFvGWE0IU3YH" %}
[USB & External Hard Disk Support](/computer/features/usb-and-external-hard-disk-support.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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