So you have a Mac computer and you want to remotely access files on your MAC hard drive from another computer (possibly a Windows machine, iPad or an Android device)? One good way to make sure all your important files are accessible from just about anywhere is to use a file sync service e.g Dropbox, Windows Live SkyDrive or Google Drive. But then, file sync services have one major drawback when it comes to remote access of files stored in your MAC computer.

File sync services allow you to access files or folders that are stored in the specified app folder. So if you have installed Dropbox in your MAC computer, you will be able to access only those files that are stored in the “My Dropbox” folder of your MAC machine. There is no way to access or remotely download files saved on your Mac desktop, finder or any other folder from another computer.

Spotdox is nifty little application which makes remote access of mac files abreeze. Yeah, its Spotdox and not Spotbox!

It works like this.

You download the Spotdox client and install it in your MAC machine. Next, you connect Spotdox with your Dropbox account and configure to open the application at system startup. What Spotdox does it it allows you to remotely search for files in your MAC HD from MAC’s spotlight and when you have found the specific file or folder stored in your MAC computer, it lets you move that file or folder to your Dropbox account.

When you have used Spotdox to move that file to your “My Dropbox” folder, it will be automatically syned across all your devices. Neat!

Another huge advantage of using Sortdox is that you can remotely move files out of your “My Dropbox” folder and free up crucial space. So if your Dropbox account is almost full and you need a way to remotely access your mac computer, free up some space from your My Dropbox folder and then move new things in, Sortbox is the app you just can’t afford to miss. Best of all, Sortbox is absolutely free!

Setting Up Remote Access On Your MAC with Spotdox

1. Firstly, you will need a Dropbox account and have to install the Dropbox client on your MAC computer. 

2. Next, you will need to download Spotdox on your computer and have to connect Sortbox to your Dropbox account.

3. Lastly, you will have to ensure that both Dropbox and Sortbox are configured to run at system startup. Read our guide on how to auto-start applications after OSX boots up.

When you have taken care of all the above three steps, you are all set to roll.

The next time you need to access a file on your mac and you left it at home, simply login to your Sortbox account from a web browser. Oh, you will also have to make sure the mac computer is connected to the internet, otherwise you won’t be able to access the file (that’s all right, it should not take more than a phone call and asking a friend or family member to connect your computer to the internet or a Wi-Fi connection).

For remotely accessing the file, login to your Spotdox account and you should see your entire MAC HD in the browser.

So I have access to the following files and folders from any web browser

• My MAC desktop – this is where all my recent files are
• Downloads folder – this is where I have downloaded the recent files and now I can copy them to my Dropbox folder.
• MAC HD – all the files stored in my MAC HD are there.

To copy a specific file or folder to your Dropbox account, all you need to do is select the file and hit the “Copy to Dropbox” button. Spotdox will copy the file to your Dropbox folder which you can download from your Dropbox account.

This is a spectacularly brilliant app, which frees me from backing up everything on my mac every once in a while. The only catch is that my mac has to be connected to the internet so I can access my mac hd remotely.

Spotdox is entirely free! Go grab it.