In this video:
About the Virtual Drive
Download the Virtual Drive
Uploading, Downloading, and Offloading Files and Folders
How does the Canopy Virtual Drive work?
The Canopy Virtual Drive lets you access, manage, and edit your Canopy files directly from your desktop—without logging in to Canopy. It syncs your folder structure automatically and supports offline access through file downloading and offloading.
Why use the Virtual Drive?
The Virtual Drive gives you a familiar desktop file experience while keeping everything securely synced with Canopy.
Access Canopy files directly from File Explorer
Upload, organize, and edit files without logging in to Canopy
Work offline by downloading files when needed
Easily migrate large folder structures during onboarding
Table of contents
About the Virtual Drive
The Virtual Drive mirrors your Canopy file structure directly on your computer.
Files are accessible from your desktop environment
Changes sync automatically between Canopy and the drive
Internet access is not required for downloaded files
Folder structure includes:
Contact Files
Internal Files
My Files
When you open Contact Files, you’ll see a folder for each contact in Canopy.
New contacts automatically create new folders
Renaming, archiving, or deleting contacts updates the drive immediately
Removing a team member’s access to a contact also removes their drive access
Heads up: The Virtual Drive is currently available on Windows only.
Download and set up the Virtual Drive
If you have a Document Management license and are not a legacy user, you can install the Virtual Drive from Canopy.
Select your profile picture or initials.
Click Settings.
Select Integrations from the left-hand menu.
Choose Virtual Drive.
Download and install the application.
Log in and authorize the sync.
Once installed, your Canopy files appear automatically in File Explorer and stay in sync.
Upload files and folders
You can upload files to Canopy directly from your desktop—no login required.
Open File Explorer.
Drag and drop files or folders into the desired location in the Virtual Drive.
The files appear instantly in Canopy in the same folder structure.
This is especially useful if you already have organized folders for tax, accounting, or client records and want to migrate them quickly.
Offload and download documents
The Virtual Drive lets you control which files take up space on your computer.
To offload or download a file
Right-click a file in the Virtual Drive.
Select Canopy.
Choose Download or Offload.
Offloaded files
Stored in the cloud only
Do not take up space on your computer
Marked with a white icon and green checkmark
Downloaded files
Available without internet access
Take up space on your computer
Marked with a green icon and white checkmark
Downloading files works much like saving music or documents for offline use before traveling—you trade storage space for guaranteed access.
Best practice
Download files you access frequently
Offload files you rarely need but want visible in the folder structure
Maintain and annotate documents
You can manage files in the Virtual Drive just like any other desktop folder.
Rename, delete, or move files and folders
Changes sync automatically with Canopy
You can also annotate files directly from the drive.
Annotations made in the Virtual Drive appear in Canopy
Annotations made in Canopy appear in the Virtual Drive
This keeps both environments fully aligned.
Desktop Assistant vs. Virtual Drive
Both tools support document management, but they serve different workflows.
Desktop Assistant
Prints and scans documents to Canopy
Only shows files uploaded through the Assistant
Best if you initiate file actions primarily inside Canopy
Virtual Drive
Acts like Dropbox, OneDrive, or iCloud
Shows all Canopy files at all times
Allows full file organization from your desktop
Lets you save files directly to Canopy from any “Save as” location
Which should you use?
Use Desktop Assistant if you prefer scanning and printing into Canopy
Use Virtual Drive if you prefer managing files directly from your desktop
You can also use both—choose the workflow that best fits your firm.
Summary
The Canopy Virtual Drive gives you a desktop-first way to manage client files while keeping everything securely synced with Canopy. It’s ideal for firms that want offline access, faster onboarding, and full control over file organization without switching between tools.
Need help?
Contact Support or ask Penny, our AI support bot, for assistance.