Downloading Files from the Portal

Someone sent you a GolemDrive link? This page walks you through every way to download files from the portal. You don’t need a GolemDrive account to download shared files.

Downloading a single file

This is the most common scenario. Someone sends you a link like golemdrive.com/s/abc123 and you want to grab the file.

1. Open the link in your browser. You’ll see a download page showing the file name, size, and type.
2. If the page asks for a password, enter the password the sender gave you and click Submit.
3. If the page asks for your email address, enter the email the sender authorized. Only emails the sender specifically allowed will work.
4. Click the Download button.
5. A progress bar appears while the file is being decrypted in your browser. This is normal — GolemDrive files are encrypted, and your browser decrypts them on the spot so the file arrives in its original form.
6. Once the progress bar finishes, the file saves to your Downloads folder (or wherever your browser saves downloads).

That’s it. Open the link, click Download, wait for the progress bar, and the file is yours.

Downloading from a folder share

When someone shares an entire folder, you get a two-panel browser view that lets you navigate through the folder structure.

1. Open the folder share link in your browser.
2. You’ll see two panels: a folder tree on the left and a file list on the right.
3. Click through folders in the tree on the left to navigate. The file list on the right updates to show the contents of whichever folder you select.
4. Use the breadcrumbs at the top of the file list to jump back to a parent folder without clicking through the tree.
5. To download a single file, click on it in the file list.
6. To download everything in the folder, click Download All at the top. A confirmation dialog will appear first so you don’t accidentally start a large download.

Downloading from a collection or gallery

Collections group multiple files together under a single link, like golemdrive.com/c/abc123. They often display as a visual gallery, especially when the collection contains images.

1. Open the collection link in your browser.
2. You’ll see a gallery grid showing thumbnails of the files in the collection.
3. Click any item to open it in a full-screen lightbox preview:
   • Use the left and right arrows on screen (or the arrow keys on your keyboard) to browse through items.
   • Press Escape to close the lightbox and return to the grid.
4. To download a single item, click the download icon on that item in the grid.
5. To switch how the collection is displayed, use the view mode buttons at the top:
   • Gallery view — a grid of thumbnails (best for images and visual content)
   • List view — a compact list with file names, sizes, and types
   • Folder view — a tree-based browser if the collection has a folder structure
6. Your preferred view mode is saved automatically so the portal remembers it next time.

If something goes wrong

Here are the most common problems and what to do about each one.

”Link expired”

The sender set an expiry date on the share link, and that date has passed. The only fix is to ask the sender to create a new share link.

”Download limit reached”

The sender limited how many times this file could be downloaded, and that limit has been hit. Ask the sender to create a new link or increase the limit.

”Password required”

The link is password-protected. You need the password from the person who shared the file. If they didn’t send you one, reach out and ask.

”Access denied”

The sender restricted this link to specific email addresses. Make sure you’re entering the exact email that was authorized. If you’re not on the list, ask the sender to add your email or create a new link.

”File not found”

This means one of three things:

• The sender deleted the file from their account.
• The sender revoked (deactivated) the share link.
• The link URL was copied incorrectly — double-check that you have the complete link with nothing cut off.

In all cases, contact the person who sent you the link.

The download seems stuck

GolemDrive files are encrypted, and your browser decrypts them during download. For large files, the progress bar can take a while. This is normal. If the progress bar truly stops moving for more than a minute, try refreshing the page and clicking Download again.

Guest limits

You can download without an account, but there are a couple of restrictions for anonymous visitors:

• Daily download limit — there’s a cap on how many files you can download per day without an account.
• CAPTCHA required — you’ll need to solve a CAPTCHA puzzle before each download to prove you’re not a bot.

Both of these go away when you create a free account. Registration takes about 30 seconds and doesn’t require a credit card.

Tips for large files

• Make sure you have enough free disk space before starting a large download.
• Use a stable internet connection. If the connection drops mid-download, you may need to start over.
• Some browsers limit download sizes. If a file is several gigabytes, try a different browser if you run into trouble.