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FAQ - next.hessenbox

General Information

Help Tips and Function Explanations

  • How to switch to English?

    Through the Web frontend, you can adjust the language settings. In the top right corner, click on your user icon / your initials and choose "Einstellungen" (German for "settings"). In the form, choose English from the "Sprache" drop down menu (German for "language").

  • How do I upload files?

    Through the Web frontend, you can create new folders and files.
    This functionality is accessible via the "+" (Plus sign) marked button.

  • How can I reduce storage space usage? - Deletion of version history

    The next.hessenbox creates standard versions of files.
    This is particularly useful for shared folders, allowing you to switch to older working states.
    However, the version management can occupy up to 50% of the available storage space.
    Therefore, it can be helpful to remove older versions, especially for large files.
    Click on the three dots next to the file size and select the option "Details open".
    A side view opens, where you can find the different versions.
    Analog to the first step, click on the three dots, where the option to delete the version is located.

  • How can data be shared with other users ("shared")?

    Through the web frontend (https://next.hessenbox.de), any folder and file can be shared with selected users of the service.
    Use the button that is marked red in the screenshot.

    Subsequently, you can choose to:

    • Select a person to share the folder or file with.
    • Invite an external person by entering their email address. The external person receives an invitation and can register with the next.hessenbox. Subsequently, they receive access to your shared file.
    • Grant access as a link. This link can then be sent via email, for example, and made publicly accessible. Please note that when sharing files publicly, you should not share sensitive data (topic data protection). You can also protect the link with a password and configure the validity period.

      Attention:       As soon as you share the link with others, you no longer have control over how the link is further distributed. Therefore, we recommend to use personalized access methods.

  • Can I upload files from external sources to the next.hessenbox?

    Through the web frontend, file requests can be created.
    These serve to collect files from third parties, even if they do not have an account.
    The functionality is accessible via the "+" (Plus sign) marked button.


    Important: Please be aware that files from unknown sources can contain viruses and malware! Do not hesitate to contact our IT security.

  • OnlyOffice: Supported file formats and file sizes

    The following file formats are supported by OnlyOffice: |doc|docx|xls|xlsx|ppt|pptx|docxf|oform|csv|txt|

    Attention: OnlyOffice supports Microsoft Office ≤ 2003 file formats only in view mode from version 7.X.
    This means that files with the extensions ppt, doc, and xls can only be opened for viewing, but not edited.

    To continue using the affected files, you must open them locally in the corresponding Microsoft editor (Powerpoint, Word, Excel) and save them in a compatible format using the "Save as" function.

    Important: OnlyOffice processes documents only up to a certain file size. Therefore, use files that are smaller than 50 megabytes.

  • Collaborative document editing: What to consider?

    The next.hessenbox offers the possibility to edit documents collaboratively.
    In this process, the changes of all participants are taken into account and stored in a single file.

    Important:     The web-based editing is the only way to edit documents jointly and simultaneously.
    Editing via local office editors (e.g. Microsoft Word) cannot be combined and may lead to data loss.

  • Microsoft Office, OnlyOffice, LibreOffice: What to consider?

    All common office editors can open and save the typical office formats like .docx, .pptx or .xlsx.
    Unfortunately, there are small differences in the interpretation of the files despite the same file formats.
    This can lead to changes in formatting, displacement of images, or changes in diagrams.
    Therefore, try to avoid using different editors when editing your documents.

  • Uploading large files

    Uploading large files via browser can cause problems.
    Therefore, we recommend using the next.hessenbox client for uploading files that are larger than 4 gigabytes.

    Please note the FAQ article "How is the next.hessenbox (nextcloud) Client installed?" for the installation of the next.hessenbox client.

Problems and Solutions

  • Migration of data from the "old" hessenbox (PowerFolder) to the next.hessenbox (nextcloud)

    For the transfer of your data from the "old" hessenbox to the next.hessenbox, there are two possible ways:

    1. automatic data migration
    2. manual data migration

    Both migration paths only include the migration of user data.
    Meta-information such as participant lists, access rights, or links cannot be transferred and must be set up by the user afterwards.

    • Automatic data migration

      The automatic data migration is particularly suitable for users with large data volumes.
      With this migration path, all user data are automatically migrated to the new system, as well as the respective account owner's access rights.

      For the automatic transfer of data, a blank file named "MIGRATION_REQUESTED" must be placed in the root folder of the next.hessenbox.
      At night, the data are then copied to the new system in the background.

      Guideline as PDF:       The detailed guideline for automatic data migration can be found under the following link: Guideline for automatic data migration 

      Important: During the automatic data migration, access to the data in the "old" hessenbox is only possible in read-only mode to avoid date conflicts. This can lead to date loss if you try to save during the migration.

      If applicable: Please ensure that the next.hessenbox client has synchronized all data and does not display any error messages.

    • Manual data migration

      The manual data migration is particularly suitable for users with small data volumes (up to a maximum of 4 gigabytes).
      With this migration path, you can decide which data should be entered into the system.

      Important:       This migration path should be performed on site, i.e. not from the Virtual Private Network (VPN).

  • How to install the next.hessenbox (nextcloud) client?

    For workstations that are managed by the compute centre, the next.hessenbox client can be installed as centrally distributed package.
    This applies to both Windows and Linux workstations.

    For self-administered workstations, the client can be obtained and installed independently via https://nextcloud.com/install/#install-clients.

  • macOS: Umlauts as a source of errors

    Compared to other operating systems, Apple macOS uses a special encoding for umlauts, which can lead to various problems, such as:
    1. Two identical files in shared folders
    2. OnlyOffice opens an empty file

    Therefore, do not create files with umlauts.

    Workaround:
    If one of the two cases applies, you should rename the files via the web frontend.
    The umlaut "ü" can be renamed to "ue", etc.

    After that, the files can be opened again via OnlyOffice.

  • Transferring Ownership

    Ownership rights for shared folders can be transferred. To do this, navigate to Personal Settings (top right) -> Sharing. There you can select the folder and its future owner. See https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/19/user_manual/files/transfer_ownership.html