Information ServicesStrathcloud user account types

**Strathcloud was decommissioned on 31 August 2023.

Alternative data storage services:

For a quick and easy guide to choosing between the above systems, please use our File Storage Selector tool.

The Strathcloud service for accessing your H: and i: drives when off-campus is no longer available. Please see the Connect remotely to your H: or i: network drive page to view alternative services.

-- Please ignore all text below.

If you wish to retain data currently stored on Strathcloud, you must migrate the data to an alternative storage service by 31/08/2022. Data remaining on Strathcloud after this date will be deleted automatically.

We recommend using Microsoft 365 storage (OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint).

Note: the Strathcloud service for accessing your H: and i: drives when off-campus, will be retained after 31/08/2023.

For more information on how to migrate, visit the M365 Training and Support page.

User account types

There are three different types of user account on Strathcloud:

  • employee accounts
  • client accounts
  • on-the-fly accounts

Employee accounts are mainly assigned to University staff and postgraduate researchers, who started before January 2021.

Client accounts are assigned to anyone else who has a University DS account. For example, undergraduate, taught postgraduates, and those with limited access accounts. And also, staff and postgraduate researchers who started at the University after January 2021.

On-the-fly accounts are temporary accounts for users with no University DS account. They are usually created automatically for external users when a Strathclyde user sends them a link to a file. These accounts are deleted automatically after seven days. They are not suitable for use by external users requiring access to Strathcloud for longer than seven days. A limited access account, which includes client account access to Strathcloud, is more appropriate in these situations. Limited access accounts can be set to last up to a year. There is a process for warning in advance about deletion, and they can be extended on request.

The following table lists the different types of Strathcloud accounts available. All types of accounts can be promoted to an employee account on request by any staff member.

Type of DS accountType of Strathcloud account
Staff Employee or client account
Postgraduate researcher Employee or client account
Temporary IT Access account Employee or client account
Role account Client account
Postgraduate taught student Client account
Undergraduate student Client account
Limited access account Client account
No DS account On-the-fly account, if another Strathcloud user has provided you with a link to a file, otherise, no account.

How to check what type of Strathcloud account you have

  1. Open the Strathcloud web interface
  2. If you have a DS account, then log in using the left-hand side of the screen. If you do not have a DS account, then you may have an on-the-fly account, in which case you can log in using the right-hand side of the screen.
  3. Go to the navigation panel, on the left-hand side of the screen, and expand "Folders"
  4. If you have an employee account there will be a link to: 
    • Personal Folders
    • Shared Folders
    • Favorites
    • Network Shares
    • File Box, and
    • Recycle Bin.
  5. If you have a client account there will be links to:
    • Shared Folders (if someone has shared something with you)
    • Favorites
    • Network Shares

Features of each account type

FeatureEmployee accountClient accountOn-the-fly account
Individual storage space 'Personal folders' and 'File box' Yes No No
Access to folders and files which have been shared by another user Yes Yes Yes
Web access Yes Yes Yes

Basic apps, including:

  • Sharefile Desktop app
  • Sharefile for iOS
  • Sharefile for Android
 Yes Yes Yes
Sync files with your local Windows device using the 'Sync for Windows' app Yes No No
Use the 'Drive Mapper' app Yes No No
Outlook plug-in Yes No No
Log in with DS account Yes Yes No
Managed deletion of Strathcloud account Only when DS account is deleted. Only when DS account is deleted. Automatically deleted after 7 days.