Box Drive

ApplicationBox, Inc.

Also called box sync, box for windows, box drive

Box, Inc.Productivity

Box's enterprise content client. Box Drive replaced Box Sync. The process is Box.exe. It is not Dropbox.

What you need to know

Box Drive is Box.exe. Box Sync is the old client. Dropbox is another vendor.

Enterprise Box folders stream through Box Drive. Dropbox.exe will not see that tenant. A Box Sync leftover is a migration, not a second cloud brand.

What is it?: Enterprise content
Still current?: Yes, see Current status
Official download?: Use the vendor link in this article

Feex says

If Box.exe is the overlay, that is Box Drive, not Dropbox. I would not uninstall Dropbox to fix a Box admin hold.

What is Box Drive?

Box Drive is Box, Inc.'s current Windows client. Box.exe is the process. Box Sync is the retired sibling client. Dropbox is a different vendor.

If you have never used it

If work said "put it in Box", this is Box Drive, not Dropbox. Download Drive from box.com/resources/downloads. Box Sync was the older client Box retired for most users. Dropbox.exe is Dropbox. Box.exe streams enterprise folders. It is not a consumer Dropbox folder.

What is it used for?

Stream work folders

A Box drive in Explorer. Dropbox Smart Sync is a different namespace.

Enterprise sharing and admin policy

Box governance. Dropbox Business is a different admin console.

Replace leftover Box Sync

Box tells orgs to move to Drive. Installing Sync on purpose is the stale path.

Who is it for?

Employees whose tenant is Box
Admins migrating off Box Sync
Anyone who should not install Dropbox for a Box shared folder

Current status

Actively developed as Box Drive. Box Sync is legacy. This article is Drive on Windows.

How old is it?

Box started in 2005 as enterprise content. Box Drive replaced Box Sync in the late 2010s. Dropbox is a 2008 consumer-first rival. A "Box Sync" shortcut is the old client.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Box Drive

Box Sync (legacy)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
Box.exe	Box Drive

Startup components

Box Drive starts with Windows on most work PCs. That is Box policy or the app setting, not Dropbox.

File locations

Common Box Drive locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\Box\Box\Box.exe

File formats

whatever the Box tenant stores

Common problems

Box Sync and Drive both installed

Box documents a migration. Two Box clients fight. Dropbox is a third vendor if it is also present.

Admin retention blocks a delete

That is Box governance, not a Windows permission mystery.

Getting unstuck

Install Box Drive from box.com/resources/downloads

A Box Sync MSI from an old wiki is the retired client. dropbox.com/install is the sibling people swap.

Sign in with the work Box account

A Dropbox login will not open those folders.

Quit Sync if Drive is already deployed

Box's help covers the cutover. Do not delete Box.exe by hand.

Alternatives

Dropbox, OneDrive, and SharePoint overlap for work files. Dropbox is the sibling this article is not.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.box.com/resources/downloads Official installer or vendor page
Help	support.box.com/ Vendor support
Official site	www.box.com/resources/downloads Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

Streaming wants a network. Marking many files offline wants disk.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Box Drive official site · Vendor product page
Box Drive help · Vendor support
Box Support: Drive vs Sync · Why Box Drive replaced Box Sync
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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