For a client, I'm investigating the possibilities of cloud storage. All he really wants, is a way to have a virtual hard drive "in the cloud". So he doesn't want a local drive/folder mirrored (synced) online, he simply wants a virtual drive on his PC that resides online. He doesn't want to have a local copy.

Ideally it would be something that he needs to login to first whenever he fires up his PC in the morning which then creates an F: drive (for example) and he can start working with the files on the cloud drive as if it was a local drive. I know of services like OneDrive, Google Drive and DropBox etc., but I really have no idea which ones offer what he wants and, more importantly, which ones are the best and/or least expensive.

Anyone here have any experience with cloud storage? Anything you can recommend?

Is it just this one person who will be using the drive? Will this person be using QuickBooks or MS Access? What is their internet connection speed?

No local copy is bad idea.
All "Clouds" go out/down, loose data, etc, w/ no warning. Read ToS etc because most will say is your problem for not backing up.
Even Amazon MS and other big services have had problems lasting for hours to days.

If he/she thinks traveling is easy w/ cloud... Often Not the case.
1. Service(s) on line won't matter when can't access it/them on slow/no internet.
Example: My vacation hotel has very slow to no internet WiFi. I've had to connect to 4 networks/AP just to get a slow connection to post this. YT crawls even at minimum video size/data rates. Wife's needed 2+ hours to post 2 reports using "the cloud" because Max speed is <15Mbps.
2. 3G 4G etc may not help either depending building construction etc. I can't even get a cell calls or text in many areas in this building. Trying to login to any network w/ "2 factor" login using cell/text often needs to sent a text several times to get a code from google etc.
3. On a Train/Plane/etc have problems too. All The Stations and many others had problems getting WiFi and Cell service to make deadlines for videos/shows dates.

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(Jurassic Park)

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quote Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: For a client, I'm investigating the possibilities of cloud storage. All he really wants, is a way to have a virtual hard drive "in the cloud". So he doesn't want a local drive/folder mirrored (synced) online, he simply wants a virtual drive on his PC that resides online. He doesn't want to have a local copy. Ideally it would be something that he needs to login to first whenever he fires up his PC in the morning which then creates an F: drive (for example) and he can start working with the files on the cloud drive as if it was a local drive. I know of services like OneDrive, Google Drive and DropBox etc., but I really have no idea which ones offer what he wants and, more importantly, which ones are the best and/or least expensive. Anyone here have any experience with cloud storage? Anything you can recommend?

I use DropBox for file sharing. It's free, at least for how I use it.

It's easy to use for a computer illiterate guy like me and I don't have to do anything "fancy" to access it.

Not sure what the capacity limits are with DropBox, but I have a good many very large files and folders in it.

I'd never put anything critical, confidential or irreplaceable in it though.

For my backup I have a handy little 2TB external drive that fits in a shirt pocket for important stuff.

[This message has been edited by randye (edited 07-09-2018).]

quote Originally posted by randye: I have a handy little 2TB external drive that fits in a shirt pocket for important backup stuff.

Yes they are handy. Plus many are USB3 and treat them as any HD in the system. While works on USB2 is slower. I have USB3 ExpressCard for older laptop if needed to copy large files but rarely use it. For work on a file or playing music/video USB2 works.
Better units even have hardware encryption so when you travel and idiots steel or Customs takes it your data is safe. (Ignoring UK and some others can jail you just for not giving your password/phrase to encrypted data.)

Example from WD My Passport.

quote Originally posted by randye: I use DropBox for file sharing. It's free, at least for how I use it.

Yes, I've tried DropBox, but they don't offer a "virtual drive" option. It either syncs the online drive with folders on your PC, or you can use it for file sharing.

quote Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: Yes, I've tried DropBox, but they don't offer a "virtual drive" option. It either syncs the online drive with folders on your PC, or you can use it for file sharing.

Thanks Cliff.

Like I said, I'm mostly computer illiterate so I asked a friend of mine in Norway who is in the business and he recommended:

https://www.jottacloud.com/en/

Not sure if that's what you are looking for, but hope it helps.

quote Originally posted by randye: ... and he recommended: https://www.jottacloud.com/en/

Thanks, but that site doesn't offer a virtual drive option either.

http://www.ironmountain.com...gement/cloud-archive

We used them for tape off site rotation. At the time that was all we used them for. They now offer cloud backup and archive.
If you want security and availability these are the guys I would use.
Setup a mirror backup or scheduled backups. You would maintain a local working copy then archive the data.