Download All Your Box Files Without the ZIP-and-Time-Out Trap
Client deliveries over Box run into the same problem every time. The web downloader handles a single file fine, and the trouble starts the moment you select a folder.
Select more than one file in Box and it builds a server-side zip before it gives you anything. For a folder of video files that zip takes a long time to prepare, the browser download can stall or time out, and when it fails you start the whole batch again.[1] People who keep a Box account because a client or a school requires it hit this every time they need their own files back.
The bandwidth cap makes it worse
Section titled "The bandwidth cap makes it worse"Box's Fair Use Policy caps bandwidth at about 1 TB per user per month. Exceed it and Box emails you, throttles the account for the rest of the month, and warns that it may permanently reduce your bandwidth or suspend the account.[2] For someone who only holds a Box account to receive client footage, a couple of large deliveries can use up the cap in one month.
The download method matters here. Pulling the same set of files twice because a zip timed out is double the bandwidth. So is downloading to your machine and then uploading again to the cloud where you actually want the files.
Box Drive does not fix it
Section titled "Box Drive does not fix it"The desktop app that mounts Box as a drive has its own problems. Slowness that appears for no reason,[3] files that refuse to upload after an OS update, folders that will not open.[4] Relying on Box Drive to copy a large folder out can stall exactly when you need the data most.
Blober downloads files one at a time, over the API
Section titled "Blober downloads files one at a time, over the API"Blober connects to Box through the API, not the web client and not Box Drive. That changes the download in a few concrete ways:
- each file downloads on its own, so there is no server-side zip to wait for or retry;
- progress is per file, and an interrupted task resumes without redoing what is already done;
- you pick where the files land, which can be a local folder, an external drive, a NAS, or another cloud like Google Drive or pCloud, so you do not download once to your machine and upload again;
- nothing depends on the state of the Box Drive app on your computer.
Connect Box as the source, choose a destination, select the folder, and run the workflow. A whole client's project is where the difference shows up immediately.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled "Frequently asked questions"Why does Box zip my downloads?
The web interface batches multiple selected files into a server-side zip. It is convenient for a few documents and painful for a folder of large media files, because the zip preparation is slow and the download can time out.
What is the Box bandwidth cap?
Box's Fair Use Policy limits users to about 1 TB of bandwidth per month. Exceed it and Box can throttle the account for the remainder of the month and warn of further limits.[5] Downloading files once, deliberately, instead of retrying failed browser batches, keeps you inside it.
Do I need Box Drive to download my files?
No. Blober uses the Box API directly, so a slow or broken Box Drive does not block the transfer.
My Box account is free. Are there file size limits?
Free accounts cap individual files low (around 250 MB), and paid plans raise it, with Business listing 5 GB per file.[6] The limit that matters for a bulk download is on your plan's terms, not on Blober's side. Blober transfers the files your account can hold.
Can I download Box files straight to another cloud?
Yes. Pick any supported provider as the destination and Blober streams each file there, so the data does not stage as a full second copy on your disk.
What happens if the download drops halfway?
Resume the task. Completed files stay completed and the rest continue.
Get Blober
Section titled "Get Blober"Blober is a one-time purchase with a lifetime license. No subscription, no transfer fees, no per-GB cap. It runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux.