Help with installation, troubleshooting, license activation, the Microsoft Store edition, and the new iPhone & iPad app on the App Store. Browse the FAQ below, or open a channel and we will get back to you promptly.
Six support categories. Jump straight to the section that matches your question, or scroll for the full FAQ matrix.
Installation, first launch, finding the widget, and making your first conversion.
Conversion errors, missing features, widget not visible, and error logs.
Activating your license, moving it to another machine, and trial questions.
Using the Store version, installation, updates, and billing through Microsoft.
Converting on iOS, importing files, batch mode, Dynamic Island, Shortcuts, and privacy.
Local-only processing, what never leaves your device, and how to verify it yourself.
Most issues resolve in minutes. Open a category, expand a question, and follow the steps. Each card holds a single Q and a single A.
Direct download: Run DropFile Setup.exe and follow the on-screen prompts. The installer places DropFile in your AppData folder by default and optionally adds a desktop shortcut and Start menu entry. No administrator rights are required.
Microsoft Store: If you purchased through the Microsoft Store, DropFile installs automatically after purchase, no setup file needed. Find it in your Start menu or search for "DropFile" in the Store to open it.
After installation either way, DropFile launches and a small icon appears in your Windows system tray (the notification area at the far right of your taskbar).
The drop zone widget floats on your desktop and defaults to the bottom-right corner of your screen. A few things to check:
Ctrl + O to open a file picker.On your very first conversion, DropFile will ask you to confirm where output files should be saved. Click Looks good to use the default (same folder as the source file) or Change in Settings to choose a different location.
By default, converted files are saved in the same folder as the original source file, with a filename like original_dropfile.ext.
You can change this in Settings → Output. The three options are:
You can also change the filename template (e.g. replace _dropfile with a date or action name) and control what happens when a file with the same name already exists.
No. All file conversion is performed 100% locally on your machine. Your files never leave your computer. An internet connection is only required in two cases:
Read the error message shown in the widget, it usually describes the problem directly. Common causes:
For more detail, check the error log: right-click the DropFile tray icon → View Error Log…
If you contact support, please include the contents of the error log. It's stored at %AppData%\DropFile\dropfile-error.log.
Document conversion (DOCX, DOC, ODT, RTF → PDF, HTML, Markdown, plain text) is built into DropFile, no additional software installation is required.
If conversion actions aren't appearing for a document file, check the following:
.docx, .doc, .odt, .rtf, or .txt.DropFile saves the widget's last idle position across restarts. If the position looks wrong, it may have been placed on a monitor that is no longer connected. To reset it:
The widget snaps to screen edges when dragged within 24 pixels of one. Drag it more than 24 pixels away from an edge to position it freely.
Right-click the DropFile system tray icon and select View Error Log…. This opens the log file directly.
You can also navigate to it manually: press Win + R, type %AppData%\DropFile, and press Enter. The file is named dropfile-error.log.
The log contains internal error messages only, no file content, filenames, or personal data is ever written to it.
Direct download version: DropFile checks for updates automatically in the background. When a new version is available it downloads silently and prompts you to restart to apply it. To check manually: right-click the tray icon → Check for Updates…
Microsoft Store version: Updates are delivered automatically by the Microsoft Store. You can also open the Store app, go to Library → Get updates to trigger one immediately. The "Check for Updates" option does not appear in the tray menu for Store installs.
These questions apply to the direct download version of DropFile. If you purchased through the Microsoft Store, see the Microsoft Store section below.
The direct download version includes a 14-day free trial with access to all features and up to 20 lifetime conversions. No credit card is required to try it.
A notice appears in the widget when fewer than 3 days or 5 conversions remain. Once both limits are reached, conversions are paused until you activate a license.
XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX).A one-time internet connection is required during activation to validate your key. After that, DropFile works fully offline, no connection needed for conversions.
A single license covers up to 3 machines. To move your license:
If you can no longer access the old machine, email support@vandien.io with your license key and we can reset a seat for you.
Common reasons activation may fail:
XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX). Keys are case-insensitive.If none of the above apply, email support@vandien.io with your key and a description of the error.
No. The direct download version is a one-time purchase, no subscriptions, no renewals, no recurring charges. You pay once and own it.
If you purchased through the Microsoft Store, billing terms are determined by how the app is listed in the Store at the time of purchase.
No. When you purchase DropFile through the Microsoft Store, your entitlement is tied to your Microsoft account. There is no license key to enter and no activation step required, DropFile is fully unlocked as soon as it installs.
You won't see a License tab in Settings. That section only appears in the direct download version.
Sign in to the Microsoft Store on the other machine with the same Microsoft account you used to purchase DropFile. Search for DropFile in the Store and click Install, it will install at no extra charge since you already own it.
Microsoft manages how many devices your account can install apps on according to their standard Store policies.
The Microsoft Store delivers updates automatically. You can also trigger one manually by opening the Store app → Library → Get updates.
The "Check for Updates" option in the DropFile tray menu is not present in the Store version, all updates go through the Store.
Refunds for Microsoft Store purchases are handled by Microsoft directly. Visit Microsoft's refund request page to submit a request.
If you're having a problem with DropFile itself that we can resolve, please email us first at support@vandien.io, we'd rather fix the issue than lose you as a customer.
DropFile 1.0 for iPhone and iPad is available now on the App Store. These questions cover the Apple version. For the Windows app, see the sections above.
Yes. DropFile 1.0 is available now on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. No account is required, it works without an internet connection, and conversions are instant.
No account required. No internet connection. Instant, every time.
There are four ways to bring a file in:
Tap the attachment in Mail, Files, Safari, or any app with a share sheet, then choose Open in DropFile. DropFile opens and immediately asks what to convert the file to.
Yes. Tap Images or Files and select several items, batch mode appears automatically when 2 or more files are selected. From there you can:
On iPhone 14 Pro and later, DropFile shows live conversion progress in the Dynamic Island, even when you switch to another app or lock your screen.
Yes. DropFile integrates with the Shortcuts app so you can build conversions into your own workflows.
No. Just like the Windows app, everything runs on your device:
Direct link: apps.apple.com/us/app/dropfile/id6768714712
No. The iPhone and iPad version is tied to your Apple Account through the App Store. There is no license key to enter and no separate activation step.
The XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX license keys described in the License & Trial section apply only to the direct-download Windows version.
Updates are delivered automatically by the App Store. To check manually, open the App Store, tap your account icon, and pull down to refresh the list of available updates.
Never. All file processing happens locally on your machine. No file content, filename, or conversion result is ever transmitted to any server under any circumstance. This is a core design principle, not a setting you need to configure.
DropFile was built by a cybersecurity consulting firm. We understand exactly what "your files leave your machine" means, and we built the product specifically so that it never happens.
Very little, and all of it is optional or minimal:
See the full Privacy Policy for complete details.
Can't find your answer above? Our support team is real people who actually know DropFile. Open a channel and we will get back to you promptly.