The Virtual Cabinet hot folder is a monitored folder that allows documents to be dragged, dropped, or saved directly into Virtual Cabinet. From there, they can be sent to an in-tray (yours or someone else’s) or indexed straight into the system. This document explains how to use the desktop hot folder icon, configure default behaviour, access the underlying folder location, handle unsent files, and index documents.
Step 1: Understand the Virtual Cabinet Hot Folder
The Virtual Cabinet hot folder is a monitored folder location that allows you to move, drag and drop, or directly save documents so they are either sent to an in-tray or indexed directly into Virtual Cabinet. When you first access Virtual Cabinet, the hot folder becomes active and a desktop icon appears, which you can use to process documents.
Step 2: Drag and Drop Documents onto the Hot Folder Icon
Use the desktop hot folder icon to send documents into Virtual Cabinet. Drag and drop one or more files onto the Virtual Cabinet hot folder desktop icon.
A prompt will appear giving you options to:
- Send the document to your in-tray
- Send it to somebody else’s in-tray
- Index the document directly into Virtual Cabinet
Step 3: Set a Default Destination for Drag-and-Drop
If you always want documents to go to your own in-tray, you can set this as the default so the prompt does not appear every time.
In the prompt window:
- Untick the Always ask option
- Select My in-tray as the default destination
From this point on, whenever you drag and drop a document onto the Virtual Cabinet hot folder desktop icon, the prompt box will no longer appear; the document will go straight into your in-tray every time.
Step 4: Open the Underlying Hot Folder Location
You can also work directly with the hot folder’s underlying file system location. To find the hot folder location:
- Right-click the Virtual Cabinet hot folder desktop icon
- Select Open folder location from the context menu
This opens the folder where the hot folder is stored.
Step 5: Pin the Hot Folder for Easy Access
To make the hot folder easier to access in future, pin it to your Quick Access bar (or equivalent):
- Right-click the hot folder and choose the option to pin it to Quick Access (or your preferred quick access area)
Once pinned, the hot folder will always be visible in your Quick Access bar for convenient use.
You can now choose to save documents directly into this hot folder location. When doing so, ensure you close the document before the hot folder starts processing it, otherwise conflicts can occur between the open document and the hot folder processing.
Step 6: Manage Unsent Files from the Hot Folder Icon
If you cancel the prompt or do not complete sending a document, it will appear as an unsent file. To manage these:
- Go to your taskbar (toolbar at the bottom of the screen) and locate the hot folder icon
- Right-click the hot folder icon
- Select Manage unsent files
A window appears listing any unsent files. Select the document you want to manage.
You can then choose to Send, Open, Move, or Delete the selected file.
Step 7: Index the Document and Confirm Completion
After selecting Send, choose to Index the document. This opens the indexing window where you can file the document into the correct area of Virtual Cabinet.
In the indexing window:
- Select the appropriate folder, for example Internal Documents
- Specify the document type (e.g. Note) and complete any other required indexing details
- File the document to complete the indexing process
Once the document has been successfully indexed, the unsent files list should now be empty.