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tiCrypt 2.18.1

Groups

ResearcherRequires: User, Sub-admin, or Admin role
Permission requirements
  • Vault Files and Directories
    • View their files and files shared with them (needed to download)
    • View the history of their files (sharing, project tags, deletion)
    • Create files (needed to upload)
    • Get the keys of their files and files shared with them (needed to download)
    • Download the content of files they can access
    • View their directories and their groups' directories
    • Create directories (also needs “Add items to directories”)
    • Delete directories (also needs “Remove items from directories”)
  • Groups
    • View groups they are a member of
    • Get the keys of groups they are a member of (needed to open and share group files)
    • Create groups
    • Rename groups they own and give ownership to another member
    • Add users to groups they are a member of, if the group allows it
    • Change other members' group permissions in groups they are a member of
    • Remove users from groups they are a member of, if the group allows it
    • Delete groups they own
  • Projects
    • View projects they are a member of
    • View the members of projects they are a member of
    • Tag what they own with a project they are active in
  • Project Management
    • Remove project tags of projects they manage
    • Edit projects they manage
    • Delete projects they manage
    • Add users to projects they manage

Groups let you share files with a defined set of collaborators in a single action. Instead of sharing each file individually with multiple users, share it once with a group, and all members automatically receive access.

When to use groups:

  • You regularly share files with the same set of people (e.g., a research team, a lab group)
  • You want new files to be automatically accessible to all group members when shared with the group
  • You need to manage access collectively: adding a member to the group grants access to all group-shared files; removing a member revokes it

Groups can also be tagged with a project. Group members must be active members of that project to access the group's files.

Access Group Directories​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Go to the Groups panel on the right.
  3. View all the groups you are a member of in the right panel.
info
  • The Groups panel lists only the groups you are a member of, whatever your role.
  • Users with admin or super-admin roles can view all groups in the system from Management. See View Groups from Management.

View Groups from Management​

  1. Go to the Management icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Navigate to the Users section.
  3. Click the Groups section in the top left panel.
  4. View all existing and past groups in the system.
info

Only users with admin or super-admin roles can access groups from the Management section.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
No Groups Shown in the Vault

You are not part of any groups.

Ask Your Admin for Group Permissions

Create a new group, or ask to be added to an existing group. If you are a member of a group but it is not listed, ask your admin to grant you permission to view your groups.



To Admin

Follow the steps in 

View and Edit User Permissions

 then check the View groups they are a member of permission, under Groups sub-section in Manual permission management section.

View Your Group Members from the Vault​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group whose members you want to view.
  4. In the new window, view the list of group members on the right.

The members table has the columns Name, Email, Added, Number of Permissions and Role, and you can sort and filter every column. The Role column reads Owner (with a crown) for the group's owner, Manager for members who hold the Add Members group permission, and Member for everyone else. Selecting a member shows a card with their name, email and "Joined date", above their group permissions. With nobody selected, the panel reads "No group member selected." and "Select a group member to edit their permissions."

Create a Group​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Go to the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the Create group button.
  4. In the pop-up, enter the group name.
  5. Click Create.
  6. In the new pop-up, select the user to add to the group.
  7. Select their user permissions in the group.
  8. Click Add to group.
note
  • The box Add members to this group after creation is checked by default. Untick it to create the group without adding anyone, and skip steps 6 to 8.
  • You may be asked to enter your password upon group creation.

The Name field shows a character counter and follows these rules:

  • Required: the name cannot be empty. Message: "You must enter a name".
  • Length: the name has at most 80 characters. Message: "May not exceed 80 characters".
  • Characters: the name cannot contain any of /\|":*?<>{} or a NUL character. Message: May not contain any of /\|":*?<>{} or NUL.
  • Unique: no other group of yours has the same name. Message: "Conflicts with another group".
info

When you create a group you are automatically assigned the group owner role.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Created Group Successfully

Created group group-name.

Group Not Created

Failed to generate group key, Failed to encrypt group key, or Failed to create group

Try Again

tiCrypt could not create the group's encryption key or save the group. Try again, and contact your administrator if it keeps failing.

Create a Group Tagged by a Project from the Vault​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Go to the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the Create group button.
  4. In the pop-up, enter the group name and select the Project to tag the group with. The hint reads "Group members will be required to meet this project's restrictions in order to access group files".
  5. Click Create.
  6. In the new pop-up, select the user to add to the group.
  7. Select their user permissions in the group.
  8. Click Add to group.
caution
  • You must be an active member of the project to create a group tagged with it and to add members to that group.
  • Any user can be added to a project-tagged group, but group members must satisfy the project requirements (be active members of the project) to access the group's files.
Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Created Project-Tagged Group Successfully

Created group tagged-group-name.

Manage a Group​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the menu next to the appropriate group.
  4. Select Open overlay.
  5. In the overlay, view the group details.
note

Group members can be managed by a group owner or by a group member with group permissions granted by the owner.

Group permissions​

Group permissions are set per member, inside one group. They are not your account permissions: an account permission lets you do something in any group that allows it, and a group permission is how a group allows it. The following table describes the seven group permissions, in the order they appear in the overlay. Select all above the checkboxes ticks all of them.

PermissionWhat it allows
Add MembersAdd other users to the group.
Remove MembersRemove users from the group.
Change PermissionsChange the group permissions of themselves and other members.
Add Directory EntriesAdd entries to the group's folders that point to existing files, which includes uploading and sharing files into the group.
Remove Directory EntriesRemove entries and folders that the group owns.
Create DirectoriesCreate new folders in the group's file system.
Modify Project TagChange the project tag of the group and its folders.

The owner of a group may perform actions within the group regardless of their group permissions.

Add a New Member to a Group​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group to open the group overlay.
  4. In the new window, click the Add a new member section in the left panel.
  5. In the pop-up, select the user to add to the group.
  6. Select the user's permissions in the group.
  7. Click Add to group.
info

You cannot add members to a project-tagged group unless you are an active member of the group's project.

Add a new member appears when you have the account permission Add users to groups they are a member of, if the group allows it and you own the group or hold its Add Members permission. An Admin role alone does not give it.

The pop-up is titled "Add a user to group". Type in the User field ("Search for a user...") and pick a user from the list, which shows only users you can see. The new member's Permissions start unticked. If you cannot change member permissions in this group, the pop-up says "You do not have permission to change member permissions within the selected group." and the member joins with no group permissions. Click Close to cancel.

You can also add a user from the Users panel: open the ⋮ menu next to the user and select Add to one of your groups. That pop-up is titled "Add user to your group" and asks you to pick the group.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Added User to Group Successfully

User user-name added to group group-name.

Added User to Project-Tagged Group Successfully

User user-name added to group tagged-group-name.

User Not Selected

You must select a user from the autocomplete

Pick a User from the List

Typing a name is not enough. Click the user in the list that appears under the field. If the pop-up says "The user is already part of the group", the user is already a member.

Member Not Added

Failed to add member, or Failed to set member permissions

Check the Member List

With "Failed to set member permissions", the user was added but without the permissions you chose. Select the member in the overlay and tick the permissions again.

Unable to Add New Members

The Add a new member action is not visible in the group overlay.

Ask the Group Owner to Grant you Add Member Permissions

To add new members to the group, you must ask the group owner to grant you permission to add members.



To Group Owner

To allow group members to add new group members in the group:



  1. In the Vault, locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  2. Click the appropriate group to open the group overlay.
  3. In the new window, select the member you want to grant permission to add new group members.
  4. On the left panel tick the Add Members.
  5. Once done, click Close.

Change Group Members' Permissions​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group to open the group overlay.
  4. In the new window, select the user you wish to change permissions for.
  5. On the left panel tick or untick the permissions as needed.
  6. Once done, click Close.

Each tick saves at once and shows "Updated permissions for name", or "Failed to update permissions for name". There is no Save step. The owner's checkboxes are always disabled, with the text "The owner of a group may perform actions within the group regardless of their group permissions."

You can change permissions when you have the account permission Change other members' group permissions in groups they are a member of, and you own the group, have the Admin role, or hold the group's Change Permissions permission. Otherwise the checkboxes are disabled.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Updated Group Members' Permissions

Updated permissions for user-name.

Unable to Change Group Members' Permissions

All group members' permissions are inactive.

Ask the Group Owner to Grant you Permissions

To change permissions for other group members, you must ask the group owner to grant you permission to manage group permissions.



To Group Owner

To allow group members to manage permissions in the group:



  1. In the Vault, locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  2. Click the appropriate group to open the group overlay.
  3. In the new window, select the member you want to grant permission to manage permissions in the group.
  4. On the left panel tick the Change Permissions.
  5. Once done, click Close.

Promote a Group Member to Owner of the Group​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group to open the group overlay.
  4. In the new window, select the user you wish to promote to group owner.
  5. Click Promote to owner button in the top left panel.
  6. In the pop-up, click Yes to confirm.
note

The owner of the group may perform actions within the group regardless of their group permissions.

warning

When you promote a member to group owner, you lose all your permissions within the group, not only ownership. You will no longer be able to delete the group, but you can leave it. The promoted user, as the new group owner, gets full permissions and the ability to delete the group, but cannot leave it unless they transfer ownership.

The pop-up is titled "Transfer ownership of group to member?" and reads "Transferring ownership to another member of the group will strip all your permissions within the group and will immediately grant them full permissions. You will no longer be able to delete the group but you can leave it. As the owner, they gain the ability to delete the group, but they will no longer be able to leave the group unless they transfer ownership."

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Transferred Ownership to a Group Member

Transferred ownership to user-name.

Unable to View Transfer Ownership and Other Group Commands

The Promote to owner button is not visible when you select a group member.

Ask the Group Owner to Transfer Ownership

Only the group owner, or a user with the Admin or Super-admin role, can transfer ownership of a group, and they also need the Rename groups they own and give ownership to another member permission. Ask the group owner to promote the member.



To Admin

To allow a group owner to transfer ownership of their group:



  1. In the Management section, under Users, click Users in the left panel.
  2. Select the appropriate user to update permissions.
  3. Click the Open full menu button in the top right and select Open overlay.
  4. In the new window, under Miscellaneous, go to the Manual permission management section.
  5. Under Groups section, tick the Rename groups they own and give ownership to another member permission.
  6. Once done, click Save at the top.

Make a Group Member a Group Manager​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group to open the group overlay.
  4. In the new window, select the group member you wish to promote to group manager.
  5. Tick the Add Members permission in the left panel.
  6. View the role change under the Role column on the right.
Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Promoted Group Member to Manager

Updated permissions for user-name.

Remove a Group Member​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group to open the group overlay.
  4. In the new window, select the user you wish to remove from the group.
  5. Click Remove from group button in the left panel.
  6. In the pop-up, click Yes to confirm.

The pop-up is titled "Remove user from group?". Remove from group never appears on the owner's row. It appears when you have the account permission Remove users from groups they are a member of, if the group allows it, and you own the group, have the Admin role, or hold the group's Remove Members permission. If you select your own row, the button starts Leave a Group instead.

caution

Removed group members lose access to files shared with them solely through the group. They can no longer see the group file tree or interact with the group in any way.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Removed Group Member

Removed user-name from the group.

No Permission to Remove Members

Sorry, you don't have permission within group-name to remove members

Ask the Group Owner

Ask the group owner to give you the Remove Members group permission, or to remove the member.

Rename a Group​

Method one:​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the menu next to the group you wish to rename.
  4. Select Rename.
  5. In the pop-up, enter the new group name.
  6. Click Rename.

Method two:​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group to open the group overlay.
  4. In the new window, click the Rename group section in the left panel.
  5. In the pop-up, enter the new group name.
  6. Click Rename.

The pop-up is titled "Rename group" and has one field, New Name, with the same rules as the name of a new group. Keeping the current name shows "Same name as before", and a failure shows "Failed to rename group". Renaming needs the account permission Rename groups they own and give ownership to another member, and you must own the group.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Renamed Group Successfully

Group renamed to new-group-name.

Change the Project in a Group​

Method one:​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the menu next to the group whose project you wish to change.
  4. Select Change project.
  5. In the pop-up, select the project.
  6. Click Classify (the button reads Declassify when you select a parent project).

Method two:​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group to open the group overlay.
  4. In the new window, click the Change project section in the left panel.
  5. In the pop-up, select the project.
  6. Click Classify (the button reads Declassify when you select a parent project).
caution
  • You must be an active member of both the group's current project and the new project. Without the override option described below, you can only move a group to a subproject of its current project (Classify) or to a parent project or no project (Declassify).
  • Multiple groups can share the same project tag.
  • Group members who are not active members of the project cannot access the tagged group's files.
Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Changed Project in Group

Classify group-name total-time-to-classify.

Changed Project in Tagged Group to a Parent Project

Declassify tagged-group-name total-time-to-declassify.

Failed to Change Project Tag in Group

Failed at failed-action-time/: Insufficient group permissions to perform that action.

Ask the Group Owner to Grant you Permissions

To change the project tag in a group, you must ask the group owner to allow you to change the group's project tag.



To Group Owner

To allow group members to change the project tag in the group:



  1. In the Vault, locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  2. Click the appropriate group to open the group overlay.
  3. In the new window, select the member you want to grant permission to change the project tag for the group.
  4. On the left panel tick the Modify Project Tag.
  5. Once done, click Close.

Forcefully Change the Project in a Group​

Method one:​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the menu next to the group whose project you wish to change.
  4. Select Change project.
  5. In the pop-up, tick Use my permission to override rules, re-tag resources with any visible project, regardless of current project relations.
  6. Select the project to tag the group.
  7. Click Force change with admin privilege.

Method two:​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group to open the group overlay.
  4. In the new window, click the Change project section in the left panel.
  5. In the pop-up, tick Use my permission to override rules, re-tag resources with any visible project, regardless of current project relations.
  6. Select the project to tag the group.
  7. Click Force change with admin privilege.
Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Forcefully Changed Project in Tagged Group

Set project for tagged-group-name total-time-to-classify.

Remove Project from a Group​

Method one:​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the menu next to the group whose project you wish to change.
  4. Select Change project.
  5. In the pop-up, select No project (unlocked).
  6. Click Declassify.

Method two:​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the group to open the group overlay.
  4. In the new window, click the Change project section in the left panel.
  5. In the pop-up, select No project (unlocked).
  6. Click Declassify.
Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Removed Project Tag from Group

Declassify tagged-group-name total-time-to-declassify.

Share Files with a Group by Drag and Drop​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. In My Files or one of your folders, select the files you want to share.
  3. Drag them onto the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  4. In the Share n files? pop-up, set the Expiration and Restrictions.
  5. Click Share.

The Expiration field starts at the system's default expiration. Its hint reads "Clear this field to share with no expiration". A date that is not after today shows "Must be after today", and text that is not a date shows "Enter a valid date". The files are added to the group's folder and shared with every member. Files tagged with a parent project of the group's project are re-tagged with the group's project. A file tagged with a project unrelated to the group's shows the warning "name is tagged with an unrelated project". Members are notified: with up to three files they get one notification per file, and with more they get one summary.

You can also right-click a group in the Groups panel to open its ⋮ menu.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Drop Refused

You may only share files from your Vault with groups, Directory sharing is not supported, Group-to-group sharing is not supported, or You lack permission to add files to this group's filesystem

Drag Vault Files You Can Share

Only files from your own Vault folders can be dropped on a group, not folders, files from your computer or a VM, or files that are already in a group's folder. The group must give you Add Directory Entries.

Sharing or Notification Failed

Failed to share files with group-name, or Failed to notify group-name of the newly shared files

Check the Group Folder

Open the group's folder under Group Directories to see which files arrived, and drop the missing ones again. When only the notification failed, the files are shared, and you can tell the members yourself.

Download Group Content​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Click the Group Directories section on the left panel.
  3. Select the group file(s) or directory(ies) you wish to download.
  4. Click Download in the top center panel.
  5. In the prompt, preview the file and directory structure.
  6. Select the destination of your download.
  7. Click Download.
warning

Downloading a group's contents removes the group's encryption. It is your responsibility to secure the files.

note
  • You may be asked to enter your password when changing the download destination.
  • You can set a default download destination for groups by clicking Set as default after making your selection.
Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Downloaded Group Files Successfully

Download files total-download-time, Finished at downloaded-time.

Failed to Download Group Files

Failed to create directory /directory-name/ in destination: failed to create directory: mkdir directory-path: Cannot create a file when that file already exists.

Select a New Download Path or Rename the Existing Directory

A directory with the same name already exists in the destination. tiCrypt renames the new directory automatically only when the names match exactly, so this usually means the existing name differs only in letter case, which Windows treats as the same name. There are two ways to resolve this error.

  1. Select a different download destination.
  2. Rename or move the existing directory in the destination, then download again.

Compute Disk Usage of a Group​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Click the Group Directories section on the left panel.
  3. Select the group(s) for which you want to compute the disk usage.
  4. Click the Open full menu button in the top center panel.
  5. Select Compute disk usage.
Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Computed Disk Usage Successfully

Scanning files and directories total-time-to-scan.

Delete a Group​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the menu next to the group you want to delete.
  4. Select Delete.
  5. In the pop-up, click Yes to confirm.

The pop-up is titled "Delete group?" and reads "Deleting a group is irreversible. Members will lose access to shared files unless they have otherwise been granted access. Additionally, the group file system will be destroyed. Are you sure you want to delete group?" If deleting fails, the message "Failed to delete group" appears.

info

Only the group owner can delete a group. Admins and Super-admins who are members of the group, and Sub-admins who are members and manage the group's project, can also delete it. Other members can only leave the group.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Deleted Group Successfully

Deleted group-name.

Deleted Project-Tagged Group Successfully

Deleted tagged-group-name.

Leave a Group​

  1. Go to the Vault icon in the top left panel.
  2. Locate the group in the Groups panel on the right.
  3. Click the menu next to the group you want to leave.
  4. Select Leave group.
  5. In the pop-up, click Yes to confirm.
info

You can only leave a group if you are a group member. If you are the owner, you can only delete the group. Leave group also needs the account permission Remove users from groups they are a member of, if the group allows it.

The pop-up is titled "Leave group?" and reads "Someone who has permission within the group will need to re-invite you for you to access resources shared with the group (but not you) again." If leaving fails, the message "Failed to leave group" appears.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Left Group Successfully

You left group-name.