2012. március 18., vasárnap

53 GB basic account


This is the story, how I was able to get my 53 GB free Dropbox account.

Someone collects stamps, I collect free Dropbox spaces. These informations below are public on the Internet, I've just collected all of them here. All of these are working and tested solutions, I post the tricks how to complete them easily after the list.

The List
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Lifetime space:

  1. Instead of register a new Dropbox free account, I've asked my friend for an invite. If you follow this, you will get +250MB bonus space both for yourself and your referral. Every MB counts!
  2. I've added my .EDU address here: https://www.dropbox.com/edu This will doubles everything: the space after inviting, the number of people for whom I get extre space, doubles the previous and next bonus spaces, too.
  3. I've completed https://www.dropbox.com/gs that's +250 MB and  https://www.dropbox.com/free
    that's +640 MB
  4. I have all the referrals, that's +16 GB
  5. It is inactive now, but I've got +1 GB for Dropquest 2011. Don't worry, Dropquest 2012 is here soon.
  6. After a long time, Dropbox published the beta Android app with camera sync, and I haven't missed it: +5 GB (now you can get only +3GB)
  7. The South American Samsung gives +2GB for the first 100 000 customers. That's 27 GB for lifetime. 


12 Month bonus: HTC apk for Android, + 3GB
24 Month bonus: another HTC apk for Android, +23 GB

That's 53 GB free Dropbox basic account. After 24 month it will be 27 GB again, that's true, however,
you saved 2 x $99 USD. Isn't worth it?
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The Tricks

  1. Use Google / Twitter / Facebook to get an invitation: Example
  2. I was lucky, but not everyone has an .EDU address. Unfortunatelly, you have to find someone studying at a university and ask for his/her university address. You need only the address itself, don't ask for password, you don't need it. After paste it to http://dropbox.com/edu, Dropbox will send a verification e-mail. Ask your friend to click on it and you're done. Please not that one e-mail can be used once.
    This EDU address doesn't have to contain ".edu", it can be whatever. For example, it can be "@uni-bonn.de" as well.
    I've noticed, not every university is accepted, but give it a try.
  3. Please follow the instructions on the websites. Registering a fake twitter account takes 1-2 minutes. If you already have a Facebook or Twitter account, you can delete the Dropbox post from your stream after you completed them.
  4. The referrals. Everybody would like to invite friends, but none of them register. Well, you don't need them. You get the bonus space if:
      1. You have other IP address
      2. You have other Dropbox account
      3. The client is installed to the computer for the first time
    • If you can get other IP (using router / modem / proxy / vpn etc):
      You have to install a free software called Virtualbox Using it you can run other operating systems in a new window (computer in a computer). You can install a windows into it, but it lasts forever. The trick is that, you can use Ubuntu. This is a free, Linux operating system (you can us it with the same way as Windows). However, you don't need to install Ubuntu, because it can boot from the CD image. Instead of install, choose try: 3-4 minutes and it runs in Virtualbox with preinstalled Firefox. This is a whole new system, now you can register a new Dropbox account, change ip, open Firefox in Ubuntu, install Dropbox, login. Done.
      This is ~5 minutes, especially if you use disposable email (new e-mail without registration). For the next referral you need other IP and other operating system. Exit virtualbox, delete the previous Ubuntu, and boot it from CD again. This is not installing it, that's why Dropbox will recognise it as other computer. Other account, more space.
    • If you can't change your IP address, you have to find a computer room. I've done this at University, but it works at your workplace. First of all, you have to check the IP addresses. Open http://www.whatismyip.com/ and notice the number (that's you IP address). Now go to other computer, and open the same link. If you see different numbers, you can continue.
      You create a new Dropbox account using disposable mail, and install the client.
      I could install the client both on Windows XP and Windows 7 without administrator rights. Dropbox will warning you are not administrator and the client won't work properly, ignore it. If installation succeed, login and repeat the process with other computer.
  5. Dropquest is a kind of game on the Dropbox website, solutions can be found using Google. Dropbox forum sasy the next is expected in March.
  6. If you install the latest Dropbox apk on your Android phone, the new feature (camera sync) gives you +3GB after uploading 3 GB photos. It is simplier if you copy a movie (for exaple Lord of the Rings) to your Camera folder on SD card. Dropbox will think it is your family video recorded by your phone.
    I'm not sure, but the experimental desktop client can give this 3GB if you have no Android phone. 
  7. I followed these steps .
12 month HTC apk: http://www.mediafire.com/?15msg5ur36cwe39
Uninstall Dropbox from your android phone, and install this apk. After login you get +3 GB space for 12 month. Now you can install the original apk from Google Play Store (and change password if you are paranoid).

24 month HTC apk: http://db.tt/rmSDauwj
The same as above. It gives you +23 GB for 24 month.