Migration Guide

What is happening?

We are upgrading the software behind Switch Drive from ownCloud to Nextcloud. The migration will take place from Friday, August 21 2026, 18:00 until Sunday, August 23 2026, 20:00.

During that time the website https://drive.switch.ch is not working and synchronisation between users’ clients and the Switch Drive Server is not working.

You can work on your local files during this time. The changes will then be synchronised as soon as the service is back online.

This upgrade is an important step in ensuring that Switch Drive continues to provide a reliable and modern file-sharing experience. By moving to Nextcloud, we will improve the performance, security and stability of the service.

This change allows us to continue offering you the best possible service and to better support future developments and enhancements for Switch Drive.

What will happen to my Switch Drive account?

The software behind Switch Drive is changing from ownCloud to Nextcloud. Since Nextcloud originally started as a fork of ownCloud in 2016, both platforms share a very similar technical foundation. This allows us to migrate your account and data smoothly.

For you, this migration will feel similar to a regular server upgrade. Your data, files, folders, shares and permissions will remain unchanged. After the migration, you will be able to continue using Switch Drive as usual.

All Switch Drive specific features will also remain available, including Custom Groups and OnlyOffice.

In most cases, the only action required on your side will be to sign in again in your Sync Client after the migration. We also strongly recommend updating to the new Nextcloud-based Sync Client for the best compatibility and user experience (see details below).

What should I do with my Sync Clients?

Your current Switch Drive Sync Clients based on ownCloud will continue to work after the migration. Once the migration is complete, your Sync Client will ask you to sign in again. After logging in, synchronization will continue as usual.

Because an ownCloud Sync Client will be connecting to a Nextcloud server, you may see the following warning message:

“Connected to https://drive.switch.ch. The server version is unsupported! Proceed at your own risk.”

This warning is expected and does not indicate a problem.

Although the current Switch Drive Sync Clients will continue to function, we strongly recommend updating to the new Nextcloud-based Sync Clients to ensure optimal compatibility, performance and long-term support.

Please note that older ownCloud-based clients may no longer be supported in the future.

Windows Sync Client

You can download the latest Switch Drive Sync Client (Nextcloud) here.

Installing the new client works like a standard software update. Your existing Switch Drive Sync Client will be replaced by the new version, while all settings and configuration will be preserved automatically.

After installation (and a reboot if required), the Sync Client will start with your existing configuration and synchronization status.

macOS Sync Client

You can download the latest Switch Drive Sync Client (Nextcloud) here.

After installation (and a reboot if required), the Sync Client will start with your existing configuration and synchronization status.

Linux Sync Client

As with ownCloud, we will not provide a dedicated Switch Drive Sync Client for Linux.

For the migration, please follow these steps:

Uninstall the existing ownCloud Sync Client.
On your Linux distribution's package manager, search for nextcloud-desktop.
Install the Nextcloud Desktop Client.
If the client is not available through your package manager, you can download the AppImage from the official Nextcloud website here.

After installing the client, you can configure it with your existing Switch Drive account.

iOS App

We don't have our own Switch Drive application yet and are working to get it on the App Store as soon as possible.

If you need an iOS application now, you can install the Nextcloud App and connect it to https://drive.switch.ch.

Android App

We don't have our own Switch Drive application yet and are working to get it on the Play Store as soon as possible.

If you need an Android application now, you can install the Nextcloud App and connect it to https://drive.switch.ch.

I found an issue and need help

We will maintain a list of known issues here. Before contacting support, please check this section to see whether your issue is already known.

If you need further assistance, please contact our support team at drive-support@switch.ch.

Known Issues:

Server

Logout currently unavailable: Attempting to log out may result in an error message. We are working on a fix, which is expected to be deployed during the morning of 24 August 2026. (Fixed 24 August 2026 - 15:00)
Login issues after changing your email address: We are currently investigating an issue affecting users who have changed their email address since registering for Switch Drive. Affected users may be unable to log in and receive the error message: “Access forbidden – Failed to provision the user.” The developers are investigating the issue and working on a resolution. (Fixed 24 August 2026 - 16:00)

Sync Clients

Windows - Installed Apps: If you go on the settings "Installed apps" (Add or remove programs) you will see Switch Drive twice: Once with the old Version and once with the current 34.0.2 version. On the search you will only find the new Sync Client (34.0.2), but it seems the old Sync Client will stay installed. We suggest to uninstall the old Sync Client manually.

Troubleshooting the Switch Drive Sync Client

If the Switch Drive Sync Client does not start after the update, or if you experience connection problems, reinstalling the Sync Client and clearing its local configuration can often resolve the issue.

Before starting, we strongly recommend creating a backup copy of your local Switch Drive folder. This ensures that you have a local backup of your files in case anything unexpected happens during the process.

macOS

1. Uninstall the Switch Drive Sync Client

Completely uninstall the Sync Client from your Mac.

2. Remove the local configuration

Delete the following folders:

Library/Containers/ch.switch.drive* (delete everything that contains switchdrive)
Library/Preferences/switchdrive

These folders contain local configuration and settings from the Sync Client.

3. Reinstall the Switch Drive Sync Client

Download and install the latest version of the Switch Drive Sync Client (34.0.2), then start it again.

4. Remove the local synchronization database

Before adding your existing Switch Drive folder to the Sync Client again, open your local Switch Drive folder.

You will find hidden files with names starting with: .sync_journal.db*

Delete these files.

Important: These files contain the Sync Client’s local synchronization database. Deleting them means that the Sync Client will no longer knows which files were previously synchronized.

When you add the folder to the Sync Client again, you will therefore be asked how you want to handle the existing local data.

Make sure to select the option to keep the existing local data.

If you choose an option that replaces or removes the local data, the local folder may be emptied and the current version from Switch Drive downloaded instead. Any local changes that have not yet been synchronized could then be overwritten.

Once you have selected the option to keep the existing local data, the Sync Client should be able to perform a fresh synchronization.

Windows

1. Completely quit the Switch Drive Sync Client

Make sure the Sync Client is fully closed before continuing.

2. Remove the local configuration

Delete the following two folders:

C:\Users\YOUR USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\switchdrive
(%APPDATA%\switchdrive)
C:\Users\YOUR USERNAME\AppData\Local\switchdrive

Note: The AppData folder is hidden by default. You may need to enable Hidden items in Windows Explorer before you can access it.

3. Reinstall the SWITCHdrive Sync Client