A local folder is hosted on your PC rather than on the server/network folder and is, therefore, accessible more quickly for saving/viewing and it is also available offline.
There are 2 primary reasons you might utilize a local folder:
- Scanning to a local folder - a document will be saved much quicker than if it is saved to a network folder like your "Desktop" or "Documents" folders, which reside on the network server. This is particularly helpful when you are saving it only temporarily for uploading to another location (e.g. to a web site like Box.com or a similar "cloud" service)
- Offline file access - Network folders (e.g. a public/P: drive) are not available on a machine while it is not on the corporate network. You may want a local copy of certain files for working on offline, then you can replace/update them when you get back online.
Pinnacle automatically creates a "Temp Folder" on your computer for these situations. It is located at on your machine at C:\Users\yourusername\temp. It is also available via desktop icon labeled "Temp Folder".
The "temp folder" is designed to be a temporary holding place - it is not backed up and is not meant for long term storage. It is a short term holding tank that allows data to be stored and accessed more quickly than over the network and then later moved to the desired location or accessed offline. Files are set to automatically purge out of here after 90 days, to keep your computer's hard drive from filling up (and to reinforce that this folder is for "temporary" use only).