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How To Set Up A Google Drive

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  1. Set Up Google Drive Account
  2. How To Setup A Google Drive Account
  3. Google Drive Help Center
  4. How To Set Up A Google Drive Share

Access all of your Google Drive content directly from your Mac or PC, without using up disk space. Learn more Download Backup and Sync for Mac Download Backup and Sync for Windows. Open Google Drive. On the left, click Shared drives. File info codec. At the top, click New. Enter a name and click Create. Open Google Drive. On the left, click Shared drives. At the top, click New. Enter a name and click Create.

Calling Google Drive a simple cloud storage system, will be an understatement. This powerful platform is capable of storing different file types such as APK, XLS, and CSV, apart from the standard file formats. And the fact that the Drive is accessible from anywhere (even from your smartphone) is the added bonus.

Though the conventional method of backup and sync is great, it carries a few limitations. For one, you lose your PC's local storage. Secondly, you can't use it as a backup system. That's because the moment you delete a file from your system it gets automatically removed from the cloud storage as well.

That's why it is sensible to use Google Drive as an FTP Server or a Network Drive. When used as an FTP server, you have controlled backup and sync solution. Neither do you need to sync the drive folders to your PC nor you need to worry about storage.

Secondly, if you use it as a Network Drive, you get the convenience of exploring all your files and folders from the Windows Explorer. That way, you can save an awful amount of local storage since it doesn't sync the entire folder/drive to your PC.

Now that we have settled it, let's see how to get it done.

Also on Guiding Tech Google Drive vs Amazon Drive: In-Depth Comparison Read More

Quite obviously, we'll take the aid of two third-party tools - RaiDrive and Google Drive FTP Adapter. While the first tool is for the Network Drive, the latter will be used to establish the FTP server.

RaiDrive is a light tool which lets you access your Google Drive files and folders in the form of a network drive. The tool is light and measures about 16MB.

Download RaiDrive

On the other hand, the Google Drive FTP Adapter is a simple JAR file. To run it, you'd need to have Java Runtime Environment (JRE 8) on your PC. If you do not have it, you can grab it from here.

And after you install it, remember to keep the connection as Private.

Download Google Drive FTP Adapter

How to Configure RaiDrive for Network Drive

Step 1: After installing RaiDrive, open it, and the app will show you a welcome screen. Click on the Add button at the top.

Note: Apart from supporting Google Drive, RaiDrive is also compatible with cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Photos, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Yandex.

Select Google Drive and hit the OK button.

Step 2: When asked for your permissions, click on Allow.

Once your credentials and the permissions are verified, you'll be able to see the Network Drive. You can select the name of the drive from the dropdown. By default, RaiDrive labels it as Drive Z, and I chose to keep it as such.

You can also set the name of the drive. So if you want to add multiple drives, you can always assign easily distinguishable names.

Here, you can modify the settings such as sign-in on reconnection, read-only, public or private connection, etc. As soon as you click on Apply or OK, you'll be redirected to the network locations of your computer immediately.

As you can see from the screenshot below, you'll be able to view all the files and folders. All you need to do is click on one, and the file will open in your default browser.

The good thing is that all the changes on the Network Drive will happen in real-time. And the file transfer speed will depend on your Internet speed.

Other than that, you can always check the amount of free storage of the Drive.

Transmit 5 v5 2 2. To change the settings, all you need to do is click on the cog-shaped icon and make the changes.

Also on Guiding Tech #google drive Click here to see our google drive articles page

How to Configure RaiDrive for Google Drive FTP Adapter

Configuring the Google Drive FTP Adapter is a simple process, all you need to do is execute the JAR file. However, as we mentioned above, you'd need the JAVA Runtime Environment on your system before you can run it.

Step 1: Once the JRE is set up, double-click on the FTP Adapter file. That'll redirect you to the browser where you'll be asked to select your Google Account.

All you have to do select the account where you want the FTP server to be set up, enter the password and give the required permission.

Upon validation, you'll see a simple confirmation message on the browser. Congratulations, you've completed the first leg of the journey.

Step 2: Next, you'll need an FTP client to act as the bridge between the port and your Google Drive. While you can use any FTP client of your choice, for the scope of this article, we have decided to go ahead with FileZilla. For those who are unaware, it's free open-source software.

Download FileZilla

Once you have downloaded and installed FileZilla, enter the following port address into the host address,

Set Up Google Drive Account

Alternatively, you can enter the following values,

  • Host: Localhost
  • Username: user
  • Password: user
  • Port: 1821

That's all. you will be able to see all your folder on the right panel. Now, all you need to do is transfer files from your PC to the right pane. Sweet and simple, right?

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How To Setup A Google Drive Account

Tweak Google Drive for Good

Agreed that with Google Drive, uploading files and documents is an easy process. However, as they say, there's always a scope for improvement and these tools let you do just that.

So, which method suits your needs more? FTP or Network Drive? Having a Google Drive as a Network Drive has a charm of its own.

Next up: Do you want to convert Google Docs document to PDF documents? Read the following post to find out how.


The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextHow to Save Google Docs as PDF on Desktop and MobileAlso See#google drive #network

Did You Know

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Google Drive is undoubtedly the most popular cloud storage service out there. The service comes by default on all Android devices, and Google offers a generous 15GB of storage to begin with. Similar to Dropbox and OneDrive, Google Drive offers a tool called Backup & Sync for Windows and Mac. For G Suite (Now Google Workplace) users, the search giant provides the Drive File Stream app.

Google Drive Help Center

Backup and Sync app seamlessly replicates the folders on your computer to your Google Drive, and vice versa. The method's problem is that the folders that you sync with the Backup and Sync app stay offline on the device. Meaning, it will consume the storage on your PC or Mac. Drive File Stream aims to tackle the issue.

Drive File Stream does things differently by letting you access your computer's file browser instead of locally downloading your content. How to download minecraft pc for free no virus. In a way, it functions like a NAS, partially if not completely.

Drive Stream used to be limited to only G Suite accounts. Google wants to extend these features to regular Drive accounts as well. Anyone with a Google account can set up and use File Drive Stream on Windows or Mac.

Also on Guiding Tech Google Drive Sharing Permissions Explained: A Detailed Guide Read More

Setup Google Drive File Stream

How to play gomoku on game pigeon. Curio pro 7 4 2 ubk download free. If your Windows or Mac laptop has low storage and you are a power user of Google Drive, I will strongly recommend giving a shot to Drive File Stream. Follow the steps to set up Drive File Stream.

Step 1: Download and Install Drive File Stream using the link below.

Download Google Drive File Stream for WindowsDownload Google Drive File Stream for Mac

Step 2: Open the downloaded file and go through the usual setup process.

How To Set Up A Google Drive Share

Step 3: Sign in using your Google account credential, and you are good to go.

From now on, you will see Google Drive File Stream disk in the Windows File Manager. Unlike Backup & Sync, there is no way to sync selected folders on the device. Drive File Stream will mirror your entire Google Drive account to the File Manager.

Drive File Stream Features

  • Drive File Stream is a convenient way to save space on your computer, especially if you work on many shared folders that you don't need to keep on your computer.
  • Drive File Stream allows you to download the content you need locally to work on it when you're offline. This means the content remains accessible but doesn't take up local storage space unless you specifically download and sync the folders and files you need to access offline.
  • When you are working with offline files, you can make changes to the file, and Drive File Stream will sync the changes once your computer gets connected to the internet connection.

In theory Drive File Stream looks like a winning solution compared to Backup and Sync but wait, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Let me warn you with some of the disadvantages of using Drive File Stream.

Limitations of Drive File Stream

  • Your entire Google Drive is virtually available to anyone using the PC. Both Backup & Sync and OneDrive offer the users to sync selected folders to the PC. So you can exclude a folder containing sensitive files or information. It's not possible with Drive File Stream.
  • You can't sync other PC folders such as Documents or Desktop to Drive File Stream. You have to use the older method of manually uploading stuff to Google Drive.
  • There is no Google Photos integration. You will have to rely on Google Photos web to manage/download photos.
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Customize Drive File Stream

Google does offer quite a few customization options in Drive File Stream.

By default, the File Drive Stream app is represented by a G letter in the File manager. You can change it to X or some other alphabetical letter from the Settings app.

Tap on the upper arrow in the Windows Taskbar and click on the Drive File Stream icon. Tap on Settings at the upper right corner and go to Preferences.

You will notice the Default drive letter option. Tap on it and change the letter name.

If you are working on a tight data pack, then you might want to pause the Drive syncing in the background. Open the Drive File Stream app and select Settings > Pause syncing to halt the sync process temporarily.

Users can also limit the download rate and bandwidth usage from the Network Settings option in the app preference.

My Brief Experience With Drive File Stream

Being an OneDrive user, I always missed functions equivalent to Files on-demand on Google Drive. Plugins adobe premiere cc mac. Drive File Stream close the crucial gap for me. I can now view the entire Google Drive folder in the File manager and completely avoid the web interface.

After using Drive File Stream and comparing it to Back up and Sync, I don't think I can go back to using the old ways to sync Google Drive on PC. My guess is, after the initial testing with personal Gmail users, Google will combine both the tools and offer something that's right on par with OneDrive and Dropbox.

Also on Guiding Tech #google drive Click here to see our google drive articles page

Use Google Drive Like a Pro

Drive File Stream is the must-have utility for power users. If you are looking to get maximum out of Google Drive experience, then give it a try on Windows or Mac. Set up Drive File Stream and share your opinions in the comments section below.

Next up:If you want to know more about the current Backup and Sync tool then read the post below.


The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextHow Does Google Backup and Sync Work: A Comprehensive Guide
How to set up a google drive
Also See#google apps #google

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