G Drive File Streaming

This article is about a service called "Drive File Streaming" that you can download to your computer for convenient access to files in the G Drive. It continuously syncs files in the G Drive and your computer. You don't have to worry about downloading documents - they are already on your computer, and you can even use them offline. In concept, it is similar to Dropbox, OneDrive, and other syncing services.

I highly recommend that you install it. See Attaching PDFs To Emails for a really good reason.

There is one caveat though: in order to use this service on your computer, you must have an institutional Google account (such as @scorevolunteer.org, or @nuevassonrisas.org). You are allowed to access the "Team Drives" G Drive files using your private email using a browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari), but you do not have the convenience of syncing the Team Drive files. This is a restriction by Google, and there is nothing to be done about it.

Downloading G Drive File Streaming

The easiest way to download the service is from the G Drive browser window. Go to G Drive in your browser (see Apps In Your Browser) and make sure you're logged in with the correct Google account (see Switching Google Accounts). At the right top, click on the Settings icon, then "Get Drive File Stream For Windows." If you're using a Mac, there is a download there for for you also.

You will get to the Google Help page - read it, it will be useful. But I will also give you some more of my favorite hints. Click the "Download & Install Drive File Stream" to reveal the download buttons. Click the one for your system, and install it.

There are many variation on how that gets accomplished, so I won't be making screenshots. But eventually you will be asked to log in to your account, and given a chance to take a tour. Take it.

Once the service is up and running, you have access to the G Drive files from your computer. This is a one-time operation - you will not be asked for your password again after you reboot your system.

Using File Explorer on Windows

On Windows, the files can be found in the G: drive (or whichever drive you chose to use - there is an option for that, but G: works for me) using the File Explorer. If you're unfamiliar with the File Explorer, you can most likely find it on the Toolbar which is usually at the bottom of your screen. The Icon is an image of a yellow paper folder:

When you open it, you will see a list of places and files. What exactly you see depends on what you have done with the File Explorer before, and you might have to scroll down, collapse some location, and open others.

Remember: to collapse and open a location, use the little triangle to the left of the location - it looks like a > or a v - these should become your friends, just like in the G Drive browser app.

What you will eventually find is the G: Drive inside "This PC" - open it, and you'll see My Drive and Team Drives; open those, and explore the drives and files that you find there.

Using Finder on Mac

If you're using Mac, the application is called "Finder" and there are many similarities to the Windows File Explorer. If you need help with the Mac Finder, ask me, and I'll fire up my Mac and add some screenshots here.

Switching Accounts

If you have more than one Google Account, you can easily switch between them. Although it would be nice to have multiple accounts synced simultaneously and visible in the File Explorer or Finder, this is not something that Google supports, and so there is some inconvenience involved.

On Windows, you switch between accounts from the Google Drive Preferences: First find the Drive File Stream service. It is either directly on your Toolbar at right bottom, or it is in the "Show hidden icons" window - that's where mine is. First click on the up arrow ^ and then on the Drive File Stream icon:

Click the three vertical dots, and finally "Preferences..."

You now have an opportunity to switch to another account:

On the next screen, enter your Google account, and then your password. Click Next, wait a moment, and pretty soon the information in the File Explorer G: drive will be updated to reflect the file in the G Drive of the new account.

Switching accounts is really fast. Google is smart enough to cache the files that you previously worked with, and when you switch accounts, those files stay around and are quickly accessible, so don't hesitate to "Switch Account." When you "Disconnect Account" those cached files disappear from your computer. You can still connect to that account account (from the Switch Account screen) but it takes longer to see the files, especially if you have some large files that need to be re-downloaded.

Do note that the files are not downloaded to your computer when you log in; only the information about them. As you keep on accessing files, they get downloaded (and cached) on demand.

Switching Accounts On Mac

The method is likely very similar to the above screenshots (I don't have my Mac fired up to check). The only difference is that you have to find the Drive File Stream icon at the right top of your Mac screen.

If you're having trouble, drop me a note, and I'll add some screenshots to this article.