Google Drive

1. After our Google Go-Live, can I use Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, etc?

Yes! Once you have access to Google Workspace, you will have access to Gmail for work mail and Google Calendar for your scheduling needs. You will also have access to Google Docs (Google’s equivalent to MS Word), Google Sheets (Google’s answer to MS Excel) and Google Slides (Google’s version of MS Powerpoint). As part of our transition to Google we will offer training on Docs, Sheets and Slides so that you can gain hands-on experience with the real-time collaborative features and benefits of these tools.

We also encourage you to explore Google Docs, Sheets and Slides on your own. Our goal is to significantly reduce the number of MS Office licenses in our environment. The transition from MS Office productivity tools to Google Workspace's Docs, Sheets and Slides will happen gradually.

2. Where can I find my Shared Drives?

If you look in the upper left corner of Drive, Shared Drives will be listed below My Drive.

1. What sort of files can Google Drive upload and not upload?

To see a list of the most common file types that you can view in Google Drive (including information about limitations in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides), click here. (When accessing Google Support pages, please note that the link opens in a new tab. To return to the Going Google Site, return to this tab.)

2. Do you have to have Microsoft Office documents uploaded to Drive before you can convert them?

No, if you go into settings and choose to automatically convert, you can upload directly to the Google version and bypass the MSFT file in Drive.

3. I received a document via email. How do I save that document to My Drive?

From the email message, if you hover your mouse over the attachment, you'll see a few options 1) Edit in My Drive 2) Add to My Drive 3) Download. If you click directly on it, you'll get the preview. If you select Add to My Drive, it will add it to your Drive.

4. How accurate are these format conversions to and from the Google Workspace format? Many of our advanced users have complex spreadsheets with pivot tables, links to external data, etc.

Google has done a great job with file conversions. Links, content, and data are all maintained when converting to MSFT. There are some spreadsheet formulas that are different so definitely review complicated and nested formulas when converting back and forth.

1. How do I save my changes when working in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides?

Changes you make to the documents are automatically saved. You will see that status at the top of your document; “All changes saved…”

2. Are you able to undo the auto save?

Autosave is part of working in Google. You still have undo and redo buttons or the ability to restore past versions of a file.

3. Is revision history available to all users that share a file or only the owner?

Revision history is available to all editors. Editors have nearly co-ownership permissions. The only 2 things that an owner can do that an editor cannot is check a box to prevent editors from providing access to others or to prevent downloading and copying of the file.

4. How do I switch between different Google apps on Windows or macOS?

In the top corner of any Google page, click on the Google Apps "cube icon" and choose the appropriate app.

1. How do I share or send a document to others outside of State of West Virginia?

If you want to share a single file, click on the file and “Share” either within the document or from the Drive file listing by clicking on the share icon. If you share with someone outside of State of West Virginia, you can enter their email address and they will receive an email alert. If their address isn’t linked to a Google account, they will only be able to view the file.

As another option, from the Drive file listing, you can select the file, and click on the link icon to “Get shareable link”. This link can be sent to someone to access the file.

Once shared, you can remove any sharing you have enabled.

2. When sharing outside of State of West Virginia can external users see edits? How are changes tracked with internal/external people?

Only approved external organizations will be able to view/share State of West Virginia files. If they have been given permissions, all of the same features will exist.

3. If you ask a teammate a question and they aren't in the document at that moment, how do they know to go in and view or respond to the question?

If you use the @name feature and tag a collaborator, they will receive an email about your comment that will contain a direct link to open the file to the comment. If you do not tag someone with @name, they will only see the comment if they enter the file.

4. When sharing a file from My Drive, how does the person you shared it with find the file?

The person you shared a file with will receive an initial email. You do not need to keep this email.

After that point, they can either do a Search in Drive or open the Shared with me folder in their Drive.

5. Can I share a file or folder with a distribution list?

Yes, you can share a file or folder with a distribution list.

1. Can you drag and drop a file into a folder rather than right click, move to, and select?

Yes. Another way to move a file is to drag and drop it into a folder. If you expand your left navigation panel to see the folder structure. You can also drag and drop the file into a folder in the Drive structure.

2. When you add/share a file between two or more folders, are they both updated when edited, or do they diverge as two separate files?

When you Add a file to a different folder, you’re creating a different path or a shortcut to the same document. There is still only one single source of truth and changes would be reflected regardless of how you access the file.

3. If you make a change to a file saved in two folders, does the file in both folders get updated?

A file will only be in one folder. Though you can find it from various paths such as Recent or My Drive. However, it is ultimately one file so yes, changes are reflected.

4. How can ownership of a folder or file be changed?

There are two ways to transfer ownership of files. If someone is terminated or changes roles, an administrator can transfer multiple files and folders to a different employee. If you want to transfer ownership of just one file, the owner can do that. Where you have the ability to set the permission level - view, comment, or edit - there’s also an owner level that you can select.

5. How do I move a document from My Drive to a Shared Drive?

A document has to be moved manually. You can: 1) Right click > Move to or 2) drag and drop into your Shared Drive.