Drive File Stream is easily accessible from your computer, located under your “Devices” on a Mac and under “Computer” on a Windows PC by default. You will also be able to access the Drive File Stream menu by clicking the Google Drive icon at the bottom right of. How it works With Drive for desktop, you stream your Drive files directly from the cloud to your Mac or PC, freeing up disk space and network bandwidth. Because Drive files are stored in the cloud.
In short, File Stream is part of Google Drive just like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are part of Google Drive. File Stream is the new name for the Google Drive application installed on your PC or Mac. File Stream is the application that syncs your computer to Google Drive.
Drive File Stream is a new way to access all of your organization’s Google Drive files,including Team Drives, directly from your Mac or PC, without taking up space on your hard drive. Drive File Stream doesn’t require you to download your files first in order to access them from your computer. Instead, when you need to view or edit a file, it automatically streams from the cloud, on-demand.
Drive File Stream enables:
Backup and Sync | Drive File Stream | |
Use files in My Drive | Yes | Yes |
Use files in Team Drives | No | Yes |
Sync only selected folders in My Drive | Yes | Yes |
Sync only individual files in My Drive | No | Yes |
Use native apps, like Microsoft Office & Photoshop | Yes | Yes |
Sync other folders, like Documents or Desktop | Yes | No |
Use with your personal Google Account | Yes | No |
Use with your work or school Google Account, like marilo.meta@opengovpartnership.org | Maybe | Yes |
Upload photos and videos to Google Photos | Yes | No |
For larger organizations, you can install File Stream in Silent Mode via Group Policy. For smaller organizations, you can allow your Users to download and install File Stream themselves. (remember to switch the google account into your OGP account)
What about the current Drive application? Before installing File Stream, Google recommends removing the current Drive folder. For ease of use, we think it’s best to uninstall the current Drive client.
Google has renamed the Drive File Stream application to Google Drive for Desktop. The functionality is exactly the same, where signing in to Google Drive for Desktop allows you to access the files and folders in your My Drive, and any Shared drives you have access to, from within the operating system’s (i.e. Windows 10 or macOS) built-in file manager, alleviating you from having to use a web browser, which can be cumbersome to use with Drive.
Google Drive for Desktop is still mapped to the Q drive in Windows and you will now see a Google Drive application icon in the Start menu, replacing the Drive File Stream application icon.
macOS will have a GoogleDrive icon on the desktop and in the Locations section of a Finder window and a Google Drive application in the Applications folder, replacing the Drive File Stream application.
If you have any questions please email textiles@help.ncsu.edu or visit https://tcts.textiles.ncsu.edu.