How to Use Drive
Your CMU Google Drive account offers unlimited storage for individuals, mobile access, and supported optional features.
Log in to Drive
Log In To Drive
To log in:
- Visit Drive and log in with your Andrew userID and password.
- Use the sidebar to navigate between folders you own (My Drive), team workspaces (Shared Drives), and content you have been invited to (Shared With Me) .
Upload Content
From within Drive:
- Click the New button (upper left) and choose File Upload or Folder Upload.
- Browse for the content you would like to upload and click OK.
Edit Content
To edit a file:
- Double-click the file.
- Click Open (top center) to open in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or any installed third-party apps.
- Make your changes to the file. Drive will automatically save and create a new version of the file.
Upload a New Version
To upload a new version of an existing file:
- Save the file with same name as the file currently stored in Drive.
- Drag and drop the new file into Drive.
- A new version will automatically be created.
Permissions
Understand Permissions
Drive permissions for Personal Drives (My Drive) follow a waterfall design. This means:
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Individuals not only have access to folders they are invited into but any subfolders beneath them.
-
You may invite people to individual files.
Visit Share files from Google Drive for more information.
Grant Permissions
You can grant permissions to content in one of two ways:
- Invite People - enter the email addresses or names of the individuals or groups you would like to grant permission to, then choose to invite them as editors, commenters or viewers.
- Shared Links - Choose Get a shareable link to generate a hyperlink to the file or folder.
Shared Links
- Anyone at Carnegie Mellon University with the link - gives edit access to anyone inside CMU with a link.
- Carnegie Mellon University - anyone at CMU can find and access this content.
- Anyone with the link - anyone who has the link can access it inside or outside of CMU. No login is required.
- Public on the web - anyone can find and access this content. No login is required.
Visit Share files from Google Drive for more information.
Best Practices
- Set expiration dates to limit sharing for a finite period on individual files and folders.
- Limit collaboration to individuals within CMU by inviting people to share content.
- Always transfer ownership of folders and files when off-boarding students and staff.
- Use Shared Drives for managing content within a team.
- Visit Google Drive Cheat Sheet for more information.
FAQ
Can I display read-only course content to my students?
Personal Drives
To grant read-only access to course materials:
- Organize content into folders.
- Hover over the top-level folder and click the share icon (upper right).
- Add the invitees email addresses into the the People field.
- Click the pencil icon and choose Can view only, then click Done.
Shared Drives
To grant read-only access to course materials:
- Select the shared drive, then click Add Members.
- Enter the names or email addresses of the members.
- Click the role drop-down and select Viewer. Members will have read-only access to the entire shared drive.
Can I remove myself as a folder collaborator?
If you have been added to a folder as an individual, and not as part of a group, you can remove yourself as a collaborator.
- Click Shared with me (sidebar).
- Right-click on the file or folder and click Remove.
Can I transfer file ownership?
Yes. You should transfer file ownership when you are going to leave the university and you own work that will continue, or information that should remain available, after you leave.
To transfer files from one individual to another:
- Click the file(s) you want to transfer to someone else.
- Click Share.
- Click Advanced.
- Click the down arrow that appears to the right of a person you'd like to make the owner.
- Click Is owner.
- Click Save changes.
Visit Make someone else the owner of your file for more information.
Do permissions work the same for My Drive and Shared Drives?
Does Drive have version control?
Yes. Visit Find What's Changed In a File for more information.
How can I edit files without downloading them?
Drive has the following apps for Mac, Windows, and mobile devices.
In addition, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides allow you to edit files within your browser.
How can students upload their work to Drive?
Create a Google Form for submissions, and all uploads will be copied to a specified folder in your Google Drive.
- Visit forms.google.com.
- Click Blank to create a new form.
- Enter a Title and Description for your form.
- Click the Plus Sign to add a question (right).
- Click the Question Type drop down and click File Upload.
- Click Required to ensure a file is uploaded with each entry.
- Enter upload instructions or restrict file submissions.
- Send the form for completion.
How do I download and install Google Drive File Stream?
- Visit Use Drive File Stream with work or school and click Download & Install Drive File Stream.
- Click Download for Windows or Download for Mac.
- Double-click the installer file and follow the prompts to install.
- When prompted, log in with your Andrew userID and password.
A Google Drive File Stream shortcut will appear in your Documents (Mac) or My Documents (Windows) folder.
How do I stop sharing a file or folder I own?
- Select the file or folder you would like to remove the individual from.
- Click Share.
- Click Advanced (bottom right).
- Click Delete next to the person you want to stop collaborating with, .
- Click Save changes.
Visit Stop, limit, or change sharing for more information.
How long are deleted files retained?
Deleted files and folders are retained in the trash for 30 days and can be restored directly from Trash.
Visit Delete and restore files in Google Drive for more information.