Overview

Google Drive is a cloud storage service that allows you to access and work on your files from anywhere. Google Drive benefits include:

• access your files from anywhere 
• share files with anybody 
• use Google apps such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, etc.
• collaborate on files in real-time

Getting Started

1. Sign in to Google using your Bison Login (typically first.last@ndsu.edu).
   
2. Locate the Google apps icon in the upper right-hand corner of the Google homepage.
3. Select Drive from the options to open up your Google Drive.

Your Google Drive homepage has several features. The tabs on the left represent different locations to store all of your files. There are several tabs you will have by default:

• Priority - you can mark files with high priority to find them easily later
• My Drive - the most direct access point to look through all of your files. If you add a folder to your drive, a drop-down menu option will appear that lets you select that folder
• Shared with me - any files that have been sent to you from another user will be displayed here. If there is a file you are working on with a classmate that doesn’t appear in your Drive, look for it here
• Recent - most recently opened files
• Starred  - you can star files to easily find them later
• Trash - deleting a file will put it in the trash. If you accidentally delete something, you can always restore it from the trash folder
• Quick Access - a brief preview of different files you’ve used recently will appear here for your convenience
• Content - this is where all of your files are stored. You can sort based on the name of the file, or by when the file was last opened or modified
• Search - if you have a large number of files in your drive, it may be easier to search for the name of the file instead
• Add New - this is the tool you will use to add or create anything that is not currently in your drive.
  
  

Create a New Google File

1. Select the New button, and the type of file you want to create (Document, Spreadsheet, etc). This will open up a new window with your new project.
2. To upload an existing file to your Google Drive, select the new button, and then file upload or folder upload. Navigate through your computer files to find the file you would like to upload and then Open it.
3. Organize your files in your Google Drive with folders by right-clicking and selecting a new folder, or pressing the New button to create a new folder.
   1. Select a file, then click and drag the file to move it into a folder. You can also right-click the file and select Move to.

Storage Quotas

1. Individual Google Drive storage quotas are 100 GB
2. Google Shared Drive storage quotas are 5 GB

Due to a lack of adequate tools provided by Google, the IT Division is unable to increase Google Drive quotas at this this time. This may change in the future.

Alternatives to Google Drive for are Central File Services or OneDrive. Please see the KB articles to determine if those options are compliant with the data you need to store.