Google Drive has a new desktop solution for G Suite for Education users like us. A desktop solution means having a direct link to files in your Google Drive from your computer. It relies on internet service (Ethernet or WiFi) to access the entirety of your Drive and keep everything synced in real-time – without requiring you to download any of your Drive files to your computer!

You can still save files to your computer for editing offline. This is the only time Drive File Stream will download any of your files to your computer. This is especially helpful if you are traveling, or even moving around between offices, and need to work on a few files without worrying about your internet connection. All of the files you have saved for offline editing will automatically sync with your Drive the next time you have a stable internet connection.

Google’s previous desktop Drive application, Backup and Sync, has been updated to be a solution for individuals with personal Google accounts. We offered this as an option to our community when we first switched over to Google, but it was not the best solution for us because it downloaded entire departmental libraries to your computer’s hard drive. Drive File Stream is a vast improvement and is built with institutions like ours in mind.

We will be turning off access to Backup and Sync here on campus once we have everyone switched over to File Stream. If you need assistance making the switch, please contact the Help Desk.

For more info and to download Drive File Stream, you can visit Google’s official Drive support page.