Switch from your C:\ drive to Google Drive

Learn the differences between storing files on the C:\drive on your computer and Google Drive, and get best practices for collaboration at work or school.

Comparison at a glance

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In C:\ drive..	In Drive...*
Upload files and folders	Upload files and folders If you’re using the latest version of Chrome or Firefox, you can simply drag files directly from your computer to the Drive page on your browser. For more details, see Get started with Drive.
Can’t share files and folders or set sharing access	Share files and folders and set sharing access Share with specific people Select the file you want to share. Click Share or Share . Enter the email address or Google group you want to share with. To decide what role people will have on your file, select Viewer, Commenter, or Editor. If your account is eligible, you can add an expiration date for access. Choose to notify people. If you want to notify people that you shared an item with them, check the box next to Notify people. If you notify people, each email address you enter will be included in the email. If you don't want to notify people, uncheck the box. Click Send or Share. Share with your organization You can choose if your file should be available to anyone or restricted to only the people with access. If you allow access to anyone with the link, your folder won't restrict who can access it. Select the file you want to share. Click Share or Share . Under “General access”, click the Down arrow . Choose who can access the file. To decide what role people will have with your file, select Viewer, Commenter, or Editor. Learn more about how others view, comment, or edit files. Click Done.
Can’t set an expiration date	Set an expiration date on a shared file Open a file in Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Google Slides. Click Share find the user you'd like to give temporary permissions to. If you haven't shared the file with that person yet, add the user's email and click Send or Share. At the top right of the document, click Share again. Next to the person's name, click the Down arrow Add expiration. Next to "Access expires," click a date to set as the expiration date. Choose a date within one year of the current date. Click Save.
Search for files or folders	Search for files or folders In the search box, enter a word or phrase. To help you search faster, Drive suggests search terms and results as you enter text. Click a file suggestion to open it, or click a search suggestion to see a list of results for that search term. For more details, see the Google Drive Help Center.
Sort files and folders	Sort files and folders At the top of your files, click an option: Name—Orders files alphabetically by name. Last modified—Orders files by the last time anyone changed a file, or the last time you changed or opened a file.
Can't manage versions	Manage versions In Drive, right-click a non-Google file and select Manage versions. You can download a specific version or upload a new version. In Docs, Sheets, or Slides, select FileVersion historySee version history. You can name a specific version or make a copy of a version. For more details, read See changes to your Drive files and folders.
Make files available offline	Make files available offline Install the Google Docs Offline extension. In Drive, click Settings Settings. In the Offline section, check the Create, open and edit your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on this device while offline box. Click Done. Right-click a file and turn on Available offline. To learn how to access files offline from your desktop or mobile, see Access stored Drive files without the internet.

Note: The instructions in this guide are primarily web only. Get switching information for mobile devices.

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Switch from your C:\ drive to Google Drive

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Comparison at a glance

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