Explore How to Use Offline File & Google Drive File Stream vs Backup and Sync
Google Drive always made it easy for users to safely store, synchronize and share data files. However, larger companies are moving to the cloud thus, the chances of data breaches, bumpy migrations, and compatibility issues are increasing also. Now, Google team has been solved these complexities and announced a new client titled as 'Drive File Stream'. It adds all files to user’s computer, but only downloads the information when the user is required to open something. Google Drive Stream is a desktop application, which allows users to quickly access all G Drive data without losing valuable drive space.It stores the data in the cloud instead of the computer, and all the done changes are automatically synced to the cloud in the presence of internet connectivity. It is just like OneDrive on Windows 8. Some powerful features of Google Drive File Stream are mentioned below:
Free download Google Drive File Stream Google Drive File Stream for Mac OS X 👍. Google Drive File Stream 🌐 - With Drive File Stream, you stream your Drive files directly from the cloud to your Mac or PC, freeing up disk space and network bandwidth. To save a file offline, make sure you have an app that can open your file. Click the Drive File Stream Menu. Click Open Google Drive folder. Right-click the file or folder you want to save offline. Click Drive File Stream Available offline. Once your file is saved offline, you'll see a.
- Allows creating, sharing and work confidentially as a squad with Team Drives
- Full administration of sensitive organizational data via Google Vault for Drive
- Migrate simply to the cloud with its latest acquisition called the AppBridge
- Browse and manage G Drive files without downloading to the local machine
- Views files in common apps such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop.
- Access to relevant files directly with Quick Access to Google machine intelligence
Author Recommended :
If you are existing Google Drive user & having trouble syncing your data from current Google Drive Account . then you can go for SysTools Google Drive Migrator which will help you to move your data to another Account.
How Google Drive File Stream Works ? - A Complete User Guide
Go with the steps below to install and access Google Drive Stream on Windows:
How to Install Google Drive Stream (DriveFileStream.exe)
- Is Google Drive Sync is presently installed on your system? If yes then, go to the step 2. If no then, skip the step 2 and follow the step 3.
- Firstly, Uninstall Google Drive Sync
- Open the Google Drive and choose 'Download Drive File Stream for Windows' from Settings menu as shown below.
- Select the 'Download for Windows' blue button
- The DriveFileStream.exe is now in Download and can be utilized to install the File Stream. Now execute/open the downloaded file
- Sign in to your Google Drive account
- Allow the Drive File Stream to access the information listed
- This process should take few minutes to execute and after that, you will have successfully installed Google Drive Stream
Access Google Drive File Stream for Offline Use
After Google Drive Stream installation, a drive named Google Drive File Stream will appear on the left in Finder or File Explorer. This folder will comprise both your personal Google Drive and the Team Drives that you are a part of.
- So, you can access GDrive Stream from the Menu Bar or from the Finder window
- Launch any of the displaying folder that you are required to open If you will open My Drive folder then, you will get a list of all the stored files in your Drive
- If you are opening the Team Drives then, a catalog of the shared drive data by team members will appear here
Working with Google Drive File Stream Offline
By default, the Google Drive Stream does not download a copy of files locally on the computer. This means if the user does not have internet connectivity then, they will not be capable to access these data files. File Stream lets end users work offline.
- To work offline hit a right-click on the desired folder or file and choose Drive File Stream >> Available Offline
Why Google Drive File Stream is Better Than Google Drive Sync ?
Drive File Stream is the best choice for most organizations. This feature lets users stream My Drive and Team Drive information directly from the cloud, that provides:
- Free disk space and good network bandwidth
- Decreases synchronization time
- Minify the amount of organization data stored on hard drives
- Users can also make the Drive files offline accessible. These cached data files synchronized back to the cloud in the presence of internet.
- Backup and Sync is the consumer sync client however, organizations can use this too. Users can store all their Drive content locally via this.
A Comparison Chart : Google Drive File Stream vs Backup and Sync
| Characteristics | Backup and Sync | Google Drive Stream |
|---|---|---|
| Use files in My Drive | ||
| Use files in Team Drives | ||
| Sync exclusive individual files in My Drive | ||
| Sync only chosen folders in My Drive | ||
| Use native apps as Microsoft Office and Photoshop | ||
| Use with users personal Google Account | ||
| Sync other folders as Documents or Desktop | ||
| Use with work or school Google Account | ||
| Use with personal Google Account |
System Requirements
- Windows : Windows 7 and above versions. Windows Server editions are not compatible
- Mac : El Capitan (10.11) and above editions
Google Drive File Stream Location
Users can find the Google Drive Stream Menu in various places, depending upon the computer you are using:
- Windows : At the bottommost right.
- Mac : At the apical right.
In this editorial, we have discussed that how Google Drive File Stream is different from the Backup and Sync & How Google Drive File Stream Works. The Backup and Sync works for G Suite consumers. Users who just likes to save the occasional files to Google Drive, this is probably the best option for them. While Google Drive Stream does not store data locally but files are streamed on demand via this. It allows browsing through the native file browser (Explorer on Windows and Finder on MAC OS ). GoogleDrive Stream will make the selected files and folders available offline and syncs data in the same way.
Expand cloud storage on Mac
Google Drive is an online storage solution by Google. It allows you to store and sync data across your devices with its 15 GB of free storage space, while its integration with Google Docs for Mac gives your friends or coworkers access to the files or folders you designate for sharing.
There’s an official Google Drive app for Mac too — an upgraded 2017 version of which is called Backup & Sync and is sometimes referred to as the new Google Drive. Google Drive Backup and Sync download is free and you can expect to install it and have it running in no time and little effort.
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How To Set Up And Use Google Drive For Mac?
With Google Drive, you can create and edit documents online. But if you rely on Drive for files backup and sync, it’s much more convenient to use the app. To start using Google Drive on Mac, the first thing you need is a Google Drive account.
How to create a Google Drive account?
If you have an account on any of Google services, like Gmail, YouTube, or Google Play, then you actually already have a Google Drive account.
Simply log in to a Google Drive website or app with your existing credentials. Or create a Google account for free by following these steps:
Go to google.com/drive and click on the blue Go to Google Drive button
Click Create Account
Follow the onscreen instructions to create a new Google account (this will also serve as your new Gmail email address)
How to install Google Drive for Mac?
Once you have a Google account, you can download Google Drive for Mac and use it. Here’s how you can do the Google Backup and Sync download:
Go to google.com/drive and click Download near the top of the page
Click on the Download button under Backup and Sync
Read and agree to the terms of service to start the download of Google Drive for Mac
The Google Drive Installer will be downloaded to your Mac’s Downloads folder
When the download is complete, double-click the installer (the file is called InstallBackupAndSync.dmg). Then click and drag the Backup and Sync From Google icon to the Applications folder. Boom, done!
How to sync Google Drive on Mac for the first time?
The first time you open Google Drive on Mac, you have to go through a few steps to get it set up properly. After that accessing Google Drive will be effortless. But to get things up and running:
Launch Google Drive from the Applications folder by clicking on Backup and Sync From Google
A warning sign will appear cautioning that Google Drive is an application you downloaded from the internet ➙ click Open
On the welcome to Google Drive window that appears click Get Started
Sign in to your Google account with your Gmail email address and password
The Google Drive Installer will display a number of tips about using the app and then add a special Google Drive folder to your Home directory on Mac ➙ click Next
You can designate items in your Google Drive folder to be shared with anyone ➙ click Next ➙ Done
The installer will finish by adding a Google Drive menu bar icon and a Google Drive sidebar icon to the Finder. This sets up the two key elements for you to work with Google Drive for Mac: Google Drive folder and Google Drive menu bar icon.
Most of the time you’ll use the Google Drive folder — to store items you want to save to the Google cloud as well as share with others. Google Drive menu bar icon is handy for quick access and configuring Google Drive settings.
How to use Google Drive menu bar icon?
The menu bar Google Drive icon gives you quick access to the Google Drive folder on your Mac, opens Google Drive in your browser, displays recent documents that you have added or updated, and tells you if the Google Drive sync has completed. But more importantly, the menu bar icon contains additional Google Drive settings. To set up Google Drive to your liking:
Click on the Google Drive icon in the menu bar and a dropdown menu will appear
Click on the vertical ellipsis in the top right corner ➙ choose Preferences from the menu
The Google Drive Preferences menu lets you configure your Google Drive settings with a three-tab interface.
My Mac tab allows you to decide whether you want to keep the default setting and have all the folders in your Google Drive folder synced automatically to the cloud or designate only specific folders for Google Drive sync.
Google Drive tab manages the connection between your Google Drive folder and the cloud. This is where you go in case of Google Drive not syncing. To sync Google Drive folder with the cloud, make sure you’re signed in to your Google account.
Settings tab gives you options to have Google Drive automatically launch when you log in to your Mac, show confirmation messages when shared items are removed from Google Drive, and upgrade your storage to another plan.
How to use Google Drive on Mac?
Now that your Google Drive setup is complete, you have access to this additional storage for you to do as you wish. However, one of the best uses would be to link your Google Drive to multiple devices — for easy access from all of them.
Also remember that Google Drive lets you create and work with others on documents in Google’s own versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in real-time (called Docs, Sheets, and Slides respectively). To enable collaboration on a Google Docs file, simply tap on Share in the top right corner and enter the names or email addresses of the people you wish to engage.
More tips for making Google Drive better
As convenient as Google Drive is, people often use more than one service for their personal and professional data storage. Some popular alternatives include Apple’s iCloud, Microsoft’s OneDrive, and Dropbox. Using a combination of cloud-based storages increases your Mac’s disk space to being virtually unlimited, as long as you have an active internet connection. But in truth, managing different cloud accounts can turn into quite a hustle.
Luckily, there are apps like CloudMounter that allow you to use all your storage solutions in one place, connecting them to your Mac as if they were your regular external drives.
Expand your storage with CloudMounter
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Stop worrying about choosing the best storage solution. You can use all of them from one spot with CloudMounter. Give it a try!
This trick lets you deal with cloud data in the same manner as you’d with local one, and even move files between the clouds. Another great benefit of using CloudMounter is the latest encryption algorithm that guarantees the security of your cloud files. Plus, it allows encrypting sensitive data on the cloud and doesn’t share your login info with any third parties.
CloudMounter works perfectly with all major cloud services and could very well become your ultimate cloud manager if you’re constantly dealing with storage issues or feel there’s not enough free space on your Mac’s SSD.
Not even a bit less vital when dealing with loads of data is making sure you have a good backup of the most important files. Get Backup Pro is an elegant backup app just for that.
Get Backup Pro is fast, reliable, and offers a mix of four different backup methods: simple copy, clone, incremental, and versioned. With this app, you can back up folders or files that you think are important, cut the size of archives up to 60% by conducting compressed backups, effortlessly migrate data to a new disk with bootable backups via cloning, and schedule Stealth mode backups — with Get Backup Pro automatically closing once all scheduled processes are finished.
It goes without saying that cloud storage encourages collaboration and file sharing. If you work with different files online and often need to share links, Dropshare should be your app of choice for fast and secure file exchange.
Dropshare is a platform that works brilliantly with your favorite cloud services and lets you upload files in bulk with its easy drag & drop functionality, as well as securely share files, documents, and photos with password-protected expiring download links, and even set your own keyboard shortcuts to complete routine tasks faster.
If you’re still asking yourself how to use Google Backup and Sync — 15 GB of free storage space, excellent collaboration features, and ability to access your files from any of your devices will surely give you lots of ideas on how to make the most of it. With clouds come possibilities, but you‘re the one who really decides what is Google Drive going to be on your Mac.
Best of all, you can find CloudMounter, Get Backup Pro, and Dropshare mentioned above on a free 7-day trial through Setapp, a platform of more than 150 useful Mac utilities that could change the way you work day to day. Ready for action on cloud Google?
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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