Types of Google Drives

  • My Drive – used for storing personal documents and files
  • Shared drives – stores files your team shares. The team owns these files, not one person
Common Questions Shared drives My Drive
Who owns files and folders? The shared drive owns them. The person who created the file or folder.
Can I restore files? Yes, if you are a Manager, Content Manager, or Contributor. Yes, if you created the file.
Can I move files? Yes, if you are a Manager, Content Manager, or Contributor. Yes.
Can I move folders? Yes, if you are a Manager, Content Manager, or Contributor. To move folders from My Drive, see Moving data from My Drive to shared drives. Yes.
Can I share files and folders? All members see the same files. Drive Managers can share specific folders. Yes, you can share any file or folder if you have access.
How long do deleted files stay in the trash? Each drive has its own trash. Only Managers or Content Managers can delete files. Google deletes items after 30 days. Google deletes items in the trash after 30 days.
What are the inherited permissions? File permissions stay with the file when you move it. Example: If a user edits a file but does not belong to the shared drive, they keep access after you move the file. This rule does not apply to folders. Files receive the same permissions as the folder they sit in.
Attaching a Google file to a Google Calendar invitation In Google Calendar, search for or open the shared drive file to attach it. In Google Calendar, search for or open the My Drive file to attach it.
Access via Drive for desktop Yes. Yes.
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