Getting Started with Google Drive for desktop

Google Drive for desktop allows you to find and open files from Google Drive directly on your computer. With Google Drive for desktop, you can do the following:

  • View and organize your files in your computer’s file system without using your computer’s storage space.
  • Open files from Google Drive on your computer without using a web browser.
  • Save specific files and folders for use offline, including Shared drives.

Download & Install Drive for desktop

Installing Google Drive for desktop on your college-provided PC

Drive for desktop should already be installed on College-provided PCs.

  1. You can open Drive for desktop by clicking Drive for desktop in the bottom-right of your screen.
  2. When prompted, enter your Lafayette email address and click Next.
  3. At the Lafayette Single Sign-On window, enter your NetID, password, and complete the two-step login process.

Note: If this is your first time signing in, you will be asked to authorize Drive for desktop access to your account. Please click the Allow button when prompted.

Installing Drive for desktop on your personal PC

  1. Sign in to your Lafayette Google account and go to Google Drive
  2. Click the gear icon and choose “Get Drive for desktop”
  3. On the following page, click “Download drive for desktop.”
  4. After it downloads, run GoogleDrive.exe from your Downloads folder.
  5. Follow the prompts to install the software.

You can open Drive for desktop by clicking the Drive for desktop logo in the bottom-right of your screen.

  1. When prompted, enter your Lafayette email address and click Next.
  2. At the Lafayette Single Sign-On window, enter your NetID, password, and complete the two-step login process.

Note: If this is your first time signing in, you will be asked to authorize Drive for desktop access to your account. Please click the Allow button when prompted.

Installing Drive for desktop on your college-provided Mac

Google Drive for desktop can be installed on your college-provided Mac via Managed Software Center.

You can open Drive for desktop by clicking the Drive for desktop logo at the top-right of your screen, or by launching it from the Applications folder.

  1. When prompted, enter your Lafayette email address and click Next.
  2. At the Lafayette Single Sign-On window, enter your NetID, password, and complete the two-step login process.

Note: If this is your first time signing in, you will be asked to authorize Drive for desktop access to your account. Please click the Allow button when prompted.

Installing Drive for desktop on your personal Mac

  1. Sign in to your Lafayette Google account and go to Google Drive
  2. Click the gear icon and choose “Get Drive for desktop”
  3. On the following page, click “Download Drive for desktop.”
  4. After it downloads, open GoogleDrive.dmg and double click on GoogleDrive.pkg
  5. Follow the prompts to install the software

You can open Drive for desktop by clicking the Drive for desktop logo at the top right of your screen.

  1. When prompted, enter your Lafayette email address and click Next.
  2. At the Lafayette Single Sign-On window, enter your NetID, password, and complete the two-step login process.

Note: If this is your first time signing in, you will be asked to authorize Drive for desktop access to your account. Please click the Allow button when prompted.

Accessing your files

Set files and folders for offline access

Saving files or folders for offline access means that you will be able to access them without an internet connection. To save a file offline:

  1. Open Drive for desktop
  2. Navigate to the appropriate file/folder
  3. Right-click and select Offline access > Available offline
  4. Once your file/folder is saved offline, you will see a green check mark next to it in Drive for desktop

See who is editing Microsoft Office files in real time

When you store Microsoft Office files in Drive for desktop and share it with other people who also have real-time presence turned on, you can see whether anyone else is making changes. Real-time presence is turned on by default on a PC.

To enable on a macOS device:

  1. On your Mac, go to Apple > System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Accessibility 
  2. Click the lock on the bottom-left to make changes
  3. Next to “Google Drive”, check the box

Change your Google Drive File Stream settings

Switch accounts

If you have more than one Google Workspace  account, you can change which one you are using.

On a PC:

  1. Click the Drive for desktop
  2. Click More > Preferences
  3. Sign in with the account you want to use

On a Mac:

  1. Click the Drive for desktop button in your top menu bar
  2. Click the gear icon in the upper-right and select Preferences…
  3. Select Switch account and sign in with your other account information

Note: Any files that were designated for offline use will be removed from your computer.

Pause syncing

By default, Drive for desktop syncs the files in Drive for desktop with those on Google Drive ensuring the content matches in both locations.

You can pause the sync from the Drive for desktop Menu by clicking Pause syncing and can resume syncing by clicking Resume syncing.

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