Google Drive will allow users to tamper with folder structures, even if they've been given only view access. Short version: there is no solution here. I'm responding very late, but thought I'd share what I found (for future users with a similar problem). We're open to getting creative solutions and happy to do as much work as required, as long as it's one-time work. So ideally we need some way to make Folder A read-only, i.e., users can access the content but can't tamper with the overall folder structure or delete files. So to make sure that every computer has the correct folder structure just like my original Folder A, I need to manually go to each of the 40 computers every day and check or re-sync to Google Drive. But I have no way of knowing that the folder structure for computer 17 has been messed up. Yes, the original Folder A, owned by me, will still be in perfect condition, so there is no data loss. So everyone who uses computer 17 from that point onwards will struggle because the folder structure has been tampered with. ), a user can still mess up the folder structure by going to - let's say - computer 17 and moving or deleting folders. If any random user goes to any of the 40 computers and accidentally deletes a file or moves it, then this affects the other 39 computers as well (because Google Drive syncs across all 40 computers)Įven if I share Folder A ('can view' access only) with 40 different new accounts. Yes, this doesn't affect the original shared folder / file, but is still a huge problem because: on all 40 computers, logged in to Google Drive and synced everythingįor some reason, Google Drive allows users to move, delete, or do pretty much whatever they want to folders and files - even if they have only 'can view' access.created a new account shared Folder A with (at 'can view' permission level).For business reasons + potential delays, we can't have people sign in using their individual Google accounts. It's crucial for us that all 40 computers have exactly the same folder structure because people have to frequently move from one display computer to another, and they have to make a presentation in which every second matters, so we can't have them spend 5 to 10 minutes each time figuring out the folder structure of the computer they are standing at. These 40 computers are display terminals, so each is used by dozens of people every day. We need to share Folder A with 40 different computers - folder structure, files, everything. Folder A has a very well thought-out structure, with as many as eight levels of folders in the folder hierarchy. You can assume that I am the owner of all files and folders on Google Drive. Each of these sub-folders contains hundreds of files and folders within it. We have one Google Drive folder - 'Folder A' - that contains about 30 sub-folders. This is not the case for folders that have been moved from My Drive to Shared drive.įiles inherit the permissions of a folder.Īttaching a Google file to a Google Calendar invitationįrom Google Calendar, navigate to any Shared drive file.įrom Google Calendar, navigate to any My Drive file.We use Google Apps for Business. Example: If is not a member of the Shared drive but she is an editor on a file moved to the Shared drive, she will retain access to the file after it’s moved to Shared drive. Permissions set on a specific file in My Drive will be transferred when moved to a Shared drive. After 30 days, any file or folder placed in the trash will be permanently deleted.įiles in My Drive trash are deleted forever after 30 days. Only members with the Manager or Content Manger roles can delete files. How long do deleted files stay in the trash?Įach Shared drive has its own trash. Yes, in My Drive you can share files and folders to which you have the appropriate access. Folders within a Shared drive can be shared by drive Managers. Yes, but not to Shared drives unless you request access via the Help Desk to do so.Īll team members see the same set of files and folders. To move folders from My Drive to a Shared drive, see Moving Data from My Drive to Shared drives.

Yes, if you have the role of Manager, Content Manager, or Contributor in the Shared drive. The individual who created the file or folder. Shared drives – used for storing documents and files to be shared among colleagues or teams and that should not be owned by any one individual.My Drive – used for storing personal documents and files.

Google drive compare folders