1.1 Install Drive for desktop
- On your computer, go to Use Drive for desktop with work or school and follow the installation instructions to download and install Drive for desktop.
- At the bottom right (Windows) or top right (Mac), click Drive for desktop
Open Google Drive
.
When you install Drive for desktop on your computer, it creates a drive in My Computer or a location in Finder named Google Drive File Stream. All of your Drive files appear here.
1.2 Pause syncing
If you pause Drive for desktop, any changes to files are not uploaded. And, new versions of files made available offline won't be downloaded.
- Click Drive for desktop
.
- Click Settings
Pause Syncing.
- (Optional) To start syncing again, click Resume Syncing.
1.3 Check your sync status
While Drive for desktop is actively syncing your files, any changes made in either interface are reflected in the other. When you delete something locally in Drive for desktop, it’s also deleted from Drive.
On the web
When you see Upload complete, your files have uploaded successfully and can be accessed in any browser or device that has Drive installed.
On your computer
Dragging files to a folder in Google Drive for desktop automatically uploads them to Drive on the web (though it might take a moment for files to sync). For details, see Move files to folders.
- Files with Sync
haven’t been uploaded to Drive yet.
- Files with Done
have uploaded successfully and can be accessed from Drive in any browser or from any device with Drive installed.
