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First, decide if you should use shared drives or My Drive. |
In this section, you learn how to:
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1.1 Differences between My Drive and shared drives
Some key differences between My Drive and shared drives are:
My Drive |
Shared drives |
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Who can add files? |
The person who owns My Drive. |
Any member with Contributor access or higher. |
What types of files can I add? |
All file types. |
All file types (except Google Maps and Data Studio reports). |
Who owns files and folders? |
The individual who created the file or folder. |
The team. |
Can I move files and folders? |
Yes, you can move files and folders around in My Drive. |
For details on adding files to a shared drive, see Get started with shared drives. |
Can I sync files to my computer? |
Yes, using Google Drive for desktop or Backup and Sync. For details, see What can you do with Drive for desktop. |
It depends on which sync solution you use:
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How does sharing work? |
Different users might see different files in a folder, depending on their access to individual files. |
All members of the shared drive see all files. |
How long do files I delete stay in Trash? |
Files and folders in Trash are deleted forever after 30 days. The user can also delete files in Trash by selecting Delete Forever. |
Each shared drive has its own Trash.
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Can I restore files? |
Yes, if you’re an owner of the file. |
Yes, if you have at least Contributor access. |
1.2 When to use shared drives
Consider using a shared drive in these situations:
- You’re working on a project or event with a group of people who all need access to the same files.
- Most of your files are shared with the same group of people.
- Your files share a consistent theme or topic.
- The content you want to store isn’t personal and is of interest to a specific team or group.
1.3 Common uses for shared drives
Common uses for shared drives include:
- Projects—For people involved in the same project.
- Events—For people working for a defined period of time on a specific event or deliverable.
- Templates—For files that people can copy and reuse.
- Company-wide files—For files everyone needs access to, such as training files.
- Sensitive files—For highly sensitive files, where you can add extra security to limit access.