Downloading Files from Google Drive

Google Drive allows you to download files for storage on a flash drive or other removable media.

To begin, open your Google Drive and locate the file you want to download. Left click the file to highlight it. You can select multiple files by holding down the Control key and clicking additional files. You can even select entire folders full of files.

Once all of your files are selected, hover your cursor over one file and then right click. Find the Download option and click it.

If you have only selected one file, it will immediately be converted and the download will begin. You can see this at the bottom left of the screen. Drive converts Google file types to their corresponding  Microsoft Office equivalents. Docs become Word files, Slideshows become PowerPoints, etc. As always, you should check converted files to make sure formatting and fonts have not changed in the conversion process.

If you selected multiple files, they will be zipped into a .zip file. If you had multiple files, your file structure will be preserved. Once the zipping is complete, your download will begin.

Regardless of whether you zipped or not, you must now locate the file. The easiest way to do this is to click the small drop down arrow beside the file in the downloads bar and select show in folder.

This will open the folder that contains your files. It will most likely be the Downloads folder.

If you downloaded multiple files, you will see a .zip archive. This is a compressed file that makes it small enough to easily move around. To expand this file, simply double click it and follow the instructions. If you are moving your files to a flash drive, wait until after you have moved it to expand the zip file.

To move the file or files to a flash drive, leave the Downloads folder open on your desktop. Now press the start button and select Computer. Locate your flash drive from the list of drives and double click to open.

Now that both windows are open on the screen, move or resize them so that you can fully see both windows. Then click on the file you downloaded from Drive, drag it to the flash drive window, and drop it. When you see the moved file in your flash drive folder, it has been copied.

A massive thank you to my colleague Chris Goodson, Instructional Technology Facilitator for Gaston County Schools, for creating and assisting with the information.

Thanks for reading,

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.