Getting Started with Google Drive

Install the Desktop Application

The beauty of Google Drive is your files do not have to only exist on the web. By installing Google Drive for Windows or Mac, you can access your files on your computer without having to open a web browser. The application creates a Google Drive folder on your computer that syncs any files put into it to your web account. This allows you to have drag and drop capabilities for your files. Any changes you make to a file in Google Drive are immediately synced to the web and any computer that has the desktop application installed. In addition, anything you add to a shared folder is immediately updated to all other users who have access to the folder.

Create and Share a New Folder

This is perhaps the easiest thing you can do. Login to the web version of Google Drive. Click on the folder icon with the plus sign and give the folder a name. Then right click on the new folder you created and add the email addresses of the people you want to share the folder with. Each of the recipients will receive an email notifying them that you have shared the folder. Initially the folder will show up in the "Shared with me" drop-down menu. Each recipient can make sure the shared folder shows up in their own drive by clicking on the shared folder and selecting the "Add to my drive" button.

Create Something

Google Drive also includes Google's full office suite. This includes a word processing application, a spreadsheet creator, a presentation tool, a form creator, and drawing tool. You can immediately begin creating an office document without needing to open Microsoft's Office Suite. Once the document is created you can work on it wherever you have an internet connection. Documents can be shared with others and can be edited by more than one person- even at the same time.

Experiment

Finally, take time to experiment and discover new features yourself. Google Drive is a pretty powerful online environment that Google is constantly updating and adding features to. If you are looking for other things to try you can visit this website and try some of the tips and tricks mentioned.