Transitioning From Google Drive to Google File Stream

Google Drive File Stream is a new desktop application that allows you to quickly access all of your Google Drive files on demand, directly from your computer, without losing precious drive space. With Google Drive File Stream, your files are stored in the cloud instead of your computer, and any changes you make are automatically synced with the cloud for quick, easy access anywhere you have an Internet connection.

Some of you may have already encountered transition prompts like this:

If so, you can click "Install Drive File Stream" and follow the prompts.

If not, you can manually initiate the process by going to Google Drive Help > "Use work or school files on your computer with Drive File Stream" and following the download/install directions there.  But here is what you can expect:

1. Most Curling Canada staff are Macbook users, so will want to download the Mac installer ("googledrivefilestream.dmg"), accordingly.  Once finished downloading, double-click to extract the .dmg and double-click again to launch the .pkg:
   
   
   
   
2. Click "Continue" at the warning, and click "Continue" again at the installer Introduction to proceed:
   
   
   
   
3. Keep the default Destination and click "Install":
   
   
   
   
4. You will be prompted by your Mac to authenticate to allow the installation to continue.  This will be the same User Name and Password you typically use to log into your Macbook itself.  Click "Install Software" to proceed:
   
   
   
   
5. You will then be prompted to login with your Google account.  This will be your @curling.ca e-mail address and its password you typically use to access your Gmail, etc.  Click "Next" for both steps:
   
   
   
   
6. If you are using the latest Mac operating system (i.e. macOS 10.13 "High Sierra") --- and all Curling Canada staff should be --- you will then most likely be prompted with a "System Extension Blocked" warning, prompting you go into your System Preferences and allow "Google Inc." software to be installed.  Do so:
   
   
   
   
7. After that, you can now click "OK" back at the "System Extension Blocked" warning window:
   
   
   
   
8. At the "Installation Successful" confirmation, click "Close":
   
   
   
   
9. You should now see up in your Mac's top menu bar both your new File Stream icon and your old Drive icon, the new one still in the sync'ing process:
   
   
   
   
10. You may get a prompt to "Use Drive File Stream to sync My Drive", asking you to either keep both the old Drive and the new File Stream or to disconnect the old in favour of the new.  Click "YES" to disconnect your old Drive:
    
    
    
    
11. If you don't get the above prompt, or if you choose "NO, USE BOTH", you can always later click on the old Drive icon, click its little 3-dot menu button, and choose "Quit Google Drive" to disconnect it:
    
    
    
    NOTE: It will disappear from your menu bar, but the files will remain in your local "Google Drive" folder till you explicitly delete them (and remove the folder) from your computer:
    
    
    
    
12. For the time being, you will see both your old Google Drive folder AND your new Google File Stream folder on your computer, which is how you will want to leave it till the new File Stream finishes sync'ing with your cloud files:
    
    

IMPORTANT: Do NOT delete any files from your old Google Drive folder or remove that folder till the new File Stream sync'ing is complete.  You will be able to tell it's complete when the File Stream drop-down icon tells you "Everything is up to date":



Only then should you delete the redundant old files from your old Google Drive local folder.  Do so by selecting it in the Favorites sidebar in Finder, selecting all the files therein, right-clicking and choosing "Move to Trash":



You will be prompted to authenticate with your Macbook credentials again, as during the installation process:



Once all the files have disappeared, you can right-click the old "Google Drive" folder itself and choose "Remove from Sidebar", thereby leaving only the new "Google Drive" folder (distinguishable by the little eject icon next to it) and eliminating any redundancies or confusion:



You will notice the new "Google Drive" folder will have both your "My Drive" and "Team Drives" folders in it.  Click into "My Drive" and you should see all your files you typically see if you log into your Drive via web browser (https://drive.google.com):



These new file instances will be distinguished by a little cloud icon, signifying they are actually not stored locally on your computer, but rather in the cloud on your web Drive.  That means they will take up no space on your local computer unless you open one, triggering a download/sync of the full file itself.

That's it, you are done!

Any confusion or complications, reach out to helpdesk@curling.ca.