How to create a Google cloud for photos. Cloud storage Google Drive
Hello dear visitors! If you have come to this page, then most likely you are interested in the question of storing files in the cloud. I’ll write now and, as is already customary on this site, I’ll show you in pictures, how to install and configure Google Drive. But I think it wouldn’t hurt to write a few words about what cloud storage is, why they are needed, and tell a little about Google Drive, also known as Google Drive.
In simple words, cloud storage is a service that provides you with a specific place on the Internet to store your files. One of such services is. He appeared on the market almost simultaneously and began providing his services. There are many more similar services, among which Dropbox is worth highlighting; perhaps there will be a separate article about it.
Why am I writing today about Google Drive? As you probably already guessed, I myself am using it now, and just yesterday I reinstalled the systems and I need to install this program on my computer again, I’ll just take screenshots :).
The convenience of such services, in particular Google Drive, is that you get a “flash drive” on the Internet on which you can store information, and most importantly, have access to it from anywhere where there is Internet and the ability to access service website. All you need is to know your username and password to access. Of course, Google has created applications for computers, tablets and smartphones on different platforms. All this is for the convenience of using the Google Drive service.
Immediately after registration, you will be given 5 GB of file storage for free. For 2.5 dollars you can increase it to 25 GB, and this is not a limit.
I think this useless theory is enough :), let's get down to business.
To use Google Drive, you need to create a Google account.
Of course, you need to register with Google in order to receive a username and password. You can read about how to create an account on Google in the article. Or if you already use at least one of Google's services, for example Gmail, then you can use the login and password that you already have to log into Google Drive.
To register with Google Drive, or to learn more about its capabilities, go to https:// drive.google.com/start. Click the button on the right “Go to Google Drive”.
After registration, log into the site using your details.
How to install Google Drive on your computer?
Now we have come to the most important part of this article; now we will install a program that will allow you to conveniently work with Google Drive.
Select the version for computers and click “Download”.
A window will appear in which you simply click “Accept the terms and install”.
A message will immediately appear that Google Drive is loading. Then the installation will begin.
When installation is complete, click “Close”.
That's it, the installation is complete. The program will launch itself, click the “Login” button. Enter your email address and password, and click “Login” again.
A window will appear in which we click “Forward”.
In the next window, the program will inform you that all files that are already on Google Drive will be synchronized with a specially created folder on your computer. For additional settings, click "Advanced settings", but you won’t see anything interesting there, you can change the location of this very folder, and indicate whether Google Drive can be launched when you turn on the computer, and that’s essentially all. Click the button "Synchronize".
That's all.
How to use Google Drive on a computer?
A Google Drive folder will appear on your desktop, and it will also appear in Explorer. Once you move your files to this folder, they will automatically be uploaded to the cloud and you can access them from any device. Or, when adding files from another device, say a tablet, they will automatically appear in this folder.
For example, when I need to transfer photos from my phone to my computer, I simply upload them to Google Drive, then on my computer I go to the Google Drive folder and copy them from there. It's even faster than connecting your phone via cable.
Also, a program icon will appear on the taskbar (in the tray), by right-clicking on it, you can see how much free memory you still have on Google Drive, and you can also go to the program settings.
That's all, we have installed and configured a program that allows you to comfortably work with Google cloud storage. Such programs are also available for mobile platforms, in application stores such as Google Play, App Store, etc. You can install them without any problems. Well, that seems to be it. Good luck!
Keep files that are important to you in a safe place! Using the Google Drive service and the application of the same name, this is easy. In addition, this application is available for most operating systems, including mobile ones.
Modern technologies are developing very rapidly and gradually everything we do happens on the Internet. There are companies that provide access to software or data storage via the Internet, they are also called cloud companies. And so Google decided to create its own cloud storage service. Google Drive has become a competitor to something that has long been familiar to everyone. But, unlike dropbox, the search giant's service has a lot of advantages.
Where to download Disk
You can download Google Drive for free. Installing this application on your computer will take just a couple of seconds. Then you will need to set up access to your cloud storage, it only takes a few steps. The program itself does not have an interface as such. It has only three tabs: synchronization to the cloud, logging in/out of your account, and connection settings. The thing is that the program is integrated into the OS file system. That is, after installation, in the folder with your documents you will see a new folder called Google Drive. This is the Google cloud storage folder. You just need to place the files there and wait for synchronization.
One of the advantages of Google Drive is that you can view and edit files not only on your computer, but also in a browser using the web interface. All this thanks to integration with other services from Google, such as Google Docs and others. This allows you to even open files like Adobe Illustrator in the web interface.
Another huge advantage is that Google Drive can be installed on most modern popular operating systems - Windows, Android and iOS. That is, you can access your files stored in the cloud from anywhere and from any device at any time. Also, compared to competing services, Google Drive has faster synchronization and file download times.
As for the reliability of using Google Drive, everything here is also excellent. Google said that all the data you store in the cloud has three more backup copies. That is, it is impossible to lose anything in the cloud.
The search giant develops all its services very well and Google Drive is no exception. So feel free to store your files in the cloud and don't worry about anything.
Greetings, friends! Cloud storage is very popular now. Their main purpose is to store and access information from any device at any time, as well as the ability to share this information (documents, photographs, and other files) with other people. In addition, popular cloud services provide a number of useful functions for users - creating and working with documents online, sharing, etc.
On my blog I have already posted instructions on two large cloud services - and. And I dedicate today’s article to one more thing – Google Drive. Until recently, I didn’t use it so actively - I mainly relied on Yandex.Disk. But, due to recent events, I started thinking about backup options.
I suggest you understand the interface and main functions of Google Drive. Let's talk about how to use it - upload and provide access to files and folders, perform other actions on files, work with documents and applications online.
If you prefer video format, then you can view my detailed tutorial below:
How to log into Google Drive?
The disk is linked to your Google account, and to get inside the cloud, you need to log in to your account - enter your login (gmail) and password.
You can access Drive from this page www.google.com/intl/ru/drive/
Or go from mail by clicking on the “Google Apps” icon at the top right.
How much disk space?
15 GB are provided for free. This space is divided into files on the disk itself, files and letters in Gmail, and Google Photos. By the way, the latter automatically includes images that you upload to posts on the Google Plus social network. You can remove them from Google Photos so that they don’t take up space, but they remain in your posts.
If you need more space, it can be purchased for money. There are several tariff plans with monthly or annual payment for up to 30 TB of memory.
You can also have several Google accounts and each will have its own disk with free space.
Cloud storage interface
Let's go over the main sections, buttons and settings of Google Drive.
Via the “Create” button in the upper left corner you can upload files and folders from your computer to your disk. And also create folders and documents directly in the cloud. You can create text documents, tables, presentations with slides, Google Forms (for surveys, questionnaires, recordings of Skype consultations), drawings, maps and websites.
Below this button is panel with the main Disk partitions.
In the "My Drive" section contains all files and folders uploaded to the cloud, as well as documents and folders that you created in the cloud.
By selecting a particular file/folder with the mouse, you can perform various actions on it; I’ll talk about this later. To select several files at once, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and click on the desired files.
The display of files on Disk can be sorted by name, by date of modification, by date of viewing.
In the "Available to me" section files from Google Drives of other users to which you have access are displayed - for example, you followed a link to this file, or you were sent an invitation with access. To open a file, double-click on it.
In the "Recent" section– files that you have recently worked with (opened, downloaded, edited, etc.) are displayed.
Google Photos section– This is where the images you've uploaded to the Google Photos app appear. Also, pictures uploaded to posts on Google Plus are automatically saved here. You can get into the application itself by clicking on the Google applications icon from disk, mail, or the start page of the Google Chrome browser.
In the application settings, you can check a useful box so that photos and videos do not take up unnecessary storage space.
To do this, go to Google Photos, click on the three vertical bars at the top left, go to settings.
And check the appropriate box:
"Tagged" section– files and folders that you mark as important to you go here. Marking is very simple - select the file, right-click, and select “Add mark” from the list that opens. To remove a file from “Marked”, right-click again and select “Unmark”.
Basket- it contains files that you delete from your Google Drive. The Recycle Bin can be emptied, then the files are permanently deleted. You can also restore any file from the Recycle Bin by selecting it with the mouse and clicking “Recover from Recycle Bin”.
There are several more useful icons in the upper right corner of Google Drive.
You can configure the display of files in the cloud as a list or grid. By clicking on the letter “i” in the circle, you can view the history of your actions on the disk, as well as the properties of any file by selecting it with the mouse. Clicking on the gear will open an additional list of tabs.
In the “Settings” tab:
You can change the interface language.
Enable offline access (saving Google documents to your computer to work with them without an Internet connection). On this issue, you can read the separate instructions.
Disable automatic downloading of photos from Google Photos to a folder on disk.
Choose an interface option – spacious, regular or compact.
There are also alert settings.
And the ability to connect different Google applications to your drive.
Clicking on the tab “Install disk on computer”, you can download the application for PC, as well as for smartphones on Android or iPhone. Here, keep in mind that the PC application is synchronized with the online cloud and all files end up on your computer, taking up space. Since this does not suit me, I prefer to use only the web interface. The only advantage of synchronization is the ability to quickly send a large file to the cloud or save all files from the cloud to your computer at once, and then disable synchronization.
Actions on files and folders in Google Drive
To upload files and folders from your computer to the cloud The "Create" button is used. You click on it and select the corresponding menu item - a window for selecting files on your computer will open. To select multiple files at once, hold down the Ctrl key.
When the file is selected, click on the “Open” button, and it will begin downloading to Disk. Information about the process will appear in the lower right corner.
An alternative download option is to minimize the Google Drive tab to a smaller window and drag files from your computer to the “My Drive” section with your mouse.
You can do a number of things with files, folders, and documents on the drive. To do this, select the desired file (or several) with the mouse and right-click. A list of available actions appears. The same actions are duplicated on the panel above.
The contents of the file can be viewed by clicking Preview. If you want to edit the document, then select "Open with". The drive will offer you an application through which you can open the file.
To open the contents of a folder– click on it 2 times. You can perform all the same actions on files and documents in a folder.
You can give access to any file, folder or document on the disk to another person. To set up sharing, click on the corresponding menu item.
In the window that opens, you need to enter the gmail email of the person to whom you want to give access. Click on the pencil icon to indicate the access type. This can be commenting, viewing and editing.
If you have granted commenting or viewing access, you can prevent the user from downloading, copying, or printing the file. Just tick the boxes you need. Don't forget to save your changes.
Then click "Submit". The user will receive a letter informing them that you have granted them access to the files. He will see this file on his disk in the “Available to me” section.
To block access, you again need to right-click on this file, select “Sharing”. In the window that opens, click on the user name.
Access is denied, the user will see this message:
You can also configure access settings. The default is view. Also, using the link, the user will be able to download the file or save it to his disk. You can also enable commenting or editing.
If you click “More”, you will see other settings. For example, you can enable access for absolutely any user on the Internet, that is, the file will be available through search. Or disable access via a link and send an invitation for shared access to a specific user via email (we discussed this process above).
The next point of action on files is "Move". It can be used to move files into folders. This is convenient if you have a lot of files and want to organize them. You can also move files by dragging them with the mouse.
Creating folders on disk is easy. Click on the “Create” – “New Folder” button.
By the way, you can change the color of the folders.
Paragraph "Add a note" useful if you want to add your favorite files to the Starred section for quick access to them.
Paragraph "Rename" will allow you to change the name of a file or folder.
Paragraph "Show Properties"– to view the properties of a file and the history of actions on it.
Paragraph "Versions"– it is available for those files that you upload to Disk.
Let's say you downloaded an archive of materials from your computer and shared a link to it with subscribers. Then you needed to make edits to this archive, you downloaded it to your computer again and edited it. Then we re-uploaded it to Disk with the same name so that the link to the archive did not change. By the way, when you download it again, you can choose how to save this file - separately (the link to it will change), or as a new version that will replace the previous one.
However, the previous version will not be deleted immediately (by default, it is saved on disk for another 30 days). But, you can delete it manually or check the box so that previous versions are not deleted. This is done precisely through this “Versions” item.
The remaining actions on the files: create a copy, download it to your computer and delete it in the trash. By the way, to delete the file in the trash, you can drag it with the mouse to this section on Google Drive.
So, we figured out the main points of the Google Drive web interface. Now a few words how to download to your computer or save to disk a file that was shared with you via a link from another Google Drive.
If you followed the link and are logged in to your Google account, then you will see a Google Drive icon at the top, by clicking on which you can save this file to your disk. Nearby there is an arrow for downloading the file to your computer.
Well, I hope my Google Drive instructions will help you navigate the settings and functionality of this cloud service. Well, if you still have questions, I will be happy to answer them in the comments.
I wish you success!
Best regards, Victoria Karpova
Google Drive, you can log in to it either using a computer or using a phone and tablet, which allows you to use files at any convenient time and anywhere. In order to use the storage, you must register a personal Google account.
From computer
Many users who have recently started using cloud storage from Google are interested in how to log into Google Drive. This requires:
- Go to the cloud storage page at drive.google.com.
- If you have already logged in, a page with your files will immediately open. If not, then you need to select an account and click on the “Login” button, or enter your username and password, and then click “Login”.
Important! If you are using cloud storage from someone else’s computer, you should log out of your account after completing all work. Otherwise, the confidentiality of your data will be at risk.
From phone
If you urgently need to use files from cloud storage, and only have a mobile phone at hand, then you can log into Google Drive using the official application for Android or iOS. To do this you will need:
- Go to the store.
- Find the application and install it on your smartphone.
- Wait for the installation to complete and log in using your username and password.
Important! In order to use this application, you will need a smartphone with Android no lower than 4.0 or iOS no lower than 7.0. For Windows phones, you can only install the unofficial application.
Password recovery
If problems arise when logging into the cloud storage, for example, the password was forgotten or lost, then you need to do the following.
The cloud is a service where you can store data and easily manage it. That is, you can upload your files to it, work with them directly on the Internet, download them at any time, and also transfer them to another person.
Any user can get such a service at their disposal completely free of charge. It's essentially your own hard drive on the Internet.
You could say it’s something like a Local Disk on a computer, but only with the ability to use it on any device with Internet access. Plus, you can transfer files to other users by simply sending them a download link.
So, the cloud is needed to:
- Store files and folders with files
- Work with them on any computer or smartphone that has the Internet
- Easily and quickly transfer files to other people
Thus, it replaces flash drives, disks and other devices for transferring information.
That is, I can upload the files I need to such a service and work with them on any other computer where there is Internet. These can be documents, books, music, videos - in general, any files.
Initially, they are available only to me, but if I wish, I can make some of them public. Then they can be downloaded.
That is, a special Internet address (link) will be generated where the file can be saved to your computer. I can send this address to any person (for example, on Skype or via mail), and the person will be able to download my file.
Where and how to get the cloud
There are sites that provide clouds to users. It's like with mail: there are sites where you can get it. We go to such a site, register and get a cloud service for storing data.
We are allocated a certain free volume. On some services it is a very decent 50-100 GB. If you want more, it's for money.
Or you can register several times and, accordingly, receive several free volumes. Everything is free, everything is legal!
The easiest way to get a cloud is to do it where you have your mail. The fact is that the largest email sites (Yandex, Mail, Gmail) distribute such services for free. You just need to want it.
That is, you don’t even need to register. Just open your mail and indicate that you want to receive the cloud. They give it to you right away.
Sites that give away clouds for free
Yandex.Disk is a cloud service from Yandex. If you have mail there, then you also have such a disk. 10 GB is given free of charge and forever.
To receive Yandex.Disk, you need to open the website yandex.ru and go to your mail. Then open the “Disk” tab (at the top).
They will greet you and offer to download a special program to your computer for convenient work with Yandex.Disk.
It’s better not to do this right away - you can always install it later. I recommend closing this window and first learning how to use Yandex.Disk without the program.
That's all! Upload files, sort them, share, delete. In general, you already have a cloud. There are even some files and folders with files already loaded onto it for example.
To further access Yandex.Disk, you need to follow all the same steps: open the yandex.ru website, open your email, go to the “Disk” tab.
Or you can install and configure a special program “Disk for Windows” and use the cloud directly from your computer - without going to the website yandex.ru
Cloud Mail.ru is a service from the mail site mail.ru. 25 GB is given free of charge.
To receive this goodness you just need to have a mail.ru mailbox. If you have it, then you also have a cloud.
To enter it, you need to open the mail.ru website and open your mail. Then click on the “Cloud” button at the top.
Your personal cloud service will open. Some example files are already loaded into it. You can remove them, or you can leave them. In general, your cloud is already ready to go.
You can use it directly, via email, or you can download and install a special application (program). Then the cloud will be accessible directly from the computer - a shortcut will appear on the Desktop to instantly open it.
Google Drive is a service that is “attached” to gmail.com. 15 GB is allocated for free.
To get into it, you need to go to your email account on the website gmail.com. Then click on the picture with small squares next to your name (top right) and click on the “Disk” item.
Perhaps after this Google will ask you a couple of questions. Below, in the pictures, it is shown what he should answer in this case.
After this, your personal cloud will load. It will already have a folder with several files. You can delete this folder with all its contents, or you can leave it - as you wish.
So, the disk is ready for use. You can start downloading!
It opens in exactly the same way - through mail. Or you can install a special program. Then it will be accessible from your computer.
It seemed to me that this cloud is much more difficult to use than all the others. Not everyone will understand. But there are certain advantages that other services do not have. For example, you can create a document, presentation, table, form or drawing right in it.
That is, a program will open directly on the Internet to create a file of the desired type. It is quite simple and allows you to both create a file and save it to Google Drive, as well as download it to your computer in the desired format.
Such programs can be used instead of Word, Excel, Power Point. It is very convenient when you have to work on a computer on which they are not installed.
Which service is better
As various tests have shown, the “mail” clouds that I just talked about are superior in quality, convenience and free features to all other similar services.
I won’t go into details, but the places were distributed as follows:
Therefore, I recommend that you still use one of these services. If you do not have an email account on any of them, then you just need to register. You will have new mail (which, by the way, you don’t have to use at all) and a cloud.
Of course, there are other sites where you can get a cloud service for free. But most of them have various unpleasant limitations in their free versions.
But there is one that compares favorably with all the others (including the “postal” ones). It is best suited for transferring files to other people. His address: mega.co.nz
Mega - this service makes sense for those who host files for downloading. The fact is that through special downloader programs such as MiPony, they can be saved to your computer very quickly and easily. Much easier and faster than with other cloud services. 50 GB is allocated for free.
Initially, the site opens in English. To switch to the Russian version, click on the Menu button (top right), select Language from the list, then click on Russian and the Save button.
Just in case, I’ll give you two more good cloud services:
Dropbox - 2 GB free.
One Drive - 7 GB free.
How to manage the cloud
You can manage it on the very site where you received it. Log in there with your username and password, go to a certain section and get access to the cloud.
And you can do this even easier, more conveniently and, most importantly, much faster: with the help of a small application (program).
Each service has its own, that is, you need to download it from the site where you have the cloud.
This application allows you to quickly and easily upload, watch, download files and folders with files from your cloud service. It takes up very little space, and you can install such a program on any computer or smartphone (not just yours).
How to install the application. Open your cloud and there will be a download link or button in a prominent place. The pictures below show where such a button is in “mail” cloud services.
Download the program file and open it. The installation will begin. Below are illustrated instructions for each “mail” service. Do everything as in the pictures and the application will install.
Yandex.Disk:
Cloud Mail.ru:
How to use the application
After installing the application, a program shortcut appears on the Desktop. With the help of it we will work with the cloud.
When you first launch the program, you will be asked to enter data from the cloud. Type your email address and password. Then agree to the terms of service and click “Login”.
Now, when you open the program icon, your cloud will open directly on your computer - in a regular folder.
Also, when an application is opened, its icon appears in the tray.
This is where the computer clock is - in the lower right corner of the screen (on the taskbar, where the other icons are).
This icon may be hidden under a small arrow next to the alphabet.
Using it you can control the application. To do this, click on it with the left or right mouse button.
File/folder synchronization. This is the most difficult part to understand, but it is absolutely necessary to understand it in order to successfully work with the application.
The point of synchronization is that the computer or smartphone on which the application is installed must connect to your cloud and download files from or to it.
This process must be completed, otherwise we will not be able to use the downloaded data. Synchronization occurs via the Internet. That is, without the Internet it is simply impossible.
Consider the following situation. My cloud already has downloaded files and folders with files.
By the way, initially, when you receive the cloud, it already has some information. So if you didn’t specifically delete it, then there are several files there.
I installed the application on my computer, opened it, entered my username and password. A folder with a cloud has opened. So, all the data that was on it initially should be uploaded to this folder. That is, my cloud and computer must be synchronized.
It turns out that all the files that are on the cloud are downloaded to my computer in this very folder. And if there are few of them and they are small in size, then this process will happen quickly - I may not even notice it.
But if the files are large and my Internet is not very fast, then synchronization will take some time.
In practice, it looks like this: I open an application shortcut and see an empty folder, although I know for sure that there are files on my cloud.
Usually in this case, users begin to get nervous - they worry that their files have been deleted. In fact, they are all there. But we don’t see them because the synchronization procedure has not yet been completed.
And this can be verified. When synchronization is in progress, the application icon (the one in the tray) seems to move.
And if we click on it, then in the menu that opens there will be an item indicating the progress of the process.
In fact, at this moment, files are downloaded from the Internet. That is, the Internet itself may work slower because of this.
If necessary, synchronization can be turned off. To do this, click on the application icon in the tray and select the appropriate item from the menu. By the way, you can completely exit the program there.
In general, while synchronization is in progress, the files will not be accessible. The same thing happens when transferring information from a computer to the cloud.
How to upload a file (folder with files) to the cloud. To do this, you just need to copy the necessary files and then paste them into the application folder.
Copy/paste occurs as usual, but after this all transferred files should be synchronized. Otherwise, they will not be uploaded to the Internet on your cloud.
In the Cloud Mail.ru application, this process occurs instantly. Moreover, even for large files (from 1 GB).
In the Yandex.Disk program, synchronization takes some time, but it still happens quickly.
For me, on a fairly slow Internet, a 1 GB file downloaded in just a few minutes. If directly uploaded to the cloud (without an application), this process would take more than an hour.
But Google Drive lags behind in this regard. Apparently, this application uses a different technology, and synchronization takes the same amount of time as a regular file download.
My results may differ from yours. Perhaps your synchronization process will be faster or, on the contrary, slower than mine.
How to download a file (folder with files) from the cloud. All files that you want to download to your computer or phone from the application must be fully synchronized.
You can transfer them to your computer by simply copying them. That is, open the application, copy the necessary files and paste them into the computer folder of your choice. That's all! A couple of seconds - and the files are downloaded.
Cons of cloud services
Everything has both pros and cons. And cloud services also have them. I will list the main ones:
1. Memory consumption. In other words, the work of cloud services “stresses” the computer. In the case of Yandex.Disk and Cloud.Mail.ru, the load is insignificant, but Google Drive is quite voracious. Modern computers may not notice this, but old ones will have to puff.
2. Security. Since the cloud is an Internet service, there is always a certain chance that your files could fall into the wrong hands. Of course, modern data protection technologies minimize this probability, but there is always a risk. Moreover, the service is public.
3. Internet required. Without the Internet, you will not be able to use any cloud service.
Additional Information
In case the information provided in this lesson is not enough for you.
Each cloud service has detailed instructions for use. Users don’t particularly like it, but it does contain a lot of useful and interesting information.