Is Google Drive a Crippled Dropbox? Regretting The Switch

highon2str on 15/09/2021 - 13:47

I've been a long time paid DB user who has in recent months switched over to Google Drive (finally putting rewards credits to use). However, I realised that there doesn't seem to be a way to share the contents of a folder to have another person access it and drag/drop files natively from windows file explorer. It seems that the only way to share a folder is to do it via the web interface, which is an annoying limitation having come from DB.

After 24 emails and almost 3 hrs on live chat with Google, they are essentially telling me "it is not possible to collaborate and have 2 people have write access to a folder".

Does anyone have experience with this and is there a workaround (or am I missing something??), or will I have to go back to DB? 🤨

Computing Cloud Storage

Related Stores

Google Drive
Google Drive

Comments

  • koreanfriedchicken on 15/09/2021 - 13:56
    +4

    I don't think you can do it via the windows app, but it's very simple to do via the web interface.

  • PLA74 on 15/09/2021 - 13:57
    +3

    I think you need to install this on the PC to enable native/Google Drive folders in Windows Explorer without using web client such as Google Chrome etc.

    https://www.google.com/drive/download/

    • highon2str on 15/09/2021 - 18:19

      I have, but therein lies the issue.

      • Chandler on 16/09/2021 - 22:15

        You can share the folder with the other user, but for them to have it appear on their PC through the associated app, there used to be a button in the web interface called "Add to Drive" to have them keep a copy of the file in their own "Drive". Not sure what the current equivalent is. There is a "Add Shortcut to Drive" button but I don't know if that is the same function. Could also be because the only files shared with me are Google Docs…

  • p1 ama on 15/09/2021 - 14:16
    +2

    You can download the Google Drive client to PC.

    However, of all the Cloud storage services, I would by far rate Dropbox as the top choice, followed by OneDrive, then Google Drive.

    • MrThing on 15/09/2021 - 16:23

      I hate onedrives sync system.

      Having to put all your stuff in the "onedrive" folder.

      google drive is better with its sync, that you can sync any folder on your computer without having to make a dedicated "google sync" folder.

      I switched from onedrive to google drive for that reason alone.

  • bazingaa on 15/09/2021 - 14:24
    +3

    share the contents of a folder to have another person access it and drag/drop files natively from windows file explorer.

    It was possible in a previous version. Then they have removed that option of showing shared folders in the explorer.
    I also didn't like that change. Now they have removed the possibility to select non-syncing folders to PC as well.

  • thatonethere on 15/09/2021 - 17:07
    +1

    Yeah Dropbox is considered one of the finest sync clients unfortunately.

  • soan papdi on 15/09/2021 - 17:15

    No answer for you, just wanted to rant. I agree that Dropbox is superior to Drive. I'd have stayed with Dropbox if they had a photos product even half as good as Google Photos. Carousel doesn't count, it was primitive at best and discontinued quite soon.

  • highon2str on 15/09/2021 - 18:17

    Arrrggg… Well at least I don't feel alone now. Yeah I have downloaded the app to windows and my drive does show natively in file explorer, but there doesn't seem to be a way to share folders within explorer… 😐

  • randombrick on 16/09/2021 - 09:06
    +1

    So you are not seeing the Share with Google Drive option in Explorer? https://imgur.com/a/6LRMDvx

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join