Update
Google Drive File Stream is now available for all U-M Google accounts, including MiWorkspace-managed computers.
Back in the fall, we announcedGoogle Drive File Stream (GDFS), but had not made it available to install from within U-M Google Drive. It is, however, available to download from Google Drive Help. As of last December, the older Google Drive for Mac/PC app (also referred to as “Google Drive Sync”) was officially retired. As such, it is no longer supported by Google and will shut down completely on May 12, 2018. Accessing Google Drive with a web browser is not affected.
MiWorkspace Devices
- At this time, Google Drive File Stream is not available on MiWorkspace-managed Mac or Windows computers. If you have a MiWorkspace Mac, do not self-install Google Drive File Stream.
- MiWorkspace Macs use System Center Endpoint Protection (SCEP) for antivirus protection. Currently, macOS machines using SCEP for antivirus protection experience severe performance degradation when Google Drive File Stream is installed.
- The week of February 19, MiWorkspace will make Google Drive File Stream available to MiWorkspace Windows devices in ITS only. MiWorkspace will monitor and assess the deployment.
- The Collaboration Services and MiWorkspace Mac and Windows Engineering teams continue to work with Google on any outstanding issues. Google Drive File Stream will be released more broadly to MiWorkspace Windows and Mac devices once issues are resolved.
Other Devices
- Google Drive File Stream works well on Windows and Mac devices not running SCEP for antivirus protection.
- If installing Google Drive File Stream, exclude the “Google Drive” volume from antivirus scanning.
About Google Drive File Stream
With Google Drive File Stream, you access your Google Drive files directly from the cloud to your Mac or PC. This frees up disk space and network bandwidth, as files are accessed on demand, rather than synced locally in the background. Because the Drive files are stored in the cloud, any changes you or your collaborators make are automatically updated everywhere. You’ll always have the latest version. You can also make Drive files available for offline access. These cached files sync back to the cloud when you're online, so the latest version is available on all your devices.
With Drive File Stream, you can:
- See your Google Drive files (including Team Drives) in Mac OS Finder/Windows Explorer.
- Browse and organize Google Drive files without downloading them to your computer.
- Choose which files or folders you'd like to make available offline.
- Open files in common apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop.