I need to move some large folders from my old Google Drive account to a new one without losing any files or sharing permissions. I’ve tried downloading and re-uploading, but it’s taking too long and messing up the folder structure. Is there a faster or easier way to do this that keeps everything intact? Any help would be appreciated.
Quick Guide: Migrating Folders Between Google Drives
So, you’re looking to shuffle some folders over from one Google Drive to another? Been there. Let me break it down, minus the corporate mumbo jumbo, so anyone can pull this off.
1. Quick Steps – The “Just the Facts” Approach
- Crack open your Google Drive using your web browser.
- Right-click the folder you wanna move and hit “Download.” This chucks the whole thing into a Zip file, straight onto your computer.
- Now, switch accounts. Jump into the Google Drive where you want the files to live.
- Drag that zipped file in there, or hit the “+ New” button and select “File upload.”
- After the upload, right-click the Zip and select “Extract.” Pop those files back into folders – all done!
2. Storytime: The Day My Files Took a Road Trip
Picture this: I had work stuff in my old school Google Drive and needed everything outta there, STAT. Downloaded the folders as a Zip, switched over to my new account, uploaded, and extracted. Not rocket science, but yeah, a bit of legwork!
I did stumble for a sec trying to see my Google Drive folders in my File Explorer – turns out there’s a way, but you gotta set it up first. For more on weaving Google Drive right into File Explorer like an extra hard drive, check this thread where people swap tips: add google drive to file explorer.
3. Pro Tips: Minimal Fuss Moves
- You can also just “Share” a folder from Account A to Account B, then log in at B and “Make a copy” of the folder. It won’t keep fancy permissions and sharing stuff, but if all you care about is files, it works.
- Super-huge folders? The Drive can choke if there’s a mountain of files, so break it into chunks.
4. Gotchas and Gripes
Things don’t always go smooth – sometimes Google Drive takes forever to zip big folders, or it won’t keep every subfolder structure perfectly. You might wind up manually re-sorting stuff. The web interface is clunky for this, honestly.
5. Before You Go…
If you’re tired of the browser shuffle, getting Google Drive to show up right inside File Explorer is a total quality-of-life move. Other users have shared what worked for them here: add google drive to file explorer.
And that’s it. Whether you’re moving files for work, school, or just getting organized: download, upload, and you’re done. If you run into weird errors, check that discussion above—someone’s probably already figured out a hack!
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Argh, the classic Google Drive migration pain. Downloading and re-uploading is pretty much the Stone Age of cloud file transfer, honestly. Props to @mikeappsreviewer for the breakdown, but let’s be real—if you want to move TBs of data with sharing permissions intact, zipping and copying is just… nope.
Here’s the “if you don’t want headaches or broken sharing permissions” angle: use Google’s official tool, Drive Migration. Yeah, it exists. It’s called Google Takeout for a one-shot backup, but for account-to-account, check out Google Drive’s migration with Google Workspace account (if you’ve got access—schools and businesses usually do). For regular users, the best workaround (without third-party sketchy apps) is to share entire folders from old to new, as editor. Then, in your new account, Add shortcut to Drive AND (crucial) use the “make a copy” trick on every folder/file, though this won’t keep folder-level sharing or comments, which stinks.
If you’re handy with third-party tools, “cloud-to-cloud transfer” services like MultCloud or CloudMounter can actually copy stuff directly between accounts—sometimes for free, sometimes not. They keep more of your structure than zipping/download/upload does, and you don’t have to re-upload gigabytes from your local drive (which often borks folder structrure). But you’re trusting your stuff to a third party, so security-wise… meh, your call.
But hey, let’s not put Drive on too high a pedestal. If sharing permissions, comments, timestamps matter, even Google’s native moves are shaky. Sometimes automating with Google Apps Script can help, but that’s a rabbit hole.
Tl;dr: There’s no magic button. Either go oldschool and lose sharing stuff, or bite the bullet and use a cloud-to-cloud manager and pray the folder structure holds. Or spend twelve hours re-sharing everything manually like I did, because, ya know, it’s 2024 and this should be a solved problem by now lmao.
Ugh, this whole “transfer Google Drive folders without losing permissions” saga sounds like the quest for the Holy Grail of cloud management, except you’re more likely to end up with missing files and recursed folder shortcuts than eternal happiness. I see @mikeappsreviewer and @cacadordeestrelas already served up the quick and dirty — download > upload, or share and “make a copy” and pretend like everything is fine. Classic. And yeah, if you’ve ever watched Google Drive try to ZIP 80 gigs of nested folders… bonus points for not smashing your keyboard.
But honestly, anyone suggesting Google Takeout for massive, permission-sensitive drive moves is probably trolling. Google Takeout barely keeps folder architecture, forget about permissions and sharing. It’s just a way to export your files in a suitcase, toss it on the sidewalk, and hope nothing breaks.
Here’s the spicy bit: for really massive, complex stuff, check if you (or a buddy) have temporary access to a Google Workspace admin. There’s an actual “drive migration” tool in the admin panel for these accounts that can preserve some sharing settings and comments when moving content between users. Sucks for regular users (why, Google, WHY?), but if you can swing it, it’s the only semi-official way to move at scale with structure intact.
Now, for the rest of us mere mortals who don’t have admin magic, third-party tools like MultCloud or Cloudsfer are more than “sketchy.” They move stuff cloud-to-cloud so your slow internet isn’t choking things, but they do usually cost money for large batches, and you trust a middleman with your files, so… encrypt anything sensitive first. They’re the closest thing to “set and forget” unless you want to run an Apps Script (and then you’re the tech support call when it goes sideways).
To recap:
- Download/upload is prehistoric and kills permissions.
- Sharing and “make a copy” is okay for files, but forget folder-specific shares and comments.
- Google Takeout — LOL, nope.
- Workspace admin migration? Solid but elitist.
- 3rd party cloud migrators: Risk vs. reward, but effective for bulk moves.
Seriously, why is this still so hard in 2024? Until Google gets its act together, looks like pain is just part of the process. Welcome to the club.
Honest take: most Google Drive migration advice boils down to download/upload pain or share-and-copy headache. But since those approaches have been covered to death, let’s talk about a workaround that skips your hard drive entirely and gives you a fighting chance of retaining sanity if not every permission detail—Google Drive for desktop. Here’s what makes it interesting:
How it works: Install Google Drive for desktop, add both accounts, and simply drag/drop folders between accounts in your system’s File Explorer/Finder. Everything syncs in the background, so you avoid the browser timeouts and zipping/unzipping debacles. Structure is kept pretty decently, and massive folders can move overnight.
Pros:
- No browser limits or “Zip failed” errors (hurrah).
- You can use system tools to automate, batch move, or double-check files before syncing.
- Best chance at folder retention without 3rd-parties.
Cons:
- Definitely not perfect with huge shares or if you need advanced sharing permissions migrated.
- Initial sync/downloads can eat up computer space if you’re not careful; use the “stream” option, not “mirror.”
- Still slower than admin tools, especially for >100GB moves.
Why not totally agree with the “make a copy” technique? It’s fine for simple needs, but Google wrecks comments, sharing, and sometimes drops Google format conversions (Docs/Sheets). As @viajeroceleste pointed out, neither Takeout nor copy-crazy steps get you 100% over the line.
Now, for those wary of giving files to a 3rd party (think MultCloud or Cloudsfer), Drive for desktop is Google’s own sync, so fewer trust issues. But yeah, Workspace admin with migration console is king—most can’t use it though.
Bottom line: if you want a way that mostly respects folder structure for big moves and you hate browser drama, install Drive for desktop, log in both accounts, and let your computer do the slog. Check every folder before deleting originals, because cloud sync can occasionally burp on deep structures.
Is it perfect? Nope. Does it beat waiting hours for zips or clumsy re-uploads? For most, absolutely. Trust me, once you try this, you’ll never fiddle with those brutally slow download/upload cycles again.