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!