Google Drive for Desktop

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Google Drive for Desktop

Following the announcement on May 19th, 2026, regarding the the migration of the Campus H: and R: Drives to Google Drive (for more information, please refer to the email "Modernizing Campus Data: Moving H: and R: Drives to Google Workspace" that you received from helpdesk@tcnj.edu), your network drives will no longer be available in your File Explorer (Windows) or through the H: Drive and R: Drive desktop icons (Mac). This article will introduce you to "Google Drive for Desktop" which will mimic these options after the migration.

Installing Google Drive for Desktop

  1. To get started with Google Drive for Desktop, go to this Google website and download the appropriate installer for your computer.
  2. Open the installer and when it presents you with the options of "Add an application shortcut to your Desktop" and "Add desktop shortcuts to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides" we recommend you only check the first one and leave the second unchecked. Then click "Install"
    Picture of the Google Drive for Desktop Installer
  3. Once the installer finishes, it will give you an option to launch Google Drive for Desktop right away
  4. Once the Google Drive program launches, log in
  5. After logging in, it will prompt you to "Choose folders to sync to Google Drive
    IT IS Information Technology's STRONG RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU UNCHECK ALL OF THE OPTIONS
    This would try backing up and hosting all of your computer's local files to Google Drive, which will take up most of your storage right away. You want to be intentional about what you are saving to Google Drive
    Picture of Google Drive for Desktop showing options for your computer folders that you would like to sync second Picture of Google Drive for Desktop showing options for your computer folders that you would like to sync
  6. Google Drive will now show up as a Drive location (the G: Drive) just like H: and R: Drives did
    Picture of the G Drive showing up in File Explorer
 

Opening Files From the G: Drive

If you are looking at your files in the G: Drive, you will see that it differentiates between if the file was made in a Microsoft 365 Product or using Google Workspace

Picture showing both a Google Doc and Microsoft Word Document in the G: Drive

Opening each of these files will bring it up in their respective programs. Fir example, a Microsoft Word Document will open up in Microsoft Word and a Google Docs file will bring up your web browser and go straight to that file in Google Drive.

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