Google Drive and Docs Tips

Change the Google Drive default folder

Use this tip to change the default folder location in Windows

When you download Google Drive to your PC a default folder will be created in C:\Users\[your name]\Google Drive. If you want to change the name or location of this folder you can do so by following the steps below.

Click on the Google Drive icon in your system tray (usually bottom right of your Windows task bar)
Choose Preferences
Choose Disconnect account, your Drive will be disconnected but your files will stay on your PC
Click on the Google Drive icon again
Sign in when asked, step through the set up until you reach screen 2 of 2 - then click Advanced setup
Click Change to choose the folder name and location - if you choose an existing folder it must be empty
Your files will now be re-synced down to your PC in this new location
Delete the old folder and files - if you want to.

An alternative method, without disconnecting your account:

Click on the Google Drive icon in your system tray
Choose Quit Google Drive
Now move the Google Drive folder within Windows Explorer to a new location
Restart Google Drive from Start --> All Programs
Google Drive will warn you that it can't find the folder, click on the Google Drive icon again and choose Error - Google Drive folder is missing
A window will open up, choose Locate folder and go find the new Google Drive folder.

Let us know if you have any other tips on moving the Google Drive default location in the comments.

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Comments/Feedback

ClipFlair admin

there is an other alternative method, based on #1above. After connecting the account again to GDrive, set the option to choose the folders to sync (not sync all) and don't select ANY folder there. Then after you finish setup it will say all is synced. Then move the contents of the old folder (found at c:\users\YOURACCOUNT\Google Drive on Win7 for example, for older OS see c:\documents and settings\...). Then at the taskbar tray right click the google drive icon and select to see settings, then set the option to sync all folders (instead of specific ones) to the cloud. Then it will compare the cloud contents with the same contents that you just moved from the old folder (will take some time), but won't download the stuff again

19 May at 18:06 • Reply to this comment

ClipFlair admin oops, sorry, seems GDrive is sill enough to make a new folder for each of the subfolders you had and copy the stuff again!

20 May at 12:44

Justin Lewis

I tried the alternative method and received an error at step 6 saying that this is not my original Google Drive folder. Has anyone found a solution to this? I chose the alternative method because I don't want to go through the entire process of downloading the cloud content from Google to my local machine.

09 May at 14:43 • Reply to this comment

D Kennedy

I used the first method. It was quick and easy to follow.

06 May at 09:50 • Reply to this comment

Kevin McDonnell

I tried the alternative method and received an error at step 6 saying that this is not my original Google Drive folder.

25 April at 19:29 • Reply to this comment

Stephen Kent

Agree with Tom Collins - the easiest and quickest method is the 'alternative' method. This should be top of the page.

23 April at 00:16 • Reply to this comment

Donna Bratschun

Beware. This tip is incorrect. You cannot change the name of folder from Google Drive. You can only change the location of that folder.

11 April at 22:50 • Reply to this comment

Tom Collins

I think the alternate version would be quicker. The first version will re-copy everything from your online G-Drive, and you'll have to delete the old folder.

11 April at 21:32 • Reply to this comment