As of 12 May 2018, the desktop version of Google Drive will stop working. Google announced this months ago, but now you’ll actually have to do something about it if you use the cloud storage service.
What’s happening with Google Drive?
The Drive service itself isn’t changing, and certainly isn’t shutting down. Instead, Google is replacing the Google Drive software for Windows and macOS with a new app called Backup & Sync.
In reality, not much is changing aside from the name: Backup & Sync has pretty much the same set of features as the old Google Drive all and works in the same way.
This is the app you’ll want if you’re a home user, regardless of whether you’re using the free Google Drive account or you pay for extra storage over and above the free 15GB.
What do I need to do?
Google says that the old Drive app will stop working on 12 May, so if you want files to continue to sync you’ll need to install the new Backup & Sync app.
You should see a prompt next time you boot up your computer, assuming you haven’t disabled Google Drive from auto-starting with Windows.
In any case, you can download Backup & Sync from Google’s website. Installing it is just as simple as the original Google Drive.
What if I use Google Drive through a business account?
If you use Google Apps for work, you might instead be prompted to download Drive File Steam, which is designed for business users.
It’s a bit different to Backup & Sync because it appears like a hard drive rather than a folder.
Also, you can stream files from Google Drive – hence the name – which means videos and other large files don’t have to take up room on your PC or laptop’s hard drive.
Another extra feature is the ability to view Team Drives, but you can’t sync other folders such as ‘My Documents’ and the Desktop.
Confusingly, even if you do use Google Apps, you can still use Backup & Sync so long as you’re happy to go without Drive File Stream’s extra features.
This table of features shows how the two differ:
Feature | Drive File Stream | Backup and Sync |
Access files in My Drive | Yes | Yes |
Access files in Team Drives | Yes | No |
Stream files on demand | Yes | No |
Sync only certain folders in My Drive | Yes | Yes |
Sync only individual files | Yes | No |
Use native apps such as MS Word and Photoshop | Yes | Yes |
Sync other folders, such as Documents or Desktop | No | Yes |
Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.