Using Google Drive to Create and Store Files

Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service developed by Google, and the best place to store all of your files.  It is District Policy and your responsibility to make sure all of your files are stored in Google Drive. If something happens to your computer, Google Drive ensures that all of your data is backed up and easily accessible to use from any device, wherever you have an internet connection. Google Drive utilizes Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, an office suite that permits collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, forms, and more. Files created and edited through the Google Apps office suite are saved in Google Drive.  

Google Drive from a Web Browser

To access your Google Drive account from a web browser, do the following:

1. Open a web browser, preferably Google Chrome
2. Go to http://drive.google.com 
3. Type in your email (firstname.lastname@lposd.org) and your password

You’ll then be taken to your Drive inside of the web browser. Your screen should now look something like the picture below. You can create folders, documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more.  You can also drag files from your computer directly into your Chrome browser and they will be uploaded into your Drive Cloud.

Google Drive from a Computer

To access your Google Drive account from a computer, you first need to ensure that Google Drive is set up on the machine.  To do that, do the following:

1. From your PC, click the Start button and find Google Drive. If it is there, skip to step 8.  If not, go to step 2.
2. If Google Drive is not installed, follow the steps in the previous section, “Google Drive from a Web Browser”, to login Google Drive on a browser.
3. Once logged in click on the Gear icon in the top right, and select “Download Drive ” or Mac if you have a Mac.  
4. After the Download has completed, double click the file to install.  Once you have installed Drive File Stream, you will be prompted to login.  
5.  Type in your email (firstname.lastname@lpsod.org) and your password.     
6.                                                                   
7. A hard drive will show up on your Computer called “Google Drive” and will work the same way your other hard drives/thumb drives/network drives work.
8. Once you’ve installed and signed into Google Drive, your computer will sync the Google Drive folder (located on your Desktop) to what’s in the cloud. This can take some time, depending on how many files you have in the Google Drive folder.  Files that you move in and out of your Google Drive will be mirrored in your Google Cloud space.
9. If you have any errors or trouble setting up, please contact the Help Desk.

Now that Google Drive is set up, you can drag files into it, and save files into it like a normal hard drive.  As soon as the file are in your Google Drive File Stream G: folder, they will be synchronized to the cloud and you files are backed up.  Important: After Google Drive is installed, make sure you are saving to it.

You can also view our VIDEO on Google Drive HERE

last updated 8/3/2023 bj