Help me understand Google Drive

Irish Stones

I have an Android smartphone and an Android tablet. On both devices I have Google Drive. When I upload something to this Drive from a device, almost immediately I have the same file accessible from another device and from a PC logged in my Google account and connected to the internet.
I have installed Google Drive on my PC too, now I have a new item/folder in My Computer, but there's nothing in it.
I thought that this folder would synchronise to the Drive installed on the Android devices.
Is there anything that I have to check or configure to let my files on Drive be visible from my PC (Win 7)?
Thanks!

bluferbl

Have you logged into Google Drive on your PC (same account that you use on the phone and tablet)?

Irish Stones

Well, I haven't, because I wasn't asked to. I downloaded Drive for PC, I installed it and that was it.
Last night, when I read your reply, I downloaded and installed it on my other PC. Then I was asked to log into my Google account and it worked fine, on this PC I had all the files of Google Drive.
Then I turned on my first PC, I looked for the item to log in, I didn't find it, but I realised that all the files were on the first PC too.
So, when I logged in on the second PC, the first PC synchronised the folder.
Does it make any sense?

bluferbl

No, doesn't make any sense. As long as it is working now I wouldn't worry about it.

Irish Stones

There's still something wrong...
I have uploaded a file (a jpg image) to my Drive through my tablet. The new file is visible in Drive on my tablet, but it is not in Drive on my smartphone.
So, is the new file in local on the tablet? Or is the Drive on my smartphone not working?
The new file isn't in the Google Drive folder on the PC either. It's on the tablet Drive only.

Ste-

Irish Stones wrote: »

There's still something wrong...
I have uploaded a file (a jpg image) to my Drive through my tablet. The new file is visible in Drive on my tablet, but it is not in Drive on my smartphone.
So, is the new file in local on the tablet? Or is the Drive on my smartphone not working?
The new file isn't in the Google Drive folder on the PC either. It's on the tablet Drive only.

Check how often they are set to sync.

Irish Stones

Ste- wrote: »

Check how often they are set to sync.

Where do I find this setting? I can't find it.

EDIT: I found this:
"Drive syncs automatically when you add/delete files from the Drive folder on your computer."

It seems that there's no such setting, when I modify the content of the folder on any of my devices (where I have logged in), the other devices will follow.
But it's not my case, my smartphone and PC still don't have the last file available on their Drive.

Ste-

Settings > Accounts > Google, make sure Drive is turned on and not giving an error.

Irish Stones

Ste- wrote: »

Settings > Accounts > Google, make sure Drive is turned on and not giving an error.

I checked, all items are turned on, it says last sync 20 minutes ago, but the file I uploaded this morning isn't there yet.

EDIT: I checked it, it's all turned on on both tablet and smartphone. The phone says last sync one hour ago, when I forced it. Nothing. The tablet and the phone aren't synchronised, and neither are the two PC's at home.

I thought that Google Drive was something like Dropbox (that works fine), but to me it's a totally useless App.

bluferbl

Due to delays with files syncing I use a program called Insync. I find it syncs my Google Drive much more quickly. Plus it allows me to sync 3 Google accounts at the same time.

Irish Stones

bluferbl wrote: »

Due to delays with files syncing I use a program called Insync. I find it syncs my Google Drive much more quickly. Plus it allows me to sync 3 Google accounts at the same time.

So this is a common and well known issue? Shouldn't an App work without the intervention of another App?
In my case it's not a matter of delayed synchronisation, it's a matter of a missed synchronisation. Nothing good has happened so far, the file I have uploaded this morning with my tablet is still invisible on my phone and both my PC's.
I wonder how other people manage to use this App.

Irish Stones

Another question.
My tablet's Google Drive has more files than my other devices' Drive.
Am I to understand that Google Drive is a local folder, not a cloud? I mean, if all files are in a cloud, why isn't this cloud visible the same way by all my devices? Is it using up memory space in my tablet?

mass_debater

I have no problems, Google Drive is a cloud folder. On Android you will see the files in the cloud but they are not downloaded locally until you click them. On desktop they sync from and to the cloud instantly

Irish Stones

mass_debater wrote: »

I have no problems, Google Drive is a cloud folder. On Android you will see the files in the cloud but they are not downloaded locally until you click them. On desktop they sync from and to the cloud instantly

So where could my problem be? Every file that I upload to Drive "stays" on the device where it was uploaded from, that is the file is only visible from the device that originated the uploading. Four devices, four different contents of the same folder!

Irish Stones

This night my smartphone and my desktop PC have "received" the file I had uploaded to Google Drive with my tablet three days ago. My netbook still has to update its Drive folder. Unbelievable!

@gmail&quot

Strangely I got an offer of Insync Plus for free. I say strangely because I already paid for it some months back. I'm not sure if it's transferable but if you have a "@gmail" or "@googlemail" account then PM me for the link. The offer expires in just under 72 hours.