What is Google Drive
Google Drive is the place all your Google files are stored. Google files can be Documents (like Word), Sheets (like Excel), Forms (that people can fill in), Slides (like PowerPoint).
You can also upload any document from your computer (Word, picture, video etc) to your Google Drive.
This is what my Google Drive looks like (you’ll see that it contains ‘folders’ to help me organise my files) …
How can I access my Google Drive and create Google Docs?
You need to have a ‘Google account’
However, you don’t have to get a gmail address to do this …
Many of us have ‘gmail accounts’ e.g. ITsorted@gmail.com or ITsorted@googlemail.com (incidentally, these are both one and the same email address)
But you can also have a Google account associated with a personal email address e.g. massimo@itsorted.org.uk
How can I see a Google file or folder someone has shared with me?
There are two ways people can share a Google file/folder with people …
- Anyone on the Internet with the link can view (you don’t need a Google account for this)
- Restricted: Only people added can open with the link (you do need a Google account)
Do I have a Google account?
Your computer will usually remember your Google Account. Go to https://www.google.co.uk/ or https://www.google.com/ and look in the top right hand corner to see if you are signed in with a Google Account.
If you are signed in, hold your mouse over the image (or click on it) and you should see which email is associated with it …
If the email you see is NOT “associated” with you, it may be that someone else is, or has been, using this computer and signed in with their email address.
If you know your Google email and password, you can sign out and then sign in with your account.
If it says “Sign in” and you know your Google email and password, simply sign in.
I don’t have a Google account – how do I create one?
You’re looking for a ‘Create Account’ button.
Click on ‘Sign in’ at the top right of the google.co.uk or google.com page …
If your computer remembers any old Google sign-ins used on this computer you’ll see something like this screen (otherwise skip to the next screen below) …
If one of them belongs to you, then sign in with it, otherwise, click ‘Use another account’ and you’ll see this screen …
Click ‘Create account’. You will see a screen like this, asking for you to create a Google account …
If you want to create a Google Account, but do NOT want a gmail address, simply click ‘Use my current email address instead’
You should now be able to fill in your details and create your Google account
Note: In this process, Google insists on you entering a birth date. It does not have to be your real birthday. However, be aware that, the way social media works, you might get people wishing you happy birthday on the day you enter here 😉
For more information on Google Docs click here to see our using Google Docs with Zoom page
