When a student shares a file with you in Google Drive, it doesn't automatically get added to your personal "My Drive." It remains in the student's Drive and will eventually be deleted when their account is removed. To ensure you don't lose access to important files, you need to make a copy and save it to your own Drive. This article outlines the simple steps to do so.
Step 1: Locate the Shared File
- Open Google Drive and navigate to the "Shared with me" section in the left-hand menu.
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Find the file you wish to copy. You can use the search bar at the top to quickly locate it by name or student.
Step 2: Make a Copy of the File
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Right-click on the file you want to copy.
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From the dropdown menu, select "Make a copy."
- Google Drive will create a new file named "Copy of [Original File Name]" and automatically place it in your "My Drive" folder.
Step 3: Organize Your New Copy
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After creating the copy, you can find it in your "My Drive."
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To rename the file, right-click on it and select "Rename."
- To move the file to a specific folder for better organization, right-click and choose "Move to." A new window will pop up, allowing you to select the desired destination folder.
Important Note on Student Accounts and Data Retention
Student Google accounts are handled in the following manner after they graduate:
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Graduation: The account remains active for one year after graduation.
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Year after graduation: The account is disabled. You can still access data associated with the student account.
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Two years after graduation: The account and all associated data, including any files shared with you, are permanently deleted.
This means you have up to two years after a student graduates to copy any files from their account that you wish to keep. After this period, the files will be irretrievable. It is best practice to copy important files as soon as they are submitted to avoid any data loss.