Two key steps must be done for Google’s relatively new business file syncing client to be available without an internet connection:
- Drive File Stream must be running
- Files must be marked as “Available offline”
First, look for Drive File Stream in the Start Menu and open it to make sure it is running and that you are signed in with your G Suite account. If you don’t see Drive File Stream listed, download and run the latest version from Google: https://www.google.com/drive/download/
You should also be able to see its status in the System Tray.
Once Drive File Stream is running, make sure all files are getting saved offline navigate to This PC > Google Drive File Stream (G:)
then right-click on “My Drive”
and choose Drive File Stream > Available offline.
You can also use these steps to mark individual files or folders for offline access. This can help if your hard drive or SSD is on the smaller side or if your Google Drive is several hundred gigabytes in size.
Once the syncing has completed, everything marked as offline should now be accessible without an active internet connection. To verify that files are actually being stored offline, put your computer into Airplane mode and try accessing a file stored in Drive File Stream. If you can still see your files then mission accomplished! If not, double check that the items you want are still marked as “Available offline” and have finished downloading.
