How to Copy and Paste Files in Google Drive

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Copy and Paste Files in Google Drive

Are you looking to copy and paste your file on Google Drive? Well, the process of copying and pasting files is just as easy on Google Drive as on a PC. However, it is not quite similar.

If you have a large size a file it may not be as easy to copy it from a folder or location or another. It will take time and only create a copy of that document. The real Document will be present in its original location only. You can also choose to move files from one location to another which will save you space and also time.

We have mentioned the two ways to copy and paste files in Drive below; feel free to use whichever one suits you best. 

How to Copy and Paste Files in Google Drive

Google Drive doesn’t allow you to copy a file and simply paste it to another destination like you can on a PC. Instead, it will create a copy of all the files in the exact location they originally were, and then you can move it to any other place on your Drive. 

  • Open your PC or laptop and load up your preferred browser. 
  • Once you’ve opened the browser, go to drive.google.com. 
  • Enter your details to gain access to your Drive. 
  • Once you’re inside, find the file that you want to move.
  • Select and right-click on it to draw out the contextual menu. Choose to Make a copy from the menu.
  • This will create a duplicate of all the files you selected in the same location. 
  • Now choose all the duplicate files and draw out the contextual menu. Click on Move to. 
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  • A new dialog box will show up, using which you can move the copied files anywhere on the Drive.
  • Subsequently, you can also select the files you want to copy and press the Shift-Z shortcut. This will bring up a dialog box that can be used to move the files anywhere on the Drive. 

Read How to View Shared Files in Google Drive

Copy Folders Using Google Drive For Desktop

Copying and pasting files using the desktop app for Google Drive is much more straightforward than using the web version of it. 

All you need to do is open up the Google Drive folder, copy the files you need to, navigate anywhere on the computer or within the Drive folder and paste them. 

We have provided you with detailed steps below to do that. 

  • Open your laptop or PC and use Explorer to open the Google Drive folder. 
  • Select the files you want to copy, right-click on them to draw out the contextual menu, and click on Copy. Navigate to the destination you want to paste the files in, right-click within the window and choose Paste. 
  • For Windows,  you can also use the Ctrl+C shortcut to copy and then Ctrl+V shortcut to paste the files. 
  • For Mac users, you can use the Command-C shortcut to copy and the Command-V shortcut to paste. 

Keep in mind that if the sync is turned on, any changes you make on the desktop app of Google Drive will reflect instantly on the web version and vice versa. 

Read How to Remove Suggested Files in Google Drive

How to Create A New Folder on Google Drive?

There are two very simple ways to create a new folder on your Drive. The steps to do that are mentioned below. It might just seem too easy for a few people, it may be something new to learn for beginners who have just started using Google Drive.

  • Open your PC or laptop. 
  • Open your favorite browser and go to drive.google.com.
  • Enter your details (email address and password)  to gain access to your Drive.
  • Once you’ve gained access, click on the New button with a “+” sign beside it. 
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  • Choose Folder; a new window should pop up. Give a name to the folder and hit Create. 
  • Subsequently, you can also press on the trackpad with two fingers to draw out the contextual menu and select Folder from it. 
  • The new folder should show up within a few seconds under the Folders section of your Drive. 

Read How Long Does Google Drive Keep Deleted Files

Downloading Files From Google Drive

Instead, of simply copying and pasting, you can even choose to download these files on your system. Yes, Google Drive allows you to download all the files in your Drive to your PC or laptop. You can do that by following the instructions provided.

  • Open your PC or laptop and load your preferred browser. 
  • Go to drive.google.com and enter your details to access the Drive. 
  • Once you’ve gained access, navigate to the file you want to download.
  • Select it and, right-click on the files, choose Download from the menu. 
  • Google Drive will check the file for any viruses, and if it is clear, the file will commence downloading. 

Read How to Back Up Google Drive Files

How to Upload An Entire Folder on Google Drive?

Google Drive allows you two types of uploads; you can either upload individual files or upload an entire folder at once. 

  1. Open your PC or laptop and load up your preferred browser. 
  2. Go to drive.google.com and enter your details to access the Drive. 
  3. Once you’ve gained access, click on the New button on the left side of the webpage and select Folder upload from the menu. 
  4. Choose the folder you want to upload and hit Upload. 
  5. Subsequently, if you want to upload just a single file, click on the File Upload button and choose the file from the new window. Hit Upload when you’re done. 

Read How to Sign Out of Google Drive on iPhone

Conclusion

As you can see, there are two ways you can copy and paste files into Google Drive. The web version of Drive doesn’t allow for traditional copying and pasting; instead, it creates a duplicate of the file right where it was initially located. You then have to move the copied files to the destination in which you want to place them. 

Copying and pasting are much more straightforward on the desktop app for Drive, in which all you have to do is open the Drive folder and copy and paste files just like you usually would for any other file.

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