In the past, any files that were shared on Google Drive could be downloaded by anyone. However, a recent service update from Google has given users the ability to disable downloading for files that are available to everyone. Google wants to help keep your files a little more secure, thanks to new Information Rights Management tools in Drive.
With this new feature you can now disable the ability to download, print, or copy a file through the advanced sharing menu. This feature can also be implemented by Developers in their apps with the help of an API. Also, disabling the shared files only affects the viewers and you can download that file anytime you want. See the step-by-step procedure below for disabling shared files in Google Drive.
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Steps On How To Disable Downloading For Shared Files In Google Drive
Step 1: Open Google Drive
Log in to your Google Drive account. After logging-in, Right-click on the file that you do not want others to download and then select View details from the context menu.
Step 2: Click On Prevent viewers from downloading option
In the slide out panel, go to the Details tab, scroll down to the bottom of the tab, and enable the Prevent viewers from downloading option. That’s all; it is as simple as that. Also there is alternative method to do this which is more reliable. See steps below for alternate method.
Step 3: Create Shareable Link
In this method you can create a shareable link to the file and disable downloading for the file from that shareable link. This is the recommended method if you have not created any links to this file before. To do that, select the file, click on the Create Link button, and then click the Sharing settings link.
Step 4: Go To Advanced Settings
Now a pop-up window appears, click the small Advanced link in the pop-up window.
Step 5: Disable options to download, print, and copy for commenters and viewers.
Under the Owner settings section, check the box next to Disable options to download, print, and copy for commenters and viewers. This option is only available for individual files. You cannot set it in bulk, so changing the setting may take a while if you have a large number of files.
Step 6: Test
To make sure that no one can download your file, log out of your account, and visit the shareable link using your browser. The download button should not longer be visible on the toolbar. Let us know your experience via Comments.
Author : Syed Mohammed Ameen
Designation: Associate Blogger
Bio: I am a computer science engineer who believes that there is no substitute to hard work, I am a technology freak and currently a Blogger at Techies Net.
Bio: I am a computer science engineer who believes that there is no substitute to hard work, I am a technology freak and currently a Blogger at Techies Net.
