Google Drive is made to upload, download and share files with a large number of people. But when a lot of people try to download the same files from Google Drive, Google puts the brakes on. If you don’t feel like or have the time to wait for the boundary to be lifted, there are a few shortcuts.
Tip 01: There are limits
Each Google account starts with 15 GB of free storage. That space is the sum of Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. One of the interesting things about Google Drive is that you can upload and download files very easily. But there are limits. When large numbers of people try to download a file from the same source, or when group members try to upload very large files, they can run into user limits. Don’t worry, because those limits are very high. The daily upload limit between your online drive and the local drive is 750 GB. When you reach the 750 GB upload limit, no further uploads are allowed.
As far as downloads are concerned, the border is more unclear, but here too you can see Google intervene and lock the file for 24 hours, because many users try to download it in a short time. In that case you will receive the message Download quota has been exceeded. This problem is less predictable. After all, you never know how many people have already downloaded the shared file you’re trying to access.
When people try to download the same file en masse, Google puts the brakes on
Tip 02: Bandwidth Filters
In the event of an abnormal spike in bandwidth consumption, Google’s abuse filters will kick in and no user will be able to download this file any longer. It usually takes 24 hours for the download quota to reset. This period may be shorter if the file suddenly receives much less traffic. When a file is extremely popular, it can even take a few days before you manage to download it. This is a frustrating issue and Google isn’t clear on how exactly this works. Yet these filters have a good reason to exist. Google does this because there are people who share links to pirated movies or to a music collection through their Google Drive account. Unfortunately, these bandwidth filters sometimes also take effect when many members of an organization exchange files via Google Drive.
Tip 03: Change URL
Do you get the message that the download quota has been exceeded and do you have better things to do than constantly refresh the page in the hope that you will succeed one day? Then you can circumvent that limitation in two ways. Navigate to the file you want to download on Google Drive. Then select the drive/folders section in the Internet address. Replace this text with file/d, press Enter and refresh the page. The screen will change and you should now see a preview page of the file. Click the menu icon in the top right corner (the three dots) and select Add star.
Tip 04: Shortcut
Now go to your own personal Google Drive and create in My Drive a new folder. Give this folder a name. In this example we call it MyDownloads. Then scroll down in the left column so that you With star can select. There you will find the just marked item you want to download. Select it and right click on it. In the menu you choose Add Shortcut. A pop-up will immediately appear in which you indicate where you want to place the shortcut. Select My Drive and choose the folder you just created. Then click Add Shortcut. Once the shortcut is posted, go back to My Drive. Right click on the shortcut and choose To download. You read that the download is being prepared and a little later you receive a message that the download is ready.
You can bypass the security by moving the file to your own account
Tip 05: Make a copy
You can also bypass security by moving the file to your own account. In principle, the file remains on Google’s servers and the download limit does not apply if it is moved. Make sure you’re signed in to your Google Drive account. Go back to the file you want to download. In the main window, right click on the file in question and choose Make a copy. Google tells you that the file Copy of (file name) is stored on My Drive. This will move the file from the original account it was shared from to your own Google Drive account. When the file is on your personal account, you can quietly download it to your hard drive without limiting the download quota. Close the window where you viewed the original file and browse to your own Google Drive where the copy of the file is. Right click on it and choose To download.
Tip 06: Own files
So far, we’ve assumed you wanted to pull in a large file that’s on someone else’s Google Drive. But if you host the shared file yourself, the solution is easier.
If the Google filters prevented it from downloading, you will no longer be able to download this shared file yourself. But Google’s block only applies to that specific file and not the rest of your Google Drive account. This means you can still download other files. So the solution is very simple: make a copy of the blocked file. Right click on it and select Make a copy. A new file is created, with the addition A copy of for the original name. You can then simply download this file again.
To limit
When you reference downloads on your Google Drive through a webpage or social media, you open the door to mass downloads. To avoid having too many users plunging into a particular file in a short amount of time, it may be worth restricting only a select number of people to download the file. To do this, right-click on the file and select To share. If you gave people access to the file through an internet link, select Change in the Get Link. In the drop-down list to change the settings, choose Limited. This means that only people you’ve shared the file with directly can open or download it. Then add any email addresses or groups you want to grant access to.
