Computing

Google Drive and Dropbox

NCEAS supports Google Drive as a UC approved option for syncing files across multiple computers and sharing files with collaborators. Google Drive offers unlimited storage when used through NCEAS’ G Suite for Education accounts.

You can access Google Drive through the web, install Backup and Sync or the Drive File Stream client https://www.google.com/drive/download/.

Backup and Sync will keep a copy of your files on your local computer and automatically synchronizes them to the cloud https://www.google.com/drive/download/backup-and-sync/
You can continue to work on your files when you are not connected to the Internet but you have to enable ‘offline access’ for any Google documents (Google Docs, Google Sheets etc) you need to access when offline.

With Drive File Stream, you stream your Drive files directly from the cloud to your computer, freeing up disk space. If you want to work on your files when you do not have Internet access, you need to make the Drive files in question available for offline access first.

To share files on Google Drive with NCEAS residents and outside collaborators, you can follow these instructions.


While Dropbox works on our network, the service has not been approved by the UCOP and violates the UC Network Policy. Dropbox can still be installed for personal use.