Google Storage FAQ

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Issue / Question

Google has updated its policies on unlimited digital storage. As a result, ISU will now have a storage limit on their Google accounts. Below are some frequently asked questions about this change.

Note: Reminders will be sent via Idaho State Today and ROAR Weekly, along with information forums, and posted on the ITS Google Storage Limits webpage.

Overview

Storage Limits

Exporting/Managing Data

Transition Timeline

February 1, 2024 - Storage limits implemented on all Alumni accounts
February 20, 2024 - Access to Google Drive and Google Photos disabled for Alumni accounts
- It is imperative that you unsync your phone from Google Photos and transfer/delete all photos stored in Google Photos, as well as use Google Takeout to transfer items from Google Drive without delay.
April 15, 2024 - Google Photos will be Disabled
- It is imperative that you unsync your phone from Google Photos and transfer/delete all photos stored in Google Photos without delay.
May 1, 2024 - ALL Google Storage Limits Enforced
- It is highly recommended that you check your Google Storage without delay. For more information, the ITS Department has created articles on Google Storage Management and Google Takeout to help you reduce and manage your storage.
  - Note: If the storage capacity for your ISU account is exceeded, you must reduce the amount of data stored prior to May 1st.

Overview

What happens if I go over/reach my new storage limit?View Details

Gmail (All Users)
- Users will still receive emails even if they exceed their storage limit but will receive a notification that they are over their limit every time they log in.
  - Go to the Google Storage Management and Google Takeout articles to help you reduce and manage your storage.
Google Drive (Faculty, Staff, Students)
- Users cannot create or save files when their Drive storage exceeds the storage limit.
  - Go to the ITS Google Storage Limits webpage to view your assigned storage limit.
  - Go to the Google Storage Management and Google Takeout articles to help you reduce and manage your storage.

Can I pay for additional storage?View Details

This option is not available. There are no exceptions.

I need more space. Can you increase my individual/shared drive limit?View Details

No, we cannot increase your storage limit. There are no exceptions.

What Google Apps will be available, and what will not be available?View Details

Google Photos will No longer be available for any ISU user.
- Go to the Google Storage Management, Transfer & Delete Your Google Photos, and Google Takeout articles to help you reduce and manage your photo storage.
  - For Alumni, any photos not removed from ISU Google Photos before the February 20, 2024, deadline will no longer be accessible.
  - For any ISU user, any photos not removed from ISU Google Photos before the April 15, 2024, deadline will no longer be accessible.
Google Drive will no longer be available to ISU Alumni or Retirees.
- Go to the Google Storage Management and Google Takeout articles to help you reduce and manage your storage.
  - For Alumni, any files remaining in Google Drive for these groups after the February 20, 2024, deadline will no longer be accessible.
  - For Retirees, any files remaining in Google Drive for these groups after the April 15, 2024, deadline will no longer be accessible.

Alumni & Retirees

The following Google Apps are No longer available:

Drive
Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms
Keep
Voice

Students, Faculty, and Staff

The following Google Apps will remain available:

Note: This is not an exhaustive list and is subject to change
- Gmail
- Drive
- Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms
- Calendar
- Meet
  - Note: Recordings saved to Drive will count against your storage.
- Keep
- Chat
- Sites

What if I have multiple roles (i.e., student and faculty)?View Details

Your account will be granted the larger storage limit based on your affiliation.

How were these storage limits determined?View Details

ISU's Administrative Council determined storage limits and, after reviewing the overall usage of our Google space, set limits to give maximum space to each group within our storage constraints.
- Note: You can check the storage limits based on your role by visiting the ITS Google Storage Limits webpage.

Storage Limits

Where do I find how much storage my shared drive is using?View Details

Click on this link and log in using your regular ISU username and password. Your totals are shown with options for sorting the files by type or date modified.

If you are unsure of your storage limit, Please visit the ITS website to check the data usage limits associated with your affiliation. When your account reaches its storage limit, Drive will not allow you to upload or create files. You will still receive emails but will be notified that you are over the limit. Shared Drive items only count against allotted storage for the person who created the shared drive.

Note: You can view the ITS Google Storage article to find other options for checking your storage.

Will all Google file types (e.g., Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) count against my storage limit?View Details

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides count against your account's storage limit.
Google Sites, Chat, Meet, and Calendar do not count against your storage limit.

If another user shares files with me in Google, do those files count against my storage limit?View Details

No, files owned by another user do not count towards your storage limit. They only count towards the owner's limit.

Will storage limits be set for department, service, and club accounts?View Details

Yes, the following limits apply to department, service, and club accounts.
- Departments: 20 GB
- Existing Service/Club Accounts: 10 GB

Will Google Sites count against my storage limit?View Details

No, Google Sites data does not count against your storage limit. Sites and the content you embed in sites, DOES NOT count toward your Google storage limit.

Does storing recorded Zoom meetings on Google Drive count toward my storage limit?View Details

Recorded Zoom meetings stored on Google count towards the storage limit. The ITS department is currently collaborating with the ITRC group to find a solution and will provide an update as soon as possible.

Exporting/Managing Data

What options do I have to store my university data?View Details

ISU has multiple options available to store your University data. Please visit the Data Storage Solutions article for more information.

Can I delete email attachments without deleting the email?View Details

By default, Google doesn't allow users to delete email attachments individually without deleting the entire email. However, there are several tools available on Google Workspace Marketplace that might help you accomplish this task.

Note: The IT Service Desk cannot provide support for the use or guidance of third-party tools.

Can ITS transfer my Google data for me?View Details

No, ITS can not transfer your Google data for you. Please visit the ITS Google Storage Management and Google Takeout articles to help you reduce and manage your storage.

Can I transfer my data to my personal Google account? (i.e., Google Takeout)View Details

No, it is not possible to directly transfer data from an ISU Google account to a personal Google account using Google Takeout. However, you can save your data to your computer using Google Takeout, and then upload that data into your personal Google account.

Can I export and download my Google data?View Details

Yes, you can use the ITS Google Takeout article to export and download your data from your ISU Google account.

I have too much email taking up storage space - what should I do?View Details

Refer to Google Storage Management Tips for suggestions on cleaning up your Gmail.

Is there a way to find duplicate files in Drive and delete those duplicates?View Details

By default, Google doesn't have a feature to identify and remove duplicate files. However, there are several tools available on Google Workspace Marketplace that might help you accomplish this task.

Note: The IT Service Desk cannot provide support for the use or guidance of third-party tools.

Can I transfer my email from my ISU account to a personal account using POP?View Details

No, you cannot directly transfer your ISU email to a regular Gmail account because ISU email is a Google Workspace account. Google support does not provide any way to migrate emails from the ISU account.
To export your email, use Google Account Help and Google Takeout to download your email to your personal computer.
- Note: Google Takeout provides email in the .MBOX format. The .MBOX format is a simple text format that can be read by any text editor or word processor (like Microsoft Word). This can be useful if you only need to keep your email for archival purposes. You can also import the .MBOX files into any third-party mail client that supports the format or special purpose programs for transferring email between accounts.

Note: ITS does not assist with importing email to third-party mail clients or personal accounts. If you want to do so, refer to the third-party vendor’s documentation.

How do I transfer and delete my Google photos?View Details

Refer to the ITS Transfer & Delete Your Google Photos article for details on transferring and deleting your Google photos

Why hasn't my data usage decreased even though I deleted files?View Details

After you have deleted your data from Google, it will be moved to your Trash. The data in the Trash will be automatically deleted after 30 days. However, the data in your Trash still takes up space and counts against your ISU storage limit, so it's important to empty your Trash after deleting files.

Empty your Entire Trash from Google Drive

Go to Google Drive and sign in with your Google account if prompted.
Click Trash (left sidebar)
- Note: You will want to ensure there are no files you want to keep in your trash folder.
.Click Empty trash (right side, gray bar above your data)
Click Delete forever to confirm.

Note: Deleting data from your Trash may require multiple attempts to permanently delete it. If you have a large number of data, deleting them in one go may cause errors, take a long time to update the interface, or require you to refresh the page multiple times. It is recommended to permanently delete your data in smaller batches if you have a significant number of items in your Trash.

Permanently delete individual files from Trash from Google Drive

Go to Google Drive and sign in with your Google account if prompted.
Click Trash (left sidebar)
Select the three dots at the upper right hand side of the file(s) you want to permanently delete
Click Trash (under Trash from My Drive )
Click Delete forever to confirm (grey bar, right side)

Note: After emptying your storage space, it could take about 24 hours for the storage usage to decrease. However, if you delete a significant amount of data, Google may take two or more days to accurately report your new storage usage.

Can I move my data to a shared drive?View Details

Yes, you can move ISU-related files and folders from My Drive to a Shared Drive.

Note: You should only transfer files and folders that belong to you from your personal drive to a shared location.

Go to the Move files & folders in the shared drives webpage for details.

Note: ISU data that doesn't require real-time collaboration should be stored in other university-provided storage services like Box.

How do I stop saving my photos automatically to my ISU account?View Details

Please visit the article Un-Sync your Phone from Google Photos

If you need additional assistance, please Contact ITS

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Article ID: 155503

Created

Fri 11/10/23 9:48 AM

Modified

Mon 4/22/24 6:52 PM

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