Gmail Drive Shell Extension

Rating: 5

Version tested: 1.0.10

Gmail Drive Shell Extension creates a virtual hard drive on your computer that uses your gmail account to store files and folders

Very simply, this program creates a hard drive icon in “My Computer” that you can use to store files and folders that (behind the scenes) are actually uploaded as emails into your gmail account. This is what you need to know about this software:

• You can drag and drop files into your gmail drive much like any other drive.
• Uploaded files will materialize in your gmail account as individual emails with attachments. You can actually open your account and download these files, which means that you can retrieve your files from any computer even if it does not have Gmail Drive installed.
• You can set up a filter in your Gmail account that could automatically archive all Gmail drive emails so that they do not otherwise clutter your inbox.
• Gmail Drive will periodically check your email account to look for new files that may have arrived in order keep itself current.
• Maximum file size is 10 megs. This is a function of Gmail; if you must have bigger files chop them up into smaller pieces that you can later join together.
• File names have to be 65 characters max.

This program is not designed for storing big files (stick to the USB stick if if you want to save that 700meg movie file), but that’s a limitation of Gmail and hardly the software’s fault. For small(ish) files, however, it is a very good solution.

Keep in mind that because of its reliance on the Gmail system, it is very possible that any change implemented to Gmail might make this software unusable, at least until the next version comes which provides a work-around (this program has apparently been around since 2004, and, according to the list of updates on its website, has been modified twice to work around internal Gmail changes).

I often need to move files from my home computer for use on my work computer (and vice versa), for which I typically use a flash drive; Gmail Drive Shell Extension, however, is viable practical alternative. If you are going to use it I recommend that you simply open a seperate, dedicated Gmail account that you can use exclusivley with the Gmail Drive, and not worry about setting up filters and such in your ‘real’ Gmail account.

All in all a great idea that is very well implemented.

Compatibility: WinAll.

Go to the program page to download the latest version.

Samer

Samer Kurdi has written 1070 awesome posts for Freewaregenius.

He has been reviewing software since 2006 when he started Freewaregenius.com

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