Download and open at the provider
Save a file to your computer, or open a file or folder in Google Drive or OneDrive.
You can download any file to your computer. For Google Drive and OneDrive, you can also open an item in the provider’s own website.
Download a file
- Click the … button on the file, or right-click it.
- Choose Download.
You can also click Download at the top of the preview pane.
Only files can be downloaded. Folders have no Download action.
Google Drive files
- Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drawings download as Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx) and image (.png) files.
- A Google Drive download uses your browser’s own Google sign-in. Your browser must be signed in to the same Google account as the drive.
Open at the provider
For Google Drive and OneDrive, the actions menu also has Open at provider. It opens the file or folder on the provider’s website in a new tab. The preview pane has the same choice as Open in Google Drive or Open in OneDrive.
Other drive types do not have this action.
If a download fails
The reason shows as a short message at the bottom of the screen. Some messages have an Open button that opens the file at the provider instead.
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| “Folders cannot be downloaded” | Only files can be downloaded. |
| “Google does not offer this document in a downloadable format” | This kind of Google file cannot be downloaded. Use Open to view it in Google Drive. |
| “Google did not offer a download link for this file” | Google did not allow the download. Use Open to get it from Google Drive. |
| “OneDrive did not offer a download link for this file” | OneDrive did not allow the download. Use Open to get it from OneDrive. |
| “We couldn’t find that.” | The file no longer exists, or a folder restriction hides it in this workspace. |
| “Files over N MB cannot be transferred for this drive” | Some drives send files through your Metis server, which has a size limit for them. Your administrator sets that limit. |
| “Too many transfers are running. Wait for one to finish” | Wait for one of your other transfers to finish, then try again. |
| “That file could not be downloaded” | Something else went wrong. Try again. |