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When You Exceed the Google Storage Limit

If you exceed the storage limit allocated to your Stanford Google My Drive account or a shared drive you’ve created, your drive will become "read-only." Although you’ll still be able to sign in and view, download, and share files with collaborators, your experience will change until you either reduce storage or purchase more storage.

My Drive account

Here's an overview of the impact on your access to Stanford Google services when your My Drive account hits the storage limit until you take corrective action:

My Drive

  • Your account will retain all of its data.
  • You can continue to view, download, delete, and share files with collaborators.
  • You cannot create new Google files, such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Jamboard, or Forms, or upload new files or images.
  • You cannot edit or copy the affected files you own or submit forms you own.
  • You are unable to record new meetings in Google Meet.

Gmail

  • If you use Gmail, your email will not be affected, and you’ll still be able to send and receive emails.
  • However, emails and attachments you receive will continue to contribute to your overall storage use.

Photos

  • You cannot sync or upload photos.

Shared drive

When you reach the storage limit on a Stanford Google shared drive that you’ve created:

  • Shared drive members and collaborators will still retain the ability to view, comment, and edit (subject to permission level) existing files and folders within the shared drive.
  • Members will be unable to move, create, upload, or copy content when
    • the shared drive has reached the storage limit, or
    • the item they are trying to move, create, copy, or upload will cause the shared drive to surpass its storage limit.

Note: Exceeding the storage limit for your My Drive account won’t impact your ability to use any of the shared drives you’ve created, provided they remain under the storage limit. Similarly, if a shared drive you created surpasses the storage limit, it won’t hinder your use of My Drive or other shared drives as long as those drives do not exceed the storage limit.

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