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How to Retain Google Drive Files After Collaborators Leave the University

When individuals leave Stanford and no longer have an active university affiliation, their Stanford Google Workspace account becomes suspended. If you rely on files they own, you should take action to retain access. 

Two visual indicators are available to help you quickly spot files that are owned by a suspended account.

  • “Account Suspended” labels: These appear on files owned by people who have a suspended Stanford Google account because they are no longer affiliated with the university.
  • [Suspended] tag on account names: When a colleague leaves Stanford and their My Drive becomes suspended, you’ll see [Suspended] appear before their name. 

    The image below shows these indicators from the "Shared with me" interface.
    visual indicators
     

How to take action

While there are no immediate plans to delete files, you're encouraged to prepare by following these steps: 

  1. Find files with the "Account Suspended" label
  2. Review the files to determine what you need to keep
  3. Copy files or files to a shared drive (recommended)

Step 1: Find "Account Suspended" files

Click the Advanced Search icon (funnel icon) in your Google Drive search bar, then use one of these methods:
advanced search

Option A: Search by owner

  1. In the Owner field, select "Specific person" 
  2. Search for a known user or by [Suspended]
    suspended search

Option B: Search by label

  1. In the Labels section, search for Document Management > is > Account Suspended.
    search by label
     

Step 2: Review your results

Your search may return many files, most of which you won't need. Here are some strategies to focus on the files you want to retain.

  1. Filter the list based on collaborators. If you know former colleagues owned files you use, filter the list to show only their files.
  2. Remove files from the list as you go. As you identify files you don't need, remove them your view to keep the list manageable.
  3. Coordinate with your team. Before taking action, check with collaborators who also have access to avoid duplicating efforts.

Step 3: Retain the files you need

Best practice: Move to a shared drive (recommended)

Moving files to a Google shared drive is the best way to prevent future loss. Files in shared drives are owned by the university, ensuring continuous access regardless of staff transitions.

To move a file to a shared drive 

(on a computer)

  1. Right-click on the file 
  2. Select Organize > Move 
  3. Choose your shared drive destination 

(on a mobile device)

  1. From the Google docs app, tap the three dots (...) icon next to the file name
  2. Select Move
  3. Choose your shared drive destination 
     

Note: You must have manager access to the shared drive.

Learn more about:

Alternative: Make a copy

You can also make a copy if you have edit permissions. You'll become the new owner of the file.

To make a copy:

(on a computer)

  1. Right-click on the file 
  2. Select Make a copy

(on a mobile device)

  1. From the Google docs app, tap the three dots (...) icon next to the file name
  2. Select Make a copy

Important notes about copying:

  • Existing permissions do not automatically transfer to the new copy. Review the sharing settings on your new file and re-invite critical collaborators.
  • Coordinate with your team. To avoid issues with version control and responsibly use university storage resources, check with others before making copies.

FAQs about Copying Google Files

What if I can't copy a file?

You may not be able to copy a file for several reasons.

The owner has disabled copying.

The file owner may have checked "Disable options to download, print, and copy" in the sharing settings. This prevents viewers, commenters, and editors from making copies. 

You don't have sufficient permissions. 

  • The file is set to "Restricted" and you're not listed as an authorized user.
  • You're in a shared drive or folder where your permission level (e.g., viewer) doesn't allow copying. 
  • The file has content restrictions enabled (e.g., marked as final/approved). 

You're trying to copy a folder. 

  • You can copy individual files, but you cannot directly copy an entire folder. 
  • You'll need to copy files one at a time or move them to a new location. 

How do I copy or transfer a Google Site?

Google Sites work different than Google files. Instead of copying, you'll need to transfer ownership or move the site.

Method A: Transfer ownership to another person

  1. Open the Site in edit mode and click the Share icon. 
  2. Add a successor as an Editor, then change their role to Owner. 

Method B (Preferred): Move the Google Site file from My Drive into a shared drive

  1. Locate the Google Site file in "My Drive."
  2. Right-click and select Move to.
  3. Choose your shared drive destination.

The shared drive then becomes the "Owner," and access is governed by the shared drive's membership.

How do I transfer Google Cloud Platform (GCP) assets?

Step 1: Verify Ownership: 

  • Go to the GCP Console > IAM & Admin. 
  • Ensure at least two active Stanford employees (or a Google Group) have the Project Owner role. 

Step 2: Transition Billing: 

  • Ensure the project is linked to a Departmental Billing Account, not an individual's credit card or temporary fund. 

Step 3: Transfer AppSheet: 

  • Open the app in the AppSheet editor.
  • Go to Manage > Author.
  • Select Transfer to move app ownership to a successor.

How do I copy or transfer Google forms?

You'll need to submit a Help request as Google forms owned by suspended accounts require special tools to transfer.

More resources

Get help

Need assistance? Submit a Help request to the Google Workspace team for IT support.

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