Google Drive: Download of shared folders for signed out users

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I want to share Google Drive folders by sharing their folder link to people. An example folder is https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17Jh-Va8M1XQSJyrugV-iAtOTIwYePbvV

The folder contains original files as well as the new Google drive "shortcuts" (btw: I'm the owner of the original files where those shortcuts link to). I want that also people which aren't signed in to a Google account are able to download the whole folder. I noticed 2 new problems which occured since Google introduced the new shortcut system this year:

  1. signed out users aren't able to download all files of a folder with one click. There's no "Download All" button any more. It's just possible to download single files.

  2. Signed out useres aren't able to download Shortcut-files. Just original files by clicking onto "Download"

Do you have an idea how to fix problems 1) and 2) for signed out users?

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downloadgoogle-drive-apishortcut

1 Answers

0
votes

As a workaround for 1):

  • Create a folder inside of the main shared folder and mive all files to the nested folder.
  • When the user opens the main folder he can download with one click the nested folder and all contained files:

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As for 2)

  • The shortcuts are no files but just links to files - if the original files are not shared with the permission Anyone on the internet with this link can view - then users who are not signed in cannot access those files.
  • You need to share the original files accordingly, in this case the user will be able to open the shortcut and then go on File->Download.
  • Arguably it makes more sense to directly move the original file into the shared folder instead of using shortcuts.