Google Storage Limitations - FAQ

Google's elimination of unlimited free storage for the academic community forced CU Boulder to make significant changes to the Google services it offers. In order to ensure that the free storage allocated to CU Boulder could be used for mission-critical functions, the campus's new quota is pooled and shared in a manner that prioritizes Google for collaboration, with the primary focus being on teaching and learning.

Learn more and watch OIT's video about this effort on the Google Storage Limitations project page.

Any/all data stored in CU Boulder Google accounts was affected, including files stored in Google Drive, Google Shared Drives, Gmail and Google Photos.

OIT has set storage limits for individuals at 5 gigabytes (GB). CU Boulder community members should feel free to continue using Google Workspace for collaboration (e.g., Google Docs, Sheets) but storing other files (PDFs, videos, audio, etc.) in an alternative storage solution like OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint or others.

Microsoft offers two ways to store your data, OneDrive and SharePoint.

• OneDrive should be used for personal use or sharing with small groups, while SharePoint is intended for storing data that is shared and accessible with large groups and external users.
• Microsoft Teams uses SharePoint for file storage and sharing. When a Team is created an associated SharePoint site is created and all members of the Team are given edit access to the files stored in the Team.

Learn more about OIT's recommendations for the type of data each application can store on the File Transfer, Storage, and Infrastructure page.

Check your storage usage at any time by visiting the Google Drive - Storage page. When you approach the 5GB quota, you'll notice an alert in Google Drive. Once you hit the 5GB quota limit, you won't be able to add data to your Google account or edit existing files until you reduce your storage usage. Also, collaborators will not be able to edit files you own. OIT will not be able to increase your quota for any reason, so if you exceed the limit you will be required to move or delete files until you are below the 5GB limit.

Please note: Google-formatted files (docs, sheets, etc.) take up significantly less space than other file types (PDFs, jpegs, videos, etc.). When looking to reduce file size, removing or relocating other file types first will free up more space.

There are several options to store and share lecture recordings outside of Google.

• UCB Zoom cloud recordings can be stored and shared for up to 120 days
• Classroom Capture content is retained for five years
• Kaltura is available for long term storage of digital streaming media assets. Simply follow the Option 2: Upload through My Media instructions on the OIT website.
• Microsoft OneDrive or Microsoft Teams can be used to securely store and share video content from recorded lectures and meetings. OneDrive has a 5 terabyte (TB) quota and Microsoft Teams has a 25TB quota. (Please note: This is subject to change based on Microsoft's announcement about a move toward pooled storage).

Yes, the Microsoft OneDrive sync client can be configured to make files available offline. Learn how to sync files with OneDrive in Windows.

No, only Google Drives with more than 5GB in total storage were targeted for migration.

If you log in to OneDrive, you will see a folder called "G". Your folder structure and data from Google Drive was mirrored in this location.

All non-Native Google files were migrated to your OneDrive account. Log in to OneDrive to check your files there.

Compared to Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive allows for fewer characters in both the folder structure and the file name. To minimize the migration impact for people who have long folder names and long file names, OIT decided to use a single character for the folder location of the migrated data.

You can access the files by visiting your "Shared with You" section of OneDrive. You may need to sort by "Date Shared" or by "Shared By" to find the files.

Your account will be considered over your quota and your Google Drive will display "Storage Full." Until you reduce your usage below 5GB, you will not be able to create new documents or edit any existing documents. Any collaborators you work with will also not be able to edit files you own.

No, you can still request and use Google Shared Drives; however, they will have a limit of 5GB of data.

OIT no longer recommends using Google Shared Drives for storage due to Google's revised storage limitations. While still an option for collaboration and communication using Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms, long-term storage is not recommended in Google Shared Drive. Learn more about Google Storage Limitations.

No, OIT worked with managers of Google Shared Drives that exceeded 5GB to move a portion of the files, or the entire Shared Drive, to Microsoft Teams/SharePoint.

Google's elimination of unlimited free storage for the academic community forced CU Boulder to make significant changes to the Google services it offers. In order to ensure that the free storage allocated to CU Boulder could be used for mission-critical functions, the campus's new quota is pooled and shared in a manner that prioritizes Google for collaboration, with the primary focus being on teaching and learning. Eliminating Google Photos was part of this strategy.

Active faculty, staff and students lost access to Google Photos on April 15, 2022.

No, the Google Photos service was retired.

The best practice for web hosting is to upload and store your photos in the same location where your web content is hosted.