SPACE: How much am I using?

Drive is a repository of almost any kind of file: Documents, photos, pdfs, even videos can be stored on Google Drive. Google gives all public accounts 15GB of space for Drive, Gmail, and Photos. Those three areas count against the 15GB's of space allocated per user account.

New Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, and Forms are Google format and use NO SPACE. The files created within Drive are "free."

Files that are uploaded or saved to Drive, all non-Google file formats, "cost" space per file.

So how do you figure out just which files have a file size associated with them?

There are 2 ways to determine file size:

1. Hard

and

2. Easy

Easy is so easy you'll be amazed! So let's discuss Hard first...

Hard way to determine Space being used on Drive

1. Sign into your Drive.
2. Scroll down the list of files within your Drive. There will be a number in the "File size" column. 
3. If you have no folders, write down the file size of every file.
4. Folders will not list file sizes - you have to open each one to view the files within them.
5. Continue the process:
6. Open a folder within Drive, if there are files at that level, write down the numbers in "File size" column.
7. Repeat until ALL folders have been opened at EVERY level to get ALL file sizes calculated.
8. Add the file sizes up. (remember to carry your 1's, 2's 3's or more!)

Of course if you miss any files or forget to open every folder your number will be incorrect. (Eek!)

Easy way to determine Space being used on Drive

1. Sign In to Drive.
2. Under the NEW button and just  above the "Upgrade Storage" icon, you should see the TOTAL SPACE you  are using for Drive, Photos and Gmail.
3. Hover over that total (the numbers will be similar to "112 KB of 15GB")
4. Select the little teeny tiny blue "i" image next to Drive (after you peruse and are amazed at just how much space you are using)
5. Once you select the "i", Google finds EVERY file you have and lists it in the order you choose.

NOW you have an ordered list of just files and their file sizes. You can figure out just what you need and what can be eliminated or downloaded.

If you're close to your limit then you might want to,

1. consider deleting a biggy from Drive,
2. Look for and delete attachments from Gmail, or
3. delete big photos or videos.

SIGN OUT - without being there!

We all know the importance of Signing Out (don't we?). This is especially important if you use a computer, laptop or even a tablet that is not yours.

But what happens if "GASP!" you can't remember if you signed out of the computer you were using in Banger, Maine. You're sitting at the airport in Bangladesh waiting for the next flight to Belize - what do you do?

Sign out remotely.

1. Use a computer, laptop, chromebook or tablet that is connected to the Internet and Sign In to Gmail. (note: you can use a smart phone but get a magnifying glass!)
2. From the Inbox, scroll down below the list of messages.
3. Find "Last account activity" and select the DETAILS link (its just below the messages, to the right).
4. Select the "Sign out of all OTHER web sessions" BUT BEFORE YOU DO THAT ...

You will be signed out of all other accounts after selecting the button, (not the one you are using) but you might want to take a look at the Sign In activity. Are the sign ins listed all from locations you were actually located? Does anything seem amiss?

IF you even THINK or have a HINT that there is some mischief afoot, the next step you take should be:

5. Change your password!

KEY WORDS and PHRASES

Google Search has a lot of key words and phrases that you can use to get information instantly.

Type one of the words or phrases below within a Google Search box or within the Chrome omnibox. 

Watch the magic unfold!

time
time dublin
35/7 (note: NO = )
how many teaspoons in a liter
how many millimeters in a km
32 degrees in celcius
1' in cm
$20 in peso

Not impressed yet? Try these:

weather in new york
aspirin  (look at right side of the results page)
movie
movie 95833 (or another zip code)
sacramento county, ca
area code 804
define auditory
timer (then start)

After you've used any of the above searches, try entering your own filter with a key word or phrase (filters like your area code, city name, different calculation, or word).

Add your own key words or phrases that you've found useful using comments.