With Google Drive It is very easy to share any files and folders with other users – in many ways. Share links are usually permalinks, but a security update rolled out in a few weeks may cause many users to lose access. We’ll show you how you can list all affected files and prevent the update.
Sharing files or folders is a basic function of Google Drive and can be done in just a few steps. Shared files can end up in the recipient’s drive completely automatically, but there is also link-based file sharing. With this, core files are released to all users who have an association with many encoded characters. But it is precisely this series of characters that could soon cause trouble.
Google Drive has been creating such links for several years using the characters already mentioned and an additional variable with the resource key. Only if both values ​​exist, which are included in the link by default and cause no problems, will the file be released for viewing or use. The old links were still valid, but from 13. September This will no longer be the case. If a file with an old link without a resource key is called after this date, there is no immediate access.
However, users do not receive an error message, but are informed that the file has not yet been issued to them. You can now accept this or request approval with just two more clicks. This in turn can be provided by the owner of the file and everything works as before. However, if links to common files are distributed too generously, it can end up with a permanent flood of queries that may annoy the owner of the file. But there is a way out.
This is how you can prevent change
Google Drive now offers the option to exclude some files from the security update. This means that it can still be accessed without this resource key. To achieve this list, you have to do Google Drive in English Then follow the link highlighted in blue at the top above the list of files. There you can see all the files and you can select each individually whether the update should be applied or not. The application is of course standard. You can change your mind until September 13th.
Sooner or later, this file-based opt-out definitely won’t work, but it’s a good option to start with. For example, if you don’t have a way to remove a popular link posted, you should exclude that file from the update and save the problem to yourself. Alternatively, of course, the file can simply be deleted or not edited anymore. It is not very pleasant, but, depending on the situation, is useful for yourself.
Another alternative is to share the same file again. Google Drive will then automatically generate a new link including the resource key. Then you just have to replace the old link with the new one and the problem is solved.
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