GMail Drive

GMail Drive is a free third-party Windows Shell namespace extension ("add-on") for Google's Gmail. GMail Drive is not supported by Google. It allows a user to access a virtual drive stored in a Gmail e-mail account by causing the contents of the Gmail account to appear as a new network share on the user's workstation. In order to use this add-on, the user needs a Gmail e-mail account. The add-on enables the user to use the standard Windows desktop file copy and paste commands to transfer files to and from the Gmail account as if it were a drive on the user's computer.

Function

In order for GMail Drive to operate, the computer must be connected to the Internet and the user must have a Gmail account. A broadband connection is preferable though not necessary, as all operations are done through Gmail and consequently over the Internet. GMail Drive uses the inbox of the Gmail account to store files and creates a virtual filesystem on top of the Gmail account, enabling the user to save and retrieve files stored on the Gmail account directly from inside Windows Explorer. GMail Drive adds a new virtual drive to the computer under the My Computer folder, where the user can create new folders, copy and drag-and-drop files to, but does not give an actual drive letter, such as C:, preventing its use in all DOS applications, and some older Windows applications.

When the user creates a new file using GMail Drive, it generates an e-mail and posts it to the Gmail account's inbox. The e-mail appears in the normal Inbox folder when using the normal Gmail interface, and the file is attached as an e-mail attachment. GMail Drive periodically checks the mail account (using the Gmail search function) to see if new files have arrived and to rebuild the virtual drive's directory structures.

Multiple computers can connect to one Gmail account thus allowing GMail Drive to act as a multi-user file server.

Consequently, restrictions on the Gmail service are also enforced when using GMail Drive. For example, files larger than 20 MB cannot be uploaded, as the maximum file size of Gmail attachments is 20 MB [cite web |url=http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=8770 |title=Gmail:Help Center - What's the maximum attachment size? |publisher=Google |date=2004-02-24 |accessdate=2007-03-20] . In the past, Gmail also prevented users from transferring certain file types, such as an executable or ZIP archive. (Remark: It seems possible now to transfer those file types to a Gmail Drive.) Some users bypassed this restriction by renaming the file extension or by putting it into a RAR or 7zip archive. A GNU software package named PHPGmailDrive even makes it possible to link different Gmail accounts together, and with some clever adjustements you can have a Gmail Drive built out of several Gmail accounts.

Caveats

GMail Drive is an experimental package that depends on but is not provided by Google. Changes in Google's Gmail system may render GMail Drive temporarily or permanently inoperable.

The Gmail Program Policies do not explicitly ban GMail Drive, shell namespace extensions, or the use of Gmail storage space for files other than e-mail. [cite web |url=http://mail.google.com/mail/help/intl/en/program_policies.html |title=Gmail Program Policies |publisher=Google |date=2004-06-28 |accessdate=2007-02-26] Nonetheless, immoderate use of GMail Drive may trigger Google to temporarily suspend a Gmail account. [cite web |url=http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=43692 |title=Gmail: Help Center - Why has my Gmail account been locked? |publisher=Google |date=2007-01-24 |accessdate=2007-02-26]

ee also

*Gmail
*Virtual drive
*GmailFS
*phpGmailDrive
*Windows Live SkyDrive
*AOL XDrive

References

External links

* [http://www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm GMail Drive Site] or [http://www.viksoe.dk/gmail/ alternative link]
*(www.viksoe.dk cites [http://richard.jones.name/google-hacks/gmail-filesystem/gmail-filesystem.html Richard Jones'] Linux version as original idea)
* [http://www.google.com/mail/help/terms_of_use.html Gmail Terms of Use]
* [http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/GMail-Drive-shell-extension-Download-15944.html Download from Softpedia]
* [http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/GMail_Drive/1097807577/1 Download from Betanews]