Copying a File

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated November 7, 2013)

A common task when working with documents, spreadsheets, or other items is the need to make copies of those files. This is important when you want to make modifications to a file but don't want to disturb the original. Drive makes it real easy to make copies of any file.

You can easily copy a file by right-clicking on it within Drive. Note that if you hover the mouse pointer over the file in the file listing, it should be highlighted in yellow. Right-click anywhere in the yellow (including on the file name or icon) and choose Make a Copy from the resulting options.

The second method involves using the More button. Follow these steps:

  1. Log into Google Drive (drive.google.com).
  2. Locate the file you want to copy. (Your files should be listed in the main Drive screen, but you might need to open other folders if the file you want to copy is within one of them.)
  3. Select the checkbox to the left of the file name.
  4. Click the More button. (Make sure you click the one at the top of the screen, not the More link at the left of the screen.) Drive presents a number of options you can choose.
  5. Choose Make a Copy.

Regardless of the method you use to make a copy, Drive duplicates the file and adds "Copy of" to the beginning of the file's name. Thus, if you are copying a file named "Budget Figures," the copy will be named "Copy of Budget Figures." Both the original and the copy will be located in the same folder.

Once the copy is made, you can rename it and/or move it to a different Drive location, if desired.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Refreshing the Discussion

To keep up with the Discussion, you will need to refresh the comments to make sure you are in-the-know.

Discover More

Selective Undo

Ever wonder why you can't undo just a single edit you made a few minutes earlier? The short answer is that it could make ...

Discover More

Saving Documents as Read-Only by Default

When you save your documents, you can specify that they be saved in a "read-only" format so that they cannot be changed ...

Discover More
More DriveTips

Changing the Time Zone

There are several times in Drive where the program needs to keep track of the time at which certain events occur. Here's ...

Discover More

Restoring a Deleted File

Delete a file in Drive and it is moved to the Trash folder. You can recover files previously deleted so they can be used ...

Discover More

Displaying Keyboard Shortcuts

A quick way to accomplish tasks in any Google Drive application is to rely on a handy collection of keyboard shortcuts. ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two minus 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2019 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.