Effective in March 2018 Google Drive for Mac and Windows will be abandoned by Google.  Google has replaced Drive with Google Drive File Stream.  Download here.  The reason for this change per Google is to save hard drive space and eliminate sync time delays.  Like any change it has it’s upside, save hard drive space, and its downside, you must now manually make files and folders you wish to work on offline available offline, this can be a  challenge for the perennially spaced out.  If, like me, you tend to get very involved in what you are doing, to the exclusion of all else, you just might forget to take that extra step.  I think Google’s decision to make this change had to do with the fact that we are rarely “offline” anymore and the file streaming as opposed to file downloading does free up a lot of space on your hard drive.  I can now download Google Drive File Stream to my Macbook Air which did not have enough storage to accommodate Drive previously.  We have wifi at home, our favorite coffee shops and restaurants provide wifi, and if you find yourself lost in the middle of nowhere sans wifi you can just use your phone as a hotspot.  Even the middle of nowhere has cellular coverage.

The download instructions for Apple, High Sierra direct you to take extra steps to install but it installed for me without the extra steps.  Possibly because I already  had Google Drive installed.  You do, however, need to uninstall your old Google Drive app for it to work properly.

 

The above screen shots were taken on my Mac but the same function is required on Windows to save a file offline.

Hope this article was helpful.