Use GMail Account for Big Files Transfer between Computers

GMail Drive shell extension description                                                                                                               

GMail Drive is a Shell Namespace Extension that creates a virtual filesystem around your Google GMail account, allowing you to use GMail as a storage medium.You can save and retrieve files stored on your GMail account directly from inside Windows Explorer.

GMail Drive literally adds a new drive to your computer under the My Computer folder, where you can create new folders, copy and drag'n'drop files to.

Ever since Google started to offer users a GMail e-mail account, which includes storage space of a 1000 megabytes, you have had plenty of storage space but not a lot to fill it up with.

With GMail Drive you can easily copy files to your GMail account and retrieve them again. When you create a new file using GMail Drive, it generates an e-mail and posts it to your account.

The e-mail appears in your normal Inbox folder, and the file is attached as an e-mail attachment. GMail Drive periodically checks your mail account (using the GMail search function) to see if new files have arrived and to rebuild the directory structures.

But basically GMail Drive acts as any other hard-drive installed on your computer.

You can copy files to and from the GMail Drive folder simply by using drag'n'drop like you're used to with the normal Explorer folders.

Because the GMail files will clutter up your Inbox folder, you may wish to create a filter in GMail to automatically move the files (prefixed with the GMAILFS letters) to your archived mail folder.

Or you can create totally new account, dedicated exclusively to the data transfer.

Using the first approach, you can create a rule that puts all your stored files into the Gmail Archive instead, which will keep the Inbox clutter free. All files uploaded using the GMail Drive have a subject that contains the text GMAILFS. Using this text we will create a filter that automatically places any messages with that subject into the Archive.

1. Logon to Gmail. 
2. Click on the Create a filter link which is next to the Search the Web button at the top of the Gmail screen. 
3. In the Create a Filter dialog, enter GMAILFS into the Subject: field. Then press the Next Step button. 
4. Put a checkmark in the Skip the Inbox (Archive it) checkbox and then press the Create Filter button.

Now when you upload a file using Gmail Drive, it will automatically bypass your Inbox and be stored in the Archive. To view the files in the Archive, simply click on the All Mail link in the left hand navigation menu.

Please note that GMail Drive is still an experimental tool. There are still a number of limitations of the file-system:

• Total filename size must be less than 40 characters.
• English characters only in the file names.
• You can't create and edit files directly on the drive - it is only meant to copy or move files there.
• It doesn't make full use of the secure internet protocols available.

Developer Web Site: http://www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm

Video Presentation:

GMail Drive as Free Online Storage