How to Download Large Files from Google Drive with Manual and Automated Options

If you need to download large files from Google Drive, you're in luck because there are multiple options available. Manual downloads can be done using the Google Drive website or mobile app.

To download large files manually, you can simply click on the file you want to download and then click the "Download" button. This will start the download process, which can take some time depending on the file size.

Alternatively, you can use the Google Drive desktop app to download large files. The desktop app allows you to access your Google Drive files directly from your computer, making it easier to manage large files.

Before you can download large files from Google Drive, there are a few things you need to do first.

First, make sure the file's access settings are set to "Anyone with the link" in Google Drive. This will allow you to share the file and access it from anywhere.

To find the file ID, look at the file's URL. The file ID is a unique identifier found in the URL, and it's usually a long string of characters.

To get the download URL, you'll need to append the file ID and the confirm=t parameter to the file's URL. Here's a step-by-step guide:

The final download URL should look something like this: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=FILE_ID&export=download.

Large files from Google Drive often don't download by default. This is because Google Drive triggers a virus scan to protect users from potential threats.

Smaller files less than 40 MB usually download without issues. However, larger files can't bypass this scan without proper confirmation.

You can't provide the required confirmation to bypass the scan using tools like wget or curl because they don't interact with Google Drive's user interface.

To download large files from Google Drive, you can use the Google Drive API with OAuth authentication. This method is ideal for developers who need to automate downloads from private Google Drive accounts or within enterprise environments where access control is crucial.

The Google Drive API provides several advantages, including access to private files, enhanced control, and secure and scalable interactions. You can manage file downloads, access metadata, and even list and search for files in your Drive.

If you need to access private or protected files, integrate with applications, or handle large-scale automation, the Google Drive API is the way to go. The API allows you to download files that are not shared publicly, which is a big plus over other methods like wget or curl.

Here are some scenarios where the Google Drive API is particularly useful:

You can use the Google Drive API with OAuth authentication to download files that aren't publicly accessible.

This method is ideal for developers who need to automate downloads from private Google Drive accounts or within enterprise environments where access control is crucial.

To set up the Google Drive API, you'll need to enable it, create OAuth 2.0 credentials, install required Python libraries, and authenticate and download files using a Python script.

The Google Drive API allows you to manage file downloads, access metadata, and even list and search for files in your Drive.

For massive Google Drive accounts, Rclone is a community favorite for exporting vast amounts of files quickly and reliably.

Rclone is open-source software designed to reliably back up and transfer files on cloud storage, including Google Drive.

It connects to over 40 cloud storage solutions, so you can quickly move files back and forth between Google Drive and your other cloud solutions.

You can use Rclone with a command line interface to schedule daily, weekly, or monthly automated backups, or download it for Windows and Mac and try the easy-to-use graphical user interface instead.

The Google Drive API is ideal for environments where file privacy is a concern, integrating with applications, and handling large-scale automation.

Here are some scenarios where you should use the Google Drive API:

If you're experiencing checksum errors when transferring Google photos or videos, you might want to try skipping checksums.

This can be done by setting the flag "--drive-skip-checksum-gphotos" which will cause Google photos and videos to return blank checksums.

Corrupted checksums are usually caused by Google modifying the image or video but not updating the checksum.

You can set the flag in your Rclone configuration or using an environment variable.

Here are the details on how to set the flag:

The Manual Option is a straightforward way to download files from Google Drive, but it's not the most efficient method. It's simple, yet it has its drawbacks.

You can initiate a download of everything in your Drive by going to drive.google.com, logging in to your account, and hitting Ctrl+A to select everything. This will download all your files, but it's among the slowest options available, especially if you have an upgraded account with much more storage.

It's prone to problems, such as timeouts and corrupted downloads, which can be frustrating, especially if you have a flaky internet connection. Google has some ability to resume downloads, but it's not always reliable.

You can circumvent some of these issues by downloading chunks of data simultaneously, but this adds more steps and redundancy to the process.

Here are some issues with the Manual Option:

Downloading large files from Google Drive can be a bit tricky, but there are several tools and libraries that can make the process easier.

CURL is a command-line tool that can be used to download large files from Google Drive. It's particularly useful for automated workflows, and it supports various protocols beyond HTTP and HTTPS.

To use CURL, you'll need to invoke it with the -L flag to follow redirects, and then specify the URL of the file, including the confirm=t parameter. The downloaded content will be redirected into a file, which you can save as largefile.pdf.

WGET is another command-line utility that's great for downloading large files from Google Drive. It's ideal for bulk downloads and simple environments, and it's perfect for cron jobs or other automated processes.

To use WGET, you'll need to invoke it with the --content-disposition flag to ensure that the file is saved using the server-specified filename. The URL of the file, including the confirm=t parameter, should also be specified.

If you're working in a Python environment, the gdown library offers a more Pythonic way to handle large file downloads from Google Drive. This method is particularly useful for data scientists and researchers handling large datasets hosted on Google Drive.

Here are some key differences between CURL, WGET, and gdown:

Automating the process of downloading large files from Google Drive can save you a significant amount of time and reduce the likelihood of errors.

You can use scripts to automate this process, as mentioned in the article. For instance, a Bash Script can be used with CURL to download files from Google Drive.

Automating the process can also help you avoid tedious manual tasks, freeing up your time for more important things.

A Python Script, specifically designed for gdown, can also be used to automate the process of downloading large files from Google Drive.

By using scripts, you can reduce the risk of human error and ensure that your files are downloaded consistently and efficiently.

If you're having trouble downloading large files from Google Drive, don't worry, it's a common issue. Ensure a stable internet connection to prevent incomplete downloads.

If you're getting a "Permission Denied" error, check that the file is shared with "Anyone with the link" and verify that you have copied the correct file ID.

Here are some common problems and their solutions to keep in mind:

Rclone's rate limiting can be a real bottleneck when transferring files from Google Drive. It's limited to about 2 files per second, which can slow down the transfer process significantly.

Individual files may be transferred at speeds of 100s of MiB/s, but if you're dealing with lots of small files, it can take a long time to complete the transfer.

If you see User rate limit exceeded errors, wait at least 24 hours and retry, or consider disabling server-side copies with the --disable copy option.

Rclone has a significant limitation when it comes to transferring files. Drive has quite a lot of rate limiting, which can slow down transfers to about 2 files per second.

This can be frustrating, especially if you're working with a large number of small files. Individual files may be transferred much faster, but lots of small files can take a long time.

If you see User rate limit exceeded errors, it's best to wait at least 24 hours before retrying. This should give the system enough time to reset and allow you to continue with your transfers.

One way to avoid server-side copy rate limits is to disable them altogether. You can do this by using the --disable copy flag. This will force rclone to download and upload files directly, rather than using the server-side copy feature.

Exporting your Google Docs in the right format can be a real game-changer. You can specify your preferred formats for downloading Google Docs using the "--drive-export-formats" command.

The default export formats are docx, xlsx, pptx, and svg. If you want to change this, you can use the "export_formats" config option or the RCLONE_DRIVE_EXPORT_FORMATS environment variable.

If you want to export your Google Docs in a specific format, you can simply add that format to the list of preferred formats. For example, if you want to export in pdf format, you would add "pdf" to the list.

To download large files from Google Drive, you'll need to follow these steps. First, ensure the file's access settings are set to "Anyone with the link" in Google Drive.

Share the file and obtain its unique file ID, which can be found in the file's URL. For example, in the URL https://drive.google.com/file/d/19eYCYiVadsfadsfadRfdoJPAHZ/view?usp=sharing, the file ID is 19eYCYiVadsfadsfadRfdoJPAHZ.

To construct the download URL, append the file ID and the confirm=t parameter. The final URL should look like this: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=FILE_ID&export=download&confirm=t.

To set up a service account, you'll need to specify the path to your Service Account Credentials JSON file. This file path can be left blank normally.

You can use the `--drive-service-account-file` flag to specify the path to your Service Account Credentials JSON file. Leading ~ will be expanded in the file name, and environment variables such as ${RCLONE_CONFIG_DIR} will be replaced.

If you want to use a service account instead of an interactive login, you'll need to provide the path to your Service Account Credentials JSON file. This can be done using the `--drive-service-account-file` flag.

Here are the details you'll need to provide:

You can also use the `rclone` command to display the current service account file. Simply run the command with the `--drive-service-account-file` flag.

To install the tool, run the following command. Install it with the following command:

You can download any file from Google Drive by running one of these commands. After that, you can download any file from Google Drive by running one of these commands:

For example, to download the readme file from this directory, use the command. The file_id should look something like 0Bz8a_Dbh9QhbNU3SGlFaDg. You can find this ID by right-clicking on the file of interest, and selecting Get link.

To get the share link, share the file publicly in Google Drive. As of November 2021, this link will be of the form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/file_id/view?usp=sharing

Here are the steps to obtain the file ID:

To create a client ID, you'll need to go to the API Console and click on the dropdown menu next to the project name.

Choose a project from the list, then click on the "Enable APIs and Services" button.

Select the API you want to use from the list, and click on the "Create Credentials" button.

Choose "OAuth client ID" from the dropdown menu, then select "Web application" as the application type.

Enter a authorized JavaScript origins, and click on the "Create" button.

Your client ID will be displayed on the next page, along with a client secret.

Using Rclone for large Google Drive downloads can be a bit tricky to set up initially. It's free, open-source software designed to reliably back up and transfer files on cloud storage, including Google Drive.

You can use a command line interface to schedule daily, weekly, or monthly automated backups, or download it for Windows and Mac and try the easy-to-use graphical user interface instead. Rclone connects to over 40 cloud storage solutions, so you can quickly move files back and forth between Google Drive and your other cloud solutions.

It's worth noting that Rclone is particularly great for Linux users, as it provides a solution for users without official Google Drive support.

If you have a massive Google Drive account with hundreds of gigabytes (or even terabytes) of data, Rclone is a community favorite for exporting vast amounts of files quickly and reliably.

Rclone is open-source software designed to reliably back up and transfer files on cloud storage, including Google Drive, and it's free.

It's a bit tricky to set up initially, so this option isn't for the non-techies out there, but the graphical user interface makes it relatively easy to use.

You can use a command line interface to schedule daily, weekly, or monthly automated backups, giving you more control over your backups.

Rclone connects to over 40 cloud storage solutions, so you can quickly move files back and forth between Google Drive and your other cloud solutions.

You can mount your Google Drive as a drive on your computer, copy and sync files with Drive, and do much more than most cloud web interfaces offer.

Rclone utilizes Google's APIs for fast and reliable multi-threaded downloads, allowing you to start, stop, and resume downloads anytime.

Note that this option is great for Linux users, since Google Drive is not officially available for Linux, making Rclone the next best thing.

As you navigate the world of caveats and advanced topics, it's essential to keep in mind that they can be complex and nuanced.

Caveats often involve conditional statements that can change the outcome of a situation. This can be seen in the example of the "Conditional Statements" section, where a simple "if-then" statement can have a significant impact.

Be aware that caveats can be used to clarify or modify existing rules, but they can also introduce new variables that can make things more complicated. This is evident in the "Modifying Rules" section, where a caveat is used to add an exception to a general rule.

In some cases, caveats can be used to create new rules or exceptions that don't exist elsewhere. This can be observed in the "Creating Exceptions" section, where a caveat is used to create a new rule that applies only in certain circumstances.

It's also worth noting that caveats can be used to resolve ambiguities or contradictions in existing rules. This is demonstrated in the "Resolving Ambiguities" section, where a caveat is used to clarify a conflicting rule.