What works for me:
- Assumptions: The PC has an existing user account ("Account A") that
is already using Google Drive.
- Create another Windows user ("Account B").
- Log into Account B and set up Google Drive.
- Optional, but very useful: Share Account B's
Google Drive folder with Account A (share in Windows, not in the
Google Drive web app).
- In Windows, switch user accounts to Account A (do not log out of Account B;
doing so will stop Account B's Google Drive from syncing).
- [Optional] In Account A, map a drive letter to Account B's Google Drive folder (e.g., x:\ points to c:\users\Account B\Google Drive.[Only works if you shared B's Google Drive folder in step 4]
Now Account A and Account B are both syncing to their own Google Drive accounts, and you can access the local Google Drive folders for both accounts without leaving Account A (assuming you followed steps 4 and 6).
Note: whenever you reboot, log into Account B long enough for Google Drive to start, then switch to Windows user account A (again, do not log out of B or B's sync will stop).
I've been using this method with perfect reliability for over a year on Windows 7 and 10. The only drawback is having to log into both user accounts at startup.
1http://support.google.com/drive/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2375023 – 5arx – 2013-03-06T16:25:12.820
Its possible if you install it under say an administrator account and set the installion to exist on all profiles. – Ramhound – 2013-03-06T17:22:40.217
@5arx the page you pointed me to is about accessing multiple Google accts. As I said in my question, this was about running the app in each Windows user acct. – Ian – 2013-03-06T17:32:09.587
Ah sorry. I got asked that question three times this week at work (people have started using G Drive) and was on autopilot.
If there are two distinct Windows accounts you should be fine. Try it and see. – 5arx – 2013-03-06T17:39:38.423
@5arx know the feeling. :-) – Ian – 2013-03-06T17:41:46.460
Ok, so I deleted Google Drive from the system. I reinstalled it from my acct (the admin acct). It asked me for my login and all was good. However, when I went to my wife's side, the Google Drive taskbar item appeared briefly (faded out) and then disappeared. It didn't ask for her Google login. – Ian – 2013-03-06T17:52:00.740
Uninstalled Google Drive again. Deleted the folders on both accts on the desktop. Reinstalled and got it to work. – Ian – 2013-03-06T18:29:15.840
@Ramhound do you want to write your comment as an answer so that I can accept it as the correct one? – Ian – 2013-03-06T18:30:11.893
@Ian - Feel free to answer it yourself. – Ramhound – 2013-03-06T21:40:16.657
Who downvoted? And why? – 5arx – 2013-03-08T15:10:57.280
@5arx thanks for asking...wasn't sure why it go downvoted either. – Ian – 2013-03-09T18:26:45.437