Versioning non-Google files

Google Drive offers you versioning capabilities when you store non-Google files - similar to those in the Google editors. This enables you to store files in Drive with more confidence, and to bring any desktop application into the collaborative 21st century.

We looked at versioning within the Editors (Docs, Sheets, Slides etc.) last week. It's time to see what happens when non-Google files get uploaded to Drive - which does the versioning for them. Repeating: Google files get versioned within the editors, non-Google files get versioned in Drive.

Huge amounts of data are no problem for Drive. Nor for you, wielder of Drive's power.

Creating new file versions

Uploading new versions by overwriting

When you upload a file with an existing title (overwriting it), Drive creates a new version.

You can opt to keep the uploaded file separately.

In that case, the file gets renamed "My File (1).docx". Differently than in Windows, you can have two files with the same name in the same place if you can handle that - Drive only cares about the ID. If you have two files with the same name, uploading further copies will not create versions, Drive does not know which file to associate the upload with.

Uploading new versions by ... managing

The "Manage version" screen lets you upload new versions, too. Here, uploaded files can have different file names than the original.

Creating new versions by editing online

The Google editors count edits within 30 minute as minor edits of the same version. After that, a new version is created. Renaming a minor version also promotes it to a new version.

Creating new versions on your desktop

If you use ~~Drive File Stream~~ Google Drive for Windows and use a desktop program to edit a file stored on Drive, clicking "Save" on generates a new version. In the background, your local editor (Word, Photoshop, Apple Numbers - all of them can even be previewed in Drive) will modify the file and Google Drive for Windows will upload and version it.

This is practical when your desktop file does not support versioning itself - you get free undo. There is a problem: Drive will only store up to 100 versions. After that, it will update the 100th and freeze №1-99. If that is a problem, save your file under a new file name from time to time, or disable auto-save. That limit does not apply to Google files, which have unlimited history.

Everything shows as new - but I was only asking about your favorite mascot.

Considerations when using MS Office

Google's online editors can perfectly open and edit Excel, PowerPoint and Word files. You will get full, detailed history. Same Google editor, same Google power.

But version history in the Google editors may not show changes in versions created using Office. You may not see what exactly someone modified.

There are limits to version history

Each file can have up to 100 versions.
Versions are maintained for up to 30 days.

You can keep versions forever (the equivalent of named versions in the Google editors?). In the version manager (see screenshot above), a checkbox Keep forever is all you need to check. The very first version of a file is kept forever by default, newest version is always kept.

The 30 day limit works like an automatic trash removal. Without it, you might soon exhaust your 100 quota with trivial versions. Just pick meaningful versions, keep them forever and don't worry about the rest.

The option to "manage versions" is not available for Google files.

You have mastered versioning - in two different flavors. There is versioning for editors, and versioning for Drive. You truly earned the title of archivist, and I hope you are more certain than ever about where to store your important files, securely versioned. Thank you for reading!

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#drivePublished 2021-05-01 by Holger Matthies.Modified 2021-05-01 by Holger Matthies.

Photo by Olenka Sergienko from Pexels

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