Google Shared Drive to Filen Transfer: 3 Ways to Migrate Your Team Files to Encrypted Storage

Learn how to transfer files from Google Shared Drive to Filen using three methods: browser download, Google Takeout export, or cloud-to-cloud transfer with CloudsLinker. Migrate your Workspace team files to zero-knowledge encrypted storage.

Introduction

Moving from Google Shared Drive to Filen means shifting from Google Workspace's collaborative team storage to a privacy-first, zero-knowledge encrypted platform. Whether you're archiving a completed project, leaving Workspace, or need truly private storage for sensitive team data, this guide covers three practical approaches. Shared Drives have unique access requirements compared to regular Google Drive, so we'll address those specifics. Pick the method that matches your data volume, admin access level, and technical comfort.

Start Cloud Transfer Compare Methods

Workspace admin note: Shared Drives are owned by your organization, not individual users. Some export methods require Content Manager or admin-level access. Check your permissions before starting.

Pick a Method in 30 Seconds

Any access level

Browser Download

Works for any member. Best for small folders.

Admin access

Google Takeout

Complete archive with metadata. Requires admin rights.

Hands-off

Cloud-to-Cloud

Direct transfer for large Shared Drives.

Method 1: Download from Shared Drive, Upload to Filen (Browser)

Best for: any team member, small to medium folders, quick migrations.
Trade-off: manual process; large downloads may time out; uses local bandwidth.

Step 1: Access your Shared Drive

Go to Google Drive and click on "Shared drives" in the left sidebar. Select the Shared Drive containing the files you want to migrate.

Step 2: Select and download files

Navigate to the folder you want to export. Select files (use Ctrl/Cmd+A for all), right-click, and choose "Download." Google will package the files into a ZIP archive.

Tip: For large Shared Drives, download in smaller batches (by folder or project) to avoid timeout issues and make verification easier.

Step 3: Extract and organize locally

Unzip the downloaded archive and verify the folder structure. This is a good time to:

Remove files you don't need in Filen
Reorganize folder structure if desired
Rename folders for clarity

Step 4: Upload to Filen

Open the Filen web app or desktop client. Create a destination folder (e.g., "Team Archive - [Project Name]") and upload your files via drag-and-drop or the upload button.

Need to move a large Shared Drive? Use cloud-to-cloud

Method 2: Google Takeout Export (Admin Required)

Best for: complete archive with metadata, organizational compliance, admin users.
Trade-off: requires Workspace admin or Content Manager access; can take days for large exports.

Access requirement: To export a Shared Drive via Takeout, you typically need Content Manager access or higher, or be a Workspace admin. Check with your IT team if you don't have the export option.

Step 1: Request Shared Drive export via Takeout

Go to Google Takeout and sign in with your Workspace account. Click "Deselect all," then find and enable "Drive."

Click "All Drive data included" to open options. Here you can select specific Shared Drives to export rather than your entire Drive.

Step 2: Configure export settings

Choose your export preferences:

File format: ZIP is usually best for compatibility
File size: 50GB chunks for large exports
Delivery: Direct download or to another cloud temporarily

Step 3: Download and extract archives

Google will email you when the export is ready. Download all ZIP files and extract them. The Shared Drive contents will be in a folder named after the Shared Drive.

Step 4: Upload to Filen

Use Filen Desktop for large uploads — it's more reliable than the browser for big transfers. Set up a sync folder pointing to your extracted Shared Drive data.

Google Docs note: Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides in Shared Drives will export as Microsoft Office files (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) via Takeout.

Method 3: Cloud-to-Cloud Transfer with CloudsLinker

Best for: large Shared Drives, limited local storage, hands-off migration.
Trade-off: requires authorizing third-party access to your Workspace.

CloudsLinker can connect to Google Shared Drives and transfer files directly to Filen without downloading to your computer. This is the most efficient option for large team archives.

How it works

Connect your Google account with Shared Drive access.
Connect your Filen account.
Select Shared Drive folders and start the transfer.

Advantages for Shared Drives

Handles large team archives efficiently.
No local storage needed.
Preserves folder structure from Shared Drive.

Step-by-step setup

Open CloudsLinker and create a new transfer task.
Add Google Drive as the source. During OAuth, ensure you grant access to Shared Drives you want to migrate.
Add Filen as the destination. Enter your credentials (enable 2FA first for security).
Browse to your Shared Drives — they appear alongside "My Drive" in the source file browser.
Select the folders you want to transfer and choose a destination folder in Filen.
Configure options:
- "Skip existing files" to avoid duplicates
- Convert Google Docs to Office formats if needed
- Exclude certain file types or folders
Start the transfer and monitor from the dashboard.

Workspace considerations

Some orgs restrict third-party app access — check with IT.
Use your own account, not a service account, for personal migrations.
You can only transfer Shared Drives you have access to.

After the transfer

Verify folder structure in Filen matches the Shared Drive.
Check that Google Docs converted correctly if applicable.
Review error logs for any failed files.

Shared Drive to Filen transfer in CloudsLinker

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Google Shared Drive vs Filen at a glance

Category	Google Shared Drive	Filen
Ownership model	Organization owns the data; survives member departure.	User owns the data; full personal control.
Encryption	Server-side encryption managed by Google.	Zero-knowledge, client-side encryption.
Admin visibility	Workspace admins can access and audit all content.	No admin visibility; Filen cannot access your files.
Best-fit use case	Team collaboration with organizational oversight.	Private storage where you control access completely.

Before You Start: Quick Prep Checklist

Check your access level: Verify you have permission to download/export from the Shared Drive.
Coordinate with your team: Inform team members if migrating shared resources they use.
Identify Google Docs: These will convert to Office formats — note any that need special handling.
Enable Filen 2FA: Turn on two-factor authentication before connecting services.
Plan folder structure: Decide how you want to organize Shared Drive content in Filen.
Test with a small folder: Migrate one folder first to validate the process.

FAQ

Yes, but with limitations. As a regular member, you can download files via browser (Method 1) or use cloud-to-cloud transfer (Method 3). Google Takeout export of Shared Drives typically requires Content Manager access or higher.

Google native documents convert to Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) during export. The files are editable in Office apps but won't have Google-specific features like real-time collaboration.

No. Sharing permissions are specific to Google Workspace. After migration, you'll need to set up new sharing in Filen if you want others to access the files.

If your Workspace admin has restricted third-party access, use the browser download method or request that IT approve CloudsLinker temporarily. Alternatively, ask your admin to perform a Takeout export for you.

Yes, but coordinate to avoid duplicate work. Assign different folders to different people, or have one person handle the entire migration. Each person would upload to their own Filen account unless you're using Filen's sharing features.

Conclusion

The right Shared Drive to Filen method depends on your admin access, data size, and privacy requirements. For smaller team folders, browser downloads work fine. For complete archives with metadata, Google Takeout is comprehensive but requires admin rights. And for large Shared Drives or when you want hands-off migration, CloudsLinker transfers everything directly between clouds. Always coordinate with your Workspace admin and test with a small folder before migrating critical team data.

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