How to manage file permissions in Google Drive, Shared Drives, and Classroom Drive

 How to manage file permissions in Google Drive, Shared Drives, and Classroom Drive

If SysCloud shows an Access denied error while performing actions such as delete, remove sharing, restore, or transfer ownership, it usually means the required Google permissions are not available for the selected file or folder.

This article explains how to check and update permissions in Google Drive, Shared Drives, and Classroom Drive.

How to check and modify file permissions in My Drive

1. Go to Google Drive.Screenshot: Google Drive home page.
2. Locate the file or folder for which you want to check permissions.
3. Right-click the file or folder and select Share.Screenshot: Right-click menu showing the Share option.
4. In the sharing pop-up, review the users or groups who have access to the file.
5. To change a user’s permission, click the role drop-down next to the user’s name and select the required role:
   • Viewer
   • Commenter
   • Editor
   Screenshot: Share pop-up showing user roles.
6. Click the settings icon in the sharing pop-up to review whether editors can change permissions or share the file with others.Screenshot: Sharing settings pop-up.
7. Click Done to save the changes.

How to manage permissions in Shared Drives

1. Go to Google Drive.
2. From the left navigation, click Shared drives.Screenshot: Google Drive left navigation showing Shared drives.
3. Open the required Shared Drive.
4. Locate the file or folder for which you want to check permissions.
5. Right-click the file or folder and select Share or Manage access.Screenshot: Shared Drive file menu showing Share or Manage access.
6. Review the users, groups, or inherited permissions available for the file or folder.
7. If required, update the user’s access level.Shared Drive access levels may include:
   • Manager
   • Content manager
   • Contributor
   • Commenter
   • Viewer
8. Click Done to save the changes.

How to manage permissions in Classroom Drive

Google Classroom creates Drive folders automatically for classroom files and assignments. Access to these folders and files depends on the user’s role in the class, such as teacher or student, and the class roster.

1. Go to Google Drive.
2. Open the Classroom folder.Screenshot: Google Drive showing the Classroom folder.
3. Open the required course folder.
4. Locate the file for which you want to check permissions.
5. Right-click the file and select Share.Screenshot: Classroom Drive file menu showing the Share option.
6. Review who has access to the file.
7. If required, update the permission for the specific file.
8. Click Done to save the changes.

What to do if you cannot change permissions

You may not be able to change permissions if:

• You are not the file owner.
• You do not have the required edit or manager-level permission.
• The file is owned by another user or another domain.
• The file is deleted or in Trash.
• The permission is inherited from a parent folder or Shared Drive.
• Your Google Workspace administrator has restricted sharing settings.

In these cases, contact the file owner, Shared Drive manager, or Google Workspace administrator to update the required permissions.

After updating permissions

After the required permissions are updated in Google Drive, return to the SysCloud backup application and retry the action that previously showed the Access denied error.