Use Google Mail for Storage

With around six gigabytes of space available, Joe Cassels demonstrates how Google Mail can become handy online storage.


We store more and more data at home, but nothing beats the security of an off site backup. If you use an online storage facility, you have the convenience of being able to access your data from any PC connected to the internet. Most operators charge for online storage by the gigabyte yet there is a way to use over 6GB storage online absolutely free. If you have a Google Mail account, you’re given a gargantuan inbox, which is easy to turn to your advantage.

By installing a shell extension called the GMail drive, you can turn your mail account into a storage system. There are some limitations. The drive behaves much like any other drive on your system, but files are stored by sending emails with attachments to your Google Mail account. As there is a 10MB attachment limit for Google Mail, files larger than this will be split into multiple messages.

Your GMail drive shows its contents in My Computer as if it were any other disk. However, when you log into Google Mail, you will see the messages used to store your files in the inbox. If you also use your account regularly for mail, you may like to create a filter to store these messages in archived items so that they don’t mess up the inbox. Log into your Google Mail account in the usual way and then choose Settings, Filters, Create a new filter. In the Subject field, enter GMAILFS and click Next Step. Now tick Skip the Inbox (archive it) and create the filter.

By using another utility, the GMail Loader, you can store old email in your Google Mail account. Get it from www.marklyon.org/gmail/. You’ll need to unzip the files to as convenient location and launch gmlw.exe. You can use this program to upload mail from Mozilla Thunderbird. If you use Outlook or Outlook Express, you’ll need to import the messages into Thunderbird first. This is because the Outlook storage format is protected. Browse to the mail box file and enter your Google Mail address. Now click Send to GMail to upload the messages.

Set up the GMail Drive
Change a GMail account into an additional disk drive


1
Browse to www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm and download and install the GMail drive software. This installs the interface and shell extension to provide an additional drive in My Computer. To access it for the first time, double click the GMail drive icon.


2
You’ll need to log into Google Mail to use the new drive. Provide your Google Mail username and password and tick Auto Login if you want the drive to be permanently available. Click More and opt to preserve filenames. You can also use Secure HTTP for encrypted access.


3
With the GMail Drive open, browse to the files that you want to store online. Drag these onto the open drive. These will be sent to you as email messages, but seen by Windows as stored files. If you use the GMail notifier, you’ll be told that you have new mail.