How to Transfer Ownership of Google Drive Files #
GAT+ is an application for Google Workspace domains. It allows the Admin of the domain to audit the domain Drive in detail.
It also allows many actions to be taken on the Drive files, such as removing existing permissions, changing ownership of the local files, copying the files from one user to another, and many more.
Below, we will show how to change ownership of files from one user to another in your domain.
IMPORTANT: User accounts must be active or suspended, the change will not work if user is in archived state.
Find files to change #
Navigate to GAT+ > Drive > Files and search for any file you want to change ownership for.
Open the funnel icon and apply a filter to find the files you need.
When the result is displayed, select the files you need.
Click on the checkmark beside the title, then select the File operation button (2), then in the drop-down menu select the File management button
File management #
- General – change ownership of the files. Enter the new owner’s email, and more options will be displayed
- Move file – By choosing this option, you are requesting to move files directly to the new owner’s MyDrive (note: inherited permissions can be lost in the process). Warning: If a file has multiple parents, they will be reduced to one. This change cannot be reverted.
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By default, when ownership is changed, the previous owner is added as an additional contributor
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If any files are in the Bin folder, they will be restored and taken out of the trash during the ownership transfer
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Custom folder path for the files to be placed in, enter the folder name followed by the forward-slash (/), for example, folderX/
- Add – add permissions to the selected files
- Remove – remove permissions from the selected files
- Replace – replace the existing permissions on the selected files
- Summary – view the summary of the changes that will happen
When all details are filled in, click on the Next button at the bottom to proceed.
In the Summary view, select what changes will be applied, and click on the Send request button.
The request will be sent to the ‘Security Officer(s)’, who will approve or deny the operation.
The email will be sent from notifications@gattool.com, and it will contain the details for the approval.
Result of file ownership change #
When the request is then approved by the Security Officer, the file ownership will be changed.
The result can be seen in the Admin log as well as in the Google Drive of the new owner.
No approval #
We have a pre-approval feature where action can be taken without needing approval over and over again.
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FAQ #
FAQ 1: What happens to the old owner’s access after a file’s ownership is transferred?
Answer: By default, the previous owner is automatically added as an additional contributor to the file. However, within the “File management” pop-up, you have the option to “Deny access for old owner,” which will completely remove their permissions.
FAQ 2: Can I transfer ownership of files that are in the trash?
Answer: Yes, you can. The “Untrash file” option in the “File management” menu allows you to restore files from the Bin folder and include them in the ownership transfer process, taking them out of the trash.
