Admin access to contents of a Shared Drive?

[mphimfo]

Google Workspace newbie Admin...  is there a way to view the contents of Shared Drives that users create?   For example, if a User is unreachable, ill, terminated, etc and I need to access files from their Share Drives, how can I, as an Admin, do so if I'm not on the team linked to the Shared Drive?   

Thanks.

[cryptochrome · Accepted solution]

No, you can't view or access a shared drive's content unless you have specifically been given access to it. However, since you are an admin, you can give yourself access. Go to admin console > apps > drive > manage shared drives. There you will find an option to manage drive members. 

[mphimfo]

That's perfect, thank you!

[justin_garrett]

Came here after just trying this myself and when I tried to add myself to a Drive which I do not have access to I am getting an error saying "sorry could not understand email address starting at" and my email address. 

I have tested this on more than one drive and I am getting the same error each time

Any caveats to this process that you are aware of? 

[Penelope]

The only thing I can personally think of is are you the primary admin/admin with all the roles and not an admin that was just given a selected role. 

[henrylester]

mhphimfo

In Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Shared Drives allow teams to store, access, and collaborate on files. Admins in Google Workspace have varying levels of access to the contents of Shared Drives, depending on their assigned roles and permissions.

1. **Super Admins:**
Super Admins have broad access to the Google Workspace environment, including Shared Drives. They have the highest level of administrative access and can manage settings, users, and permissions across the entire organization. Super Admins can access and manage content within Shared Drives, including viewing, editing, and sharing files as necessary.

2. **Drive Editors/Managers:**
Users with Manager or Content Manager roles specifically assigned to a Shared Drive have elevated privileges within that Drive. They can manage files and folders, add or remove members, change permissions, and perform other administrative tasks related to that particular Shared Drive.

3. **Drive Content Managers:**
This role allows users to manage content within a Shared Drive, such as adding, editing, and deleting files or folders. However, they may not have the same administrative capabilities as Drive Managers, such as adding or removing members.

4. **Drive Contributors:**
Contributors can add files and make changes to the content within the Shared Drive but may not have administrative privileges or permissions to manage other users' access or settings.

Admins in Google Workspace can audit and monitor the activity within Shared Drives using the Admin Console's reporting features. They can track file access, modifications, sharing activities, and other events for compliance and security purposes.

It's important to note that while admins might have access to the contents of Shared Drives, they should always adhere to the organization's policies and ethical guidelines regarding data privacy and access. It's recommended to establish clear guidelines and permissions for Shared Drive access to ensure proper data security and integrity.

The specific access level an admin has to the contents of a Shared Drive depends on the roles and permissions assigned to them within the Google Workspace Admin Console.

[BaldyGo]

What about instances where there is no shared drive?  Where a Workspace user just shares an individual file or folder?  Is there any way an admin (even a super admin) can access such shared files and folders without having to beg permission from the (usually gone and disabled) user?

[icrew]

You can do this with the free, open source, command-line, indispensable GAM tool. Check out:

• GAM: https://github.com/jay0lee/GAM/wiki
• GAM Advanced (a variant with a few more features): https://github.com/taers232c/GAMADV-XTD3/wiki
• and the mailing list at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/google-apps-manager

for more details.

Specifically, see https://github.com/GAM-team/GAM/wiki/GoogleDriveManagement

Hope that helps,

Ian

[GeoRocks]

I am also having this trouble.

I have a file shared with me, I have admin access, yet I still need to request permissions to view this file?

any way around this?

[BaldyGo]

Seems that the answer is "No, Google does not provide an interface or tool to allow administrators to access all company files and folders."  But, there are other tools like GAM that apparently can (I have not tried them myself yet).

[RickP]

I am super admin for our Workspace and I am unable to add myself as a member to the organization's shared drive. I click on add member and type in the admin email address and it does not appear.