--- title: For Parents & Students - New to Google drive description: "For Parents & Students - New to Google drive, Authorize\nYour Advisor has connected their preferred Google Drive. Now it's your turn to initiate your Google Drive account." --- [Skip to content](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/portal/en/kb/articles/for-parents-students-new-to-google-drive-authorize-29-8-2023#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [![CounselMore College Planning Software Knowledge Base](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logos/CMLogo_CCS_wide_trans-w2000-1.gif?width=1116&height=125&name=CMLogo_CCS_wide_trans-w2000-1.gif)](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/?hsLang=en) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations Select below, or search by topic - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Knowledge Base : CounselMore Support](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [ACCOUNT SET UP](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/account-set-up?hsLang=en) 3. [New Account - PARENT & STUDENT USERS](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/account-set-up?hsLang=en#new-account-parent-student-users) # For Parents & Students - New to Google drive ## For Parents & Students - New to Google drive, Authorize Your Advisor has connected their preferred Google Drive. Now it's your turn to initiate your Google Drive account. ![iStock-1239526742 (1)](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IStock%20Purchased/iStock-1239526742%20(1).jpg?width=670&height=447&name=iStock-1239526742%20(1).jpg)   For Parents & Students - New to Google drive, initialize your Google Account ### You **don't** need a Gmail account to create a Google Account. ### **ANY** email address can be registered with Google. Parents/Students will receive multiple invites Invite #1 The Counselor will Share the Student/Parent portals with the clients email addresses. The client will receive invite from notifications@counselmore.com for the Portal Invite. **AND** Invite #2 The Advisor will **Share their Google Drive folder with the Student or Parent or both.** Universal MusicThe email address(es) that the advisor is sharing the Google folder with **must** be recognized by Google.   If the email address has **never been registered with Google**, you will be required to register their email address with Google.   The Advisor will then **re-share** the Google Drive folder with the now, Google registered email address, so please let them know once you've completed the steps below.   Again, you don't need a Gmail account to create a Google Account. **ANY** email address can be registered with Google. See the Yellow Circle around the blue words in image below. This is what you will see when creating Google Account. **Find the Blue words and click on them** ![](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base%20Import/mPfZ7FFxjhzYpVCYiFUQGLiVtBdBFGATHA.png) ### **Use an existing email address** 1\) You may see a box automatically pop up or Go to the [Google Account Sign In page](https://accounts.google.com/signin). 2\) Click **Create account**. 3\) Enter your name. 4\) Click **Use my current email address instead**. 5\) Enter your current email address. 6\) Click **Next**. 7\) Verify your email address with the code sent to your existing email. 8\) Click **Verify**. 9\) When complete - notify your CounselMore Account owner/Advisor. Let them know your email address is now registered and to please re-share the Google Drive folder.   ### **Counselor may see a message on screen:** see example image below ![Cannot share Googel Drive Not reg](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base%20Import/Cannot%20share%20Googel%20Drive%20Not%20reg.png?width=670&height=312&name=Cannot%20share%20Googel%20Drive%20Not%20reg.png)   that person who owns the email address has never used that email address to access a Google Drive document previously. Therefore Google does not recognize this as a registered email address with Google company. ANY EMAIL address can be used to access a Google Drive document. But Google wants you to register your private email with their company. When Google says "email address X does not have a Google account so you can't share with them," it means exactly that - the person doesn't have any type of Google account associated with that email address. Google cannot recognize them - and Google has become very serious about their security since 2016.   This is very simple to resolve \> and nothing that you're asking your client to do extra because they will have to do this no matter what if they plan to continue using that email address... We all eventually will cross paths with Google. What they need to do: The person who owns the email can, either: 1\) Create a Google account using that same email address, OR 2) they could Give you a different email that already has a Google account but let's just keep moving forward **Important clarification:** They don't need a Gmail account specifically They can create a Google account using any email address (Yahoo, Outlook, work email, icloud....etc.) They just go to accounts.google.com and sign up using their existing email **Your options as the sharer:** Ask them to create a Google account with that email - follow instructions above Ask for a different email they use with Google Change sharing to "Anyone with the link" (if appropriate) - this bypasses the Google account requirement  - [ACCOUNT SET UP](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/account-set-up?hsLang=en#main-content) - [New Account - SELF GUIDED SET UP](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/account-set-up?hsLang=en#new-account-self-guided-set-up) - [New Account - FREE LIVE TRAINING](https://helpdesk.counselmore.com/account-set-up?hsLang=en#new-account-free-live-training) - 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