Potential Causes

If you are trying to reduce your Cornell Google storage and are seeing a large amount in "Other," it may be due to one of several causes.

• System files and caches: These are files generated by the operating system and applications to optimize performance. They can accumulate over time and contribute to the "Other" category.
• Temporary files: Many applications create temporary files during operations, which are usually deleted automatically. However, some might remain and contribute to the "Other" category.
• Hidden files and folders: Some files and folders might be hidden from the standard view. These can take up space and contribute to the "Other" category.
• Google Drive files that are not synced locally: If you have a large number of Google Drive files that are not synced to your device, they will contribute to the "Other" category in your Google Workspace storage usage.

Possible Solutions

To identify and potentially free up space in the "Other" category, you can try the following:

• Check for large files and folders. Use the search function in your file explorer to find large files or folders that you no longer need. Delete or move these files to free up space.
• Clear browser cache and cookies. Clearing your browser's cache and cookies can free up space, especially if you have a large number of websites saved in your browser history.
• Check for hidden files and folders. Use the "Show hidden files and folders" option in your file explorer to view hidden files and folders. You can then delete or move any unnecessary files.
• Review your Google Drive storage usage. Check your Google Drive storage usage to see if you have a large number of files that are not synced to your device. If so, you can delete or move these files to free up space.

For more information, see Google's documentation, Manage your storage in Drive, Gmail & Photos.

Backups of Former Devices

If you have stopped using an old device, but never deleted its backup from your Google account, you could still have a large amount of storage devoted to that backup. If this is the case, you will not see that backup specifically called out. Instead, it can appear under Other. 

To check, while in the web interface for your Google storage, click Backups.