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+---- Thread: downloading download-protected google drive original files (/showthread.php?tid=6300481)
downloading download-protected google drive original files - jimbobstrupt - Jun 15, 2025
Hi,
I have a bunch of Google Drive links to PDF files. I can view the documents on the browser, but these files are shared with a download protection activated and I cannot make copies of the documents or download the docs: no option in the web UI, API failure when trying via API.
I've come across some projects that re-create a PDF by seemingly re-assembling the visual data from the browser, but I'd like to retrieve the original files.
I've managed to download the original PDF files via my rooted smartphone: I was able to find all the cached PDF files in `/data/data/com.google.android.apps.docs/app_cello/[email protected]/content/`. I've managed to achieve what I wanted right now, but that was tedious (I had to manually rename my 20\~30 files, as cached files get all renamed).
Can you think of a way to retrieve the original PDF files, in a clean, convenient, systematic way?
Thank you!
RE: downloading download-protected google drive original files - Sphynx - Jun 16, 2025
those PDF viewer protections in Google Drive are largely enforced through the UI, not encryption. Th real Systematic Solution would to be using adb pull /data/data/com.google.android.apps.docs/app_cello/<your_user>/content/ ./pdf_dump/ using that in cli with a rooted device will give you each file
RE: downloading download-protected google drive original files - jimbobstrupt - Jun 17, 2025
Thanks. Your response is pretty much exactly what I stated initially though :)
My question was more like, is there a more convenient way to achieve this? Particularly, avoiding going through a smartphone (or smartphone in VM, same), or avoiding having to rename files manually? Ideally just through scripting (but, no interacting with Android, unless there really is no other way).
I mean, the Drive Android app can download the original PDF file. So surely, http calls should be able to retrieve the original PDF file?