It is (only so) well-known that an item in Google Drive can reside in multiple locations at once. There is a trace of documentation about how to place a file in a second location in the Drive Help ("Move a file or folder" -> "Save an item to multiple folders") as well as a couple of alternatives here on StackExchange: With Google Drive, how can I have a single document in multiple folders/collections?

However, the mechanics of this after a "second" file has been created like this is highly unclear.

For example:

• Is there any difference between the "second" and the original file? In other words, does the second file behave like a soft or hard link to the original file?
• If there is a difference, how do you find out which copy is the original one?
• What happens to the second file if you move the original file to a new location?
• And vice versa?
• What happens to the second file if you rename the original file?
• And vice versa?
• What happens to the second file if you delete the original file?
• And vice versa?
• What happens to the second file if you delete a folder containing the original file?
• And vice versa?
• What happens if you drag and drop the second file to the location where the original file resides?
• And vice versa?
• What if you manipulate the files in the Google Drive client on Windows (or Linux)?
• What if the "file" in all of the above is actually a folder itself?

From personal experience, I suspect that:

• If there is a difference, how do you find out which copy is the original one?

It seems as if the multiple locations are shown in chronological order of creation.

I have also read this blog post, and it seems to suggest the following partial answers:

• Is there any difference between the "second" and the original file?

It does not look like there is!

• What happens to the second file if you delete the original file?
• And vice versa?

It looks like both copies are deleted.