Best and Easy Ways to Backup Google Drive Data

Read time 7 minutes

Google Drive is the most popular and convenient cloud storage and synchronization device for users. Its free storage shared with Gmail and Google Photos is 15GB is enough for many individuals and small-scale businesses. Other than on browser, it can be used in mobile devices and desktops to store data by uploading or synchronizing processes.

The data on Google Drive, instead of being a cloud destination for storage, is not secured, and the primary reason is accidental or intentional data deletion by humans. Even the synchronized data on the system drive or mobile storage gets deleted when any user deleted the data from the cloud storage location.

This unfavorable situation recalls the effort to have Google Drive data backup to restore and access confidential files lost back by accidental deletion or by some fraudsters inside or outside the organization.

We have researched thoroughly and collected some best and easy ways to backup Google Drive photos and other data to help our readers.

Check Out These Easy Ways to Backup Google Drive Data

Central Idea: Direct downloading of selective Google Drive files or folders with particular files is performed.

Process:

1. Launch the Google Drive application My Drive – Google Drive with your account sign-in credentials.
2. Either select the files individually or that folder in which you have stored the specific Google Drive files for backup (as shown) and right-click the mouse. Select the “Download” option from the drop-down list.



3. The zipping of the selected folder will start.
4. Wait for the zip folder download to complete.
5. Access the downloaded Zip folder from the “Downloads” folder of the local system and then extract it to desired system drive or external drive (Hard drive, pen drive, USB drive) location.

Limitations: If you have vast Google Drive data to backup, then selecting files and folders to download would be a cumbersome task.

Central Idea: Using exclusive inbuilt Google Takeout tool to backup Google Drive content by exporting it to a selected file format at the system location.

Process:

1. Run the Google Takeout tool by visiting this link: Google Takeout
2. On the start page, click “Deselect all” to unselect the selected Google Workspace applications.
   
3. Now, select the checkbox against the Google Drive application. You can choose the data to export by clicking the “All Drive data included” option.
   
4. Select the folder(s) to export and click “OK.”
   
5. Now, click the “Next step” option to move forward.
   
6. Now select the export frequency, file type and file size according to your requirements. Then click “Create export.”
   
   
7. The export will begin.
   
8. Once the export is completed, a download link for the exported Google Drive data will be generated. Click on it to download and then transfer the data to the system drive, hard drive, or other external device location.
   

Limitations:
It is a one-time archive; no automated backup and export of huge Google Drive files might consume a lot of users’ time.

Central Idea: The Backup & Sync tool for Google Drive is a backup and synchronization utility that users can utilize to save the synchronized content from Google Drive to the file system or external device location.

Process:

1. Go to this link https://www.google.com/drive/download/ and click “Download” against the Backup & Sync application.
   
2. Confirm the download by clicking the “Agree and Download” option.
   
3. Please wait for the download to complete and click on the .exe to install it following the provided instructions.
4. Once the tool is installed, right-click on its icon on the taskbar and select “Preferences” from the list.
   
5. Now select the option “Sync only these folders” and then Google Drive folder(s) which you want to synchronize. Click “OK” to apply it.
   
6. Now, you can access Google Drive folders on your system desktop within a synchronized Google Drive.

Limitations: The hardcore limitation of using the Google Backup & Sync tool is deletion or modification of synchronized data along with deletion on the cloud. It happens vice versa too. Users need to be more cautious and require added backup of synchronized content on the desktop to other drives or external devices.

From the above three explained manual ways to backup Google Drive, we have analyzed that the backup is feasible but at the expense of time, efforts, data, and chances of errors and loss. This is the users’ only choice to either go with the manual solutions or choose a professional and automated tool to backup Google Drive data to external hard drive without limitations.

We suggest all Google Drive users try the Kernel Google Drive Backup tool, which performs a direct, filtered, and easy backup of Google Drive files from the G Suite account to desired file format. The interface is user-friendly, and the features are to the point. You can backup other G Suite applications using this tool like Gmail, Contacts, Calendars, and Chats.

Summary

The need for Google Drive backup thrives users to select an optimal backup solution that includes minimal or no limitations. A sorted description main idea, process, and add constraints with the best backup solutions are explained in this blog.