Can You Set a Shared Folder in Google Drive to Automatically Save Uploaded Material

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With more than a billion users, Google Drive is the biggest deject storage service on the planet. In fact, whenever you create a personal Google account, a Drive account is automatically created for you. Because of that, you probably already have an account with the cloud service, and you might want to take advantage of that past saving your fill-in to Google Bulldoze.

Key Takeaways:

• If you're not keen on getting a dedicated online backup app, using Google Drive to back up your estimator is easy to practise.
• Although uploading to Google Drive is as simple as dragging and dropping files into the Google Drive website, we don't recommend moving files manually.
• You can automate the backup process past letting Google Drive sync your existing folders to the deject. Every modify you make to the folders y'all sync will exist reflected in the cloud versions of the folders as well.

Deject storage services aren't created with hard drive backups in mind; that's what online backup services are for. However, there are ways to do a Google Drive backup of your computer's hard drive.

Y'all can as well utilize Google Drive to dorsum up Android, in case yous're switching phones and desire to go along all your data (Google Photos can help with that, as well). Even so, this Google Drive backup guide will focus on creating backups and restoring Google Bulldoze files to your computer.

There are several means to do this, just the most reliable way is to use the Google Drive for Desktop app. This lets you employ your Drive folder to back upwards any files y'all choose, merely information technology will take additional steps to back up your entire computer. Read on to find out how to back up your hard drive to the cloud using Google Drive.

• 02/07/2022

  Google replaced the Backup and Sync app with Google Drive for Desktop. The guide has been updated to reflect that alter.

• updates

• Drive will do a decent job of backing up your files, while keeping them readily accessible. However, a true online backup solution, like IDrive, will requite you many more options to customize your backup.

• Yeah, every Android phone lets y'all back up your apps, settings and data to Drive, so when y'all become a new phone yous accept all your stuff in that location without having to download information technology manually.

• Google Drive for Desktop replaced Fill-in and Sync as the default app for Drive. It's functionally the same thing with a few added features, like the virtual drive, equally well as simplified settings.

How to Back Upwards to Google Drive: The Drag-and-Driblet Method

Sometimes the best thing for productivity is to have all of your important files and folders in 1 place. If yous need quick access to those files, you can support your information to the "My Bulldoze" folder. To do that, you accept to install the Google Bulldoze for Desktop app on your computer. This will create a "My Drive" folder, which you can use to support data.

To back up files to Drive, simply copy them to your "My Drive" folder. You can also do the aforementioned via the Google Bulldoze website. Just log in with your Google account and open Bulldoze. Next, drag and drop any files and folders you need to back upwards. It really is that easy, simply information technology comes with some drawbacks.

It doesn't become any easier than dragging and dropping to upload, only that method isn't perfect.

Problems With the Elevate-and-Drop Method

One trouble is that syncing files this way doesn't preserve your folder structure, and you tin can easily forget to copy some files or folders. Another downside of using the "My Drive" folder to support your files is that you create a copy of each file, so if you want to dorsum upwardly your difficult bulldoze, you're going to demand twice the space that your data already takes up.

If you lot choose this method to back your data up, you will demand to reupload files manually every fourth dimension you edit them. You lot will also need to manually upload any new files yous create, plus it's easy to forget which ones yous've already uploaded (read our guide on how to upload to Google Drive).

Using Google's Virtual Drive

A virtual drive solves many of the issues that sync folders have. A virtual bulldoze attaches to your computer but like a hardware drive would but uses your cloud storage instead. In Windows Explorer, information technology volition look like to Local Deejay (C:), equally you tin see in the image below. Files you upload to this virtual bulldoze don't take up whatever additional hard drive space.

A virtual drive can solve the consequence of information duplication that sync folders have.

If you want to, you tin only drag and drop files into the drive to upload them, but the inconvenience of manually uploading withal remains.

The side by side way to back up files remedies these issues, so go along reading to find out the all-time way to automatically support files with Google Drive. Of course, a better selection would be to use a dedicated backup service instead, like Backblaze fill-in.

Back Up Your Computer to Google Bulldoze Automatically

Google Drive for Desktop gives you several options during installation, which you can change anytime you like. I of these choices is which computer folders to back up to Drive. This pick creates a continuous link betwixt your computer and the deject, plus you don't have to create two copies of every file.

If you've always used a fill-in service similar IDrive, the next footstep volition be familiar (and if you haven't, you tin can read our IDrive review). Like IDrive, Bulldoze volition automatically find folders to back up, such as "desktop," "documents" and "pictures." From this carte, yous can also click the "choose folder" button to back up whatever folder you like.

The about useful matter well-nigh this method is that you can back up an entire partition. This ways that if you have a separate division (those "local drive" folders on your computer) with all your important files, you tin just select it with the "choose folder" option, and information technology will continue your folder trees every bit they are. Here'due south how to exercise this pace by stride.

1. Add together Folders You lot Want to Back Up

   You'll be greeted with Google'southward "preferences" menu. Make certain you're on the "my figurer" tab and click on "add folder."

   

2. Select Folders to Back Upwards

   Once y'all click on the big bluish push button, you'll get a pop-up window that lets you choose a binder to back up.

   

3. Choose a Backup Method

   Next you need to cull whether to sync all your files to the cloud, or just your photos and videos. The pick "sync with Google Drive" will upload everything, while the "back up to Google Photos" option volition only back up the photos and videos the software detects in that folder.

   

4. Save Your Settings

   Finally, simply click "save" to offset the backup procedure.

   

Can Google Drive Automatically Back Up?

One of the biggest benefits of the automated backup method is that every file you create or piece of work on is automatically updated as y'all go. This means you tin can work every bit yous e'er do, without having to change your habits or folder structure. The automatic fill-in method also helps save space considering the files don't get duplicated to your "My Drive" folder.

However, Google Drive'south gratis programme is only 15GB, and then to dorsum up more than that you volition need to upgrade to a paid storage plan. If you're on a tight budget, Carbonite is a backup service that offers unlimited storage at a very low price (read our full Carbonite review).

Google Drive Automatic Backup Settings

If y'all apply Drive to back up your computer, you may have to change some network settings. Backing up many files ways lots of data is existence transferred to the cloud continuously and slowing down your connection. Past default, Bulldoze doesn't limit your bandwidth. This is the best option if you take an unlimited information plan and you just care about fast uploads.

How to Limit Bandwidth With Google Bulldoze Data Backup

In that location will be situations where you need to limit the bandwidth that Google Drive uses. To practise this, get into the "preferences" bill of fare and click the gear icon in the tiptop-right corner. This is the "settings" card that houses options for startup beliefs and bandwidth direction. Clicking the "download rate" or "upload rate" buttons will permit yous throttle Drive's bandwidth.

Google Drive lets you fix a limit to how fast it uploads or downloads data.

How to Conform Google Photos Backup Options

The "settings" menu too hosts settings for Google Photos backups. You lot volition run across the selection to upload photos in "storage saver" mode or "original quality."

"Original quality" ways your photos are uploaded as they are, and "storage saver" means they are uploaded as compressed files. You can also choose to upload screenshots and camera RAW files.

You can notice quality settings for Google Photos uploads in the "settings" menu.

How to Restore a Fill-in From Google Bulldoze Storage

Restoring your backed-up Drive files is very easy and simple. Because your data is stored in the cloud, it's e'er available to download via the Google Bulldoze website. If you've deleted the files from your Drive, you can yet try to restore them using data recovery software.

How Do I Access My Google Drive Backup?

Google Drive Website

The easiest way to access your Drive files is via the Bulldoze website. Its interface is easy to use. If you want to download a file or folder from the website, simply right-click on the file or folder and select "download."

However, Drive doesn't let you lot download all of your data at once. Luckily, Google has a service called Google Takeout that does just that. You can download all of the data Google has on you using Google Takeout, and that includes your Google Drive files.

Fill-in and Sync App

The next mode to download your Google Drive backup is with the Fill-in and Sync desktop app. You can choose to sync the backup folders on your Google account, and they will be downloaded to your Drive binder.

There are besides Google Drive apps for iPhone and Android that let you admission your Drive files. These apps can support text letters to Google Drive, plus they can automatically support photos to Drive. If you're on Android, yous can support your entire phone, including settings and apps.

Final Thoughts

To recap, at that place are several methods for using Drive to support your information. All of them have some advantages and drawbacks, merely if yous follow this Google Drive fill-in guide, y'all shouldn't have whatsoever problem.

The get-go method is to drag and drop files into the "My Drive" binder or the Google Drive website. This method will create duplicates of your Drive files, plus you have to back upward your information manually (nosotros take a guide on how to remove Google Photos duplicates in instance you need it).

A much meliorate manner to back up your files to Drive is to use the Google Bulldoze for Desktop app to select which folders to back up to the cloud. You can prepare Google to automatically sync existing folders on your computer, which lets yous work on files and take them continuously uploaded to the deject.

Nosotros promise this Google Drive backup guide was helpful to you. If y'all accept whatever questions near using Drive to support your information, feel free to drop a comment below. Also, check out our guide on how to transfer buying of a Google Drive binder, if that's something you demand to do. Cheers for reading.

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