How to use Google Drive's new Backup and Sync tool
Google's Backup and Sync Drive tool launched earlier this week, and it promises to make full-system cloud storage easier than ever. In essence, you can backup your entire PC by clicking just a couple of buttons.
The tool, which you can download as a desktop application, will store your photos, videos, and docs automatically in the same file format you have on your PC. If you use it right, you should be able to eliminate the annoying process of organizing your stuff a second time on the cloud — so we're going to show you how to do just that.
- 5 min
- Google Account
Step 1: Download the Backup and Sync tool.
Getting the tool for Drive is super easy. Download the program from the Drive homepage, or you can head to the Google Photos to download the app.
Step 2: Sign into the Google account you want to use for your file and photo storage.
Step 3: Pick the folders you want to backup.
When you save photos, the unlimited storage perk from Google Photos carries over, so feel free to dump your entire collection onto Drive.
Step 4: Next, select the option "Sync My Drive to this computer."
Before you start the process, make sure you're good with the Drive folder location on your PC and exactly which of your extant folders you're selecting for the sync. If you have a ton of data, you might want to consider a more tailored approach.
Step 5: You should see a desktop icon for Drive, which will automatically backup your files.
Just to be sure, head to your Drive account on your browser to find your files. Click on the "Computers" tab (seen below), and you should be able to access everything directly from there.
Step 6: Enjoy!
That's it! Your entire computer (or selected folder system) should be backed up in its entirety on Google Drive. Now, anytime you drop a file in one of the synced folders, it will be automatically duplicated in the cloud. You can now rest easy knowing that your precious data backed up.
We installed the new app on a MacBook Air for the demo, but Backup and Sync tool is available for Windows, too. You should be able to follow the same steps on any computer. So with that in mind, here's how to backup your entire computer on Google Drive.
1) Download the Backup and Sync tool.
Getting the tool for Drive is super easy. Download the program from the Drive homepage, or you can head to the Google Photos to download the app.
2) Sign into the Google account you want to use for your file and photo storage.
3) Pick the folders you want to backup.
If you're using a Mac, your menu will look like this.
When you save photos, the unlimited storage perk from Google Photos carries over, so feel free to dump your entire collection onto Drive.
4) Next, select the option "Sync My Drive to this computer."
Before you start the process, make sure you're good with the Drive folder location on your PC and exactly which of your extant folders you're selecting for the sync. If you have a ton of data, you might want to consider a more tailored approach.
5) You should see a desktop icon for Drive, which will automatically backup your files.
Just to be sure, head to your Drive account on your browser to find your files. Click on the "Computers" tab (seen below), and you should be able to access everything directly from there.
6) Enjoy!
That's it! Your entire computer (or selected folder system) should be backed up in its entirety on Google Drive. Now, anytime you drop a file in one of the synced folders, it will be automatically duplicated in the cloud. You can now rest easy knowing that your precious data backed up.
Brett Williams is a Tech Reporter at Mashable. He writes about tech news, trends and other tangentially related topics with a particular interest in wearables and exercise tech. Prior to Mashable, he wrote for Inked Magazine and Thrillist. Brett's work has also appeared on Fusion and AskMen, to name a few. You can follow Brett on Twitter @bdwilliams910.
