How to Backup Google Drive to an External Hard Drive | Simple Methods

 

Google Drive is the most popular cloud storage solution today because of its simplicity and accessibility. It provides free space and the ability to manage files easily. But even with this advanced cloud technology, some users and organizations would want to store their data in hard drives for security reasons or simply when there is a loss or inaccessibility of the data.

This article explains why you should back up your Google Drive to an external hard drive and provides many methods for doing so.

 

Why Should You Backup Google Drive to External Hard Drive?

There are various reasons why you should store a backup of Google Drive on your external hard drive.

Below are some of the reasons:

• Protection against Accidental Deletion

Mistakes happen, and sometime important files are deleted unintentionally. A backup ensures that your data is not permanently lost in such situations.

• Security Against Hacker Threats

As cloud storage is accessible anywhere, it's also vulnerable to unauthorized access. Organizations often prefer to back up Google Drive data to an external hard drive to mitigate risks associated with hackers.

• Offline Accessibility

Internet or server issues can sometimes disrupt access to your Google Drive files, impacting productivity. A local backup ensures that critical files are always available, even without an internet connection.

• Enhanced Security

When signing up on various platforms using Gmail, permissions granted to certain apps could unknowingly expose your Google Drive data. A backup provides peace of mind in case of unauthorized access.

 

How do you back up Google Drive to a computer or external hard drive?

There are several ways to back up data locally from Google Drive. Below are two manual methods suitable for downloading a few files or folders from one Google account.

1. Download Files Directly from Google Drive

Google Drive has a feature that allows you to download files or folders directly to your local storage.

Here's how to do it:

• Open Google Drive in a web browser.
• Choose the files or folders that you wish to back up.
• Right-click and select Download
• Save the downloaded files to your external hard drive

 

2. Google Takeout

Google Takeout is a tool provided to download data from your Google account. This is more flexible since you can schedule your Download.

To do this:

• Open Google Takeout through searching in your browser.
• Log in to the Google account you wish to backup.
• Choose the data that you want to download and click Next step.
• Choose the file format, destination, frequency, and size of your Export.
• Click Create Export to initiate the process.

After it is complete, you will receive a download link or find the backup in the location you specified.

 

Disadvantages of Google Takeout:

Google Takeout is a very helpful tool but has some drawbacks.

• You have to repeat the process for every Google account you want to back up.
• It cannot handle files larger than 50 GB in one go
• The lack of filters or customization makes it a time-consuming activity, especially for large data sets
• Exporting 50 GB of data takes about a day or more.

 

Alternative: Google Drive Backup Tool

Manual methods are appropriate for single users with less frequent backup requirements. Organizations or professionals working with a large volume of data will not find it feasible to use such manual methods. For them, automated tools like the Shoviv Google Drive Backup Tool are recommended.

 

Key Features of Google Drive Backup Tool :

• Supports the backup of multiple Google Drive accounts in a single process.
• Fast and unlimited backups.
• It allows data to be saved in various file formats for flexibility.
• It includes folder and date-based filters to exclude unnecessary data.
• It offers a user-friendly dashboard for monitoring the entire backup process.
• This tool simplifies the process, making it easy for even first-time users to back up Google Drive data to an external hard drive.

 

Wrap-Up:

Backing up Google Drive to an external hard drive is essential to ensure data security, access offline, and protection from accidental deletion or unauthorized access. Although the manual method of Google Takeout is available, it has certain limitations, which makes it less useful for professionals and organizations.

For efficient and reliable backups, tools like the Shoviv Google Drive Backup Tool offer advanced features and ease of use. Try the free version to see what it can do and ensure your valuable data is safe.