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Google Drive

Google Drive is Google's cloud document & storage service. The Backup and Sync application allows you to store a copy of your Google Drive on your computer and synchronize your PC's files to Google Drive.

Back Up Your Files with the Google Drive Application

To back up the files on your current computer, sign in to the Backup and Sync from Google application. Optionally, you can select extra folders to back up too.

  1. From your start menu, open the Google Drive application.
  2. Click Sign in with browser. You will be directed to login to your Google account via your web browser. Log in.
  3. At the “Make sure that you downloaded this app from Google” page, choose Sign in.
  4. At the success screen, you can close the browser.
  5. Click the Open Preferences prompt that appears near the bottom right of the screen.
    1. If you miss it, you can click the triangle in the bottom-right of the screen, click the Drive icon (colored triangle), then choose the gear in the top-right. From there click preferences.
  6. At the “Get started with Drive for Desktop” screen, click No thanks.
  7. At the Safely back up your files screen, choose “Add folder”.
    1. From the left pane, click Documents, and then Select Folder.
    2. Click Done.
    3. Repeat these steps for the folders: Pictures, Music, Videos.
  8. Click Save.
  9. Your folders will now be backed up to Google Drive. You can close the Google Drive Preferences window.

Restore Your Files with the Backup and Sync Application

To restore your files from another computer, set up the Backup and Sync application. Once set up, sign into Google Drive on the web and copy the files from the old PC to the new PC.

  1. Set up your computer with the Backup and Sync application following the instructions above. Go to drive.google.com and sign in with your school email account.
  2. In the left pane, click Computers.
  3. You will see a listing of computers you've backed up. You need to figure out which is your current PC and which is your old PC.
    1. Usually, you want My PC and My PC (1), or My PC (1) and My PC (2).
    2. You can also single-click a PC and click the ⓘ icon to see the dates and times files were last uploaded.
  4. Expand the Computers pane on the left side of the window by hitting the triangle next to it.
  5. For each of your folders on your old PC (Desktop, Documents, Pictures, etc.):
    1. Go into the folder.
    2. Use the triangle icons to expand the corresponding folder on your new PC.
    3. Select all of the items in the folder by hitting CTRL + A. Wait for all of them to be highlighted.
    4. Hold the CTRL key, then click and drag the files into the folder for the new PC in the left pane.
  6. Once you are done copying the files, they will start downloading to your new computer. You can check the progress by left-clicking your Backup and Sync icon in the system tray.

google_drive.1628552620.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/08/09 19:43 by abrashear