2 Free & Easy Ways: Backup Computer Files to Google Drive

User case

• Quick overview of Google Drive
• Backup computer files to Google Drive via its desktop app
• Enable Google Drive to backup computer with AOMEI Backupper

Quick overview of Google Drive

As most of us rely on technology for our personal and professional lives, you probably can’t run the risk of losing your most important data. Therefore it is crucial to backup important files in a timely manner to a secure location, such as the cloud like Google Drive. There, you can have a quick overview of Google Drive.

Pricing and storage: There are multiple plans at different prices, each with its own storage size. Choose the one that works best for your needs by checking out the different Google One membership plans.

Functions: Google Drive gives you two options for your backups: mirroring and streaming.

• Mirroring backups means the file is present on both your hard drive and the cloud storage. This has advantages and disadvantages: your files are available regardless of whether you’re online or offline, but since the files are also on your hard drive, they take up double the storage space.
• Streaming backups means the file is housed on the cloud storage but is linked to your computer for easy access. This option has its pros and cons. The biggest advantage is that your computer’s storage capacity isn’t diminished. On the other hand, if you want to access the file offline it is not supported.

Limitations:

• Security risks
• Internet connection is required
• Has a limit to the files amount that can be uploaded in a day
• File size limitations
• Low download and upload speed

After having a quick overview of Google Drive, you may wonder how does Google Drive backup my computer files. Well, in the follow part, I’ve provided 2 effective ways for you to backup your PC files to Google Drive. Let’s check them together.

Backup computer files to Google Drive via its desktop app

As a cloud-based document storage and synchronization service, Google Drive is available on most platforms and networks, and can be accessed by both enterprise and consumer users through an application on the desktop.

Below are the step-by-step instructions for backing up folders with Google Drive for desktop.

Step 1. Download and install Google Drive for desktop on your computer. Then, Choose the appropriate account and sign in.

Step 2. You’ll find Google Drive’s app in the taskbar. Click on the app’s icon and then click the gear icon in the top-right corner. You should see the Preferences menu there.

Step 3. You'll see two parts on this app: My Computer and Google Drive. Make sure you’re on the My Computer tab and click on Add folder to sync specific folders to Google Drive.

Step 4. Next you need to choose whether to sync all your files to the cloud, or just your photos and videos. The option Sync with Google Drive will upload everything, while the Back up to Google Photos option will only back up the photos and videos the software detects in that folder. Click Done and then Save to start the backup process.

Step 5. At the Google Drive section, you can choose the way to sync files from Google Drive to the computer (Google Drive folder). There are two ways available: Stream files and Mirror files. Stream files is recommended to save space on your computer hard drive. Confirm your settings and click Save to finish how to backup computer files to Google Drive task. It may require a restart to make the changes take effect.

Enable Google Drive to backup computer with AOMEI Backupper

Except the Google Drive for desktop solution, here, we highly recommend a third-party free backup software AOMEI Backupper Standard, a freeware for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP that can help you make backups more flexibly. You can use it to create file backups, system backups, disk backups, and partition backups.

What's more, it's also a good restore software. You can restore your computer to previous date easily if you encounter problems like computer crashes, file corruption or accidental deletion. Some of its powerful features can be listed as follows:

 ✧It supports you to backup your computer files to cloud services and vice versa. Various cloud drives are supported (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, SugarSync, hubiC and Cloudme).
✧It offers the Schedule Backup feature to help you run automatic backups at fixed frequencies as daily/weekly/monthly.
✧It not only allows you to do full backup, but also incremental and differential backup are permitted. (Differential backup is available in paid edition).
✧It allows you to backup to various locations, such as a local disk, cloud services, external drives, USB flash drive, NAS device, etc.

Then, you can download this freeware and Google Drive for desktop app to your computer, and follow the graphic tutorial below to backup PC to Google Drive.

#1. Backup files to Google Drive

Step 1. Run AOMEI Backupper Standard. In the main interface, choose Backup then File Backup.

Step 2. Press Add File or Add Folder to select which files or folders you wish to backup.

Step 3. Click on the inverted triangle on the right side of the second box to Select a cloud drive and then select Google Drive in the pop-out window to save the image file.

➯ Set up Schedule Backup to auto backup files to Google Drive. You could enable schedule option to run this backup task at daily, weekly, monthly, event triggers, USB plug in. (last two are available in the Professional edition)

 You can set other advanced features as you desired:
➯Options: You can write any comments for your task to distinguish your backup from others, and set an email notification.
➯Backup Scheme: It can help remove old backup images automatically to free up storage space. (available in the Professional edition)

Step 4. Tab Start backup to complete your process.

#2. Backup entire PC to Google Drive

Step 1. Go to Backup tab, and then choose Disk Backup.

Step 2. Click + Add Disk to choose the hard disk that you want to backup as source disk.

Step 3. Select the Google Drive folder as the destination to save the disk image of your computer. Google Drive folder is typically located in C:\Users\UserName\Google Drive.

Tip: You can also customize your backup settings by clicking on the three options in the lower left corner.

Step 4. Press Start Backup to finish backup PC to Google Drive.

Final words

Above all are the top 2 ways presented for you to backup computer files to Google Drive easily and for free. Also, AOMEI Backupper makes it easy and flexible to backup entire computer to Google Drive cloud storage.

Actually, it is not only a professional file backup software but also a powerful clone tool. It can help you clone Windows 11 to another hard drive effortlessly.

If you prefer to backup Windows Server to cloud, please try the Server edition. There are many more features waiting for you to explore.