How to Run Google Drive for Desktop Multiple Accounts on Windows 11/10

In this article, you will learn 2 ways to run Google Drive for desktop multiple accounts on Windows 11, and learn how to sync with AOMEI Backupper.

By @Miya Last Updated June 13, 2023

User case: How do I add multiple Google Drive accounts to Windows 11?

“ Currently, I'm using two main Google Drive accounts. One is a personal account and the other is a work account. I want to run both accounts on my desktop and add files appropriately as needed. But I don't know how to link two different accounts to Google Drive for desktop. Does anyone have any information about running Google Drive desktop app multiple accounts on Windows 11? ”

Like this user, many people want to know how to run multiple Google Drive for desktop multiple accounts on Windows 11. Here I will recommend 2 ways to complete it. And I tell you another free solution to sync local files to Google Drive when your Google Drive not syncing for desktop.

Why need to run multiple Google Drive accounts on Windows 11?

When it comes to cloud storage providers, there's no denying that Google Drive, which offers 15GB of free storage and simplifies file syncing and sharing, is the top choice for majority. In October 2021, Google merged its legacy desktop apps - Backup and Sync and Drive File Steam into a unified Drive for desktop tool.

When you add Google Drive multiple accounts on same computer, each account creates a virtual hard drive on your computer called Google Drive, with which you can sync Google Drive with PC and access Google Drive files locally. Drive for desktop allows you to run multiple accounts on a single computer.

So you don't have to switch between accounts when you save data using different accounts. You can transfer files between these accounts by copying files from one Google Drive disk and pasting them to another.

How to manage multiple Google Drive accounts on Mac or Windows 11/10/8/7? In addition to using the Drive for desktop program, there is another way to do this. Here are the detailed steps.

How to run Google Drive for desktop multiple accounts on Windows 11/10

Executing the Google Drive desktop app with multiple accounts is an easy way to run two or more Google Drive accounts. But it only allows you to add up to 4 accounts. When you quit the Google Drive program for desktop or disconnect your account from the program, the Google Drive disks disappear from your computer and leaves the files in the Google Drive folder.

Here is how to run Google Drive for desktop multiple accounts on Windows 11:

Step 1. Download and install Google Drive for desktop on your PC.

Step 2. Click the Sign in with browser button to complete the sign-in process for one of the accounts.

Step 3. Tap the desktop drive icon on the taskbar, tap Settings, and then click Preferences.

Step 4. Then, press the profile icon in the upper right corner and select Add another account. Sign in to another account, then you can add a second Google Drive to File Explorer.

Run multiple Google Drive accounts via the sharing feature

You can connect your Google Drive account on Windows 11 and Mac through the sharing feature with the Google Drive website. This method is a bit complicated and requires you to choose an account as the main account. In this primary account, you can create a folder to hold the content you want to sync between Google Drive accounts.

Step 1. Go to the Google Drive website and sign in with the Google account that you want to sync items with other accounts.

Step 2. Click New, and then select the New Folder option to create a new folder. Then, add the documents that you need to access from another account to this newly created folder.

Step 3. After adding the files, right-click the folder to select Share.

Step 4. Populate the email address of the account that you want to access files in that folder, authorize it, and then click Send.

Step 5. Open your browser's private window, find the Google Drive page, and sign in with the account you have shared files. Go to the Shared with me section, find the shared folder, right-click on it, and select the Add shortcut to Drive.

Step 6. You can then access other accounts' shared folders in the My Drive section. In this way, you can use Google Drive sync multiple accounts.

How to sync from local to Google Drive with a useful software

Google Drive is a great cloud storage space, we already know how to run multiple Google Drive accounts via the sharing feature. But it's still too complicated, so if you want to experience an easier sync process and more rich sync features, such as automatic sync, then I recommend the software for you.

AOMEI Backupper Standard --- It has many powerful features, such as backup, restore, cloning, etc., among which, the basic sync function can help you easily synchronize files from local to Google Drive.

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Basic sync is also a feature that allows you to sync folders to other locations such as external hard drives, NAS, removable USB flash drives, etc. For basic sync, it will not create image files after synchronization, so you can view the content at any time.

Here are detailed steps to sync files to Google Drive using AOMEI Backupper:

Step 1. Select the Sync tab on the left, then select Basic Sync.

Step 2. You can name this backup as a Google Drive Sync Task to help you distinguish it from other sync tasks. Click Add Folder and select the folder you want to sync. You can click the plus icon to add more folders to sync.

Note: When you need to filter files after adding a folder, you can click the funnel icon to open the Filter Settings. And you can set the Filter Settings function after adding the source folder.  (Only available for paid version)

Step 3. Click on the second box to choose the Select a cloud drive option and choose Google Drive as a sync destination location to store the folder, and then click Start Sync to perform the operation.

Step 4. So you can view the data directly at the target location.

When you run the Basic Sync task again, the data added and changed in the source directory will be sync to the destination. If you need to delete files from the destination location when you delete them from the source folder, select the Sync the deletions in source directory to destination option in Options -> General.

Q&A for adding multiple Google Drive accounts on Windows 11/10

1. How many accounts can you have on Google Drive for desktop on same computer?

The desktop version of Google Drive supports adding up to four Drive accounts. So, if you add four Google Drive accounts, these Google Drive drives will be created on your computer, each representing a different account for you. You can distinguish them by the Drive letter, and you can change the Google Drive drive letter in the settings to suit your preferences.

 2. How to change accounts on Google Drive for desktop?

After adding two or more Drive accounts in Google Drive for desktop, you can click on the Google Drive symbol in the taskbar and click on the 2 accounts button above. Then you can choose to access Google Drive or Google Photos on the web, or open Google Drive disk on your computer.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you can learn two ways to Google Drive for desktop multiple accounts for Windows 11, try it out by following the methods provided in this tutorial! And with the help of AOMEI Backupper's basic sync feature, you can easily back up your computer files to Google Drive.

AOMEI Backupper not only has basic sync functions, but also makes it easy to backup, restore, clone systems, and it can also create Windows 11 Pro bootable USB. Hurry up and download one to feel its powerful power supply!