Backup Windows to Google Drive (Easiest Way in 2024)
In this article, we will show you how to backup Windows to Google Drive. Simply follow the steps below.
How to Backup Windows to Google Drive
Windows documents can be backed up to Google Drive using two common methods: ‘Manual Backup’ and ‘Google Drive for Desktop’. We will explore each method in detail in the following sections.
Method 1: Manual Backup of Windows to Google Drive
Below are the steps to manually backup Windows to Google Drive.
1. Create a Backup Folder in Google Drive
It’s important to keep your files organized in Google Drive.
Go to ‘New’ and select ‘New Folder’, and name it.
For example, let’s call ours “Windows Documents Backup.” This folder will serve as a dedicated space for our backups.
2. Select and Prepare Documents for Backup
Choose the files you want to back up from your computer by clicking ‘New’ and then ‘File Upload.”
In our example, we will navigate to the folder where the documents “Team Collaboration,” “Quarterly Business Review,” and “Innovative Project Management” are stored. Select these files to ensure we are backing up the correct documents.
3. Upload Selected Documents to Google Drive
After selecting the documents from the Windows folder, click ‘Open’ to upload them to Google Drive. Watch the upload process to completion to ensure all files transfer successfully.
4. Confirm Successful Upload in Google Drive
After uploading, always check to confirm that all files are correctly uploaded. We will now see that our documents “Team Collaboration,” “Quarterly Business Review,” and “Innovative Project Management” are neatly organized within the “Windows Documents Backup” folder in Google Drive.
Method 2: Backup Windows Using Google Drive for Desktop
Follow the steps below to backup Windows using Google Drive for Desktop.
1. Install and Set Up Google Drive for Desktop
To automate backups, install Google Drive for Desktop. Download the application from the Google Drive website and follow the installation guide. This software will help us continuously synchronize our documents directly from our computer.
2. Log In and Connect Google Drive for Desktop with Your Account
Open Google Drive for Desktop once installed. A login window will appear—sign in with your Google credentials to connect the application to your Drive. This step links our local document backups to our Google Drive.
3. Select and Sync Windows Documents with Google Drive
To synchronize your documents, configure the settings in Google Drive for Desktop. First, open the application and navigate to ‘Preferences’.
Click on ‘My Laptop’, then press ‘Add folder’.
From there, select the folder that contains your documents. In our example, it is the “My Files” folder.
4. Confirm Folder Settings and Complete Sync Setup
After selecting your folder, ensure that the option ‘Sync with Google Drive’ is checked. This setting will upload all files and folders within your selected folder. Click ‘Done’ to finalize the synchronization settings and start backing up your documents.
5. Verify Documents are Synced in Google Drive for Desktop
We will now see that our documents “Team Collaboration,” “Quarterly Business Review,” and “Innovative Project Management” are listed under the ‘My Files’ folder.
We hope that you now have a better understanding of how to backup Windows to Google Drive. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our article on how to backup a Google Shared Drive or our article on how to backup contacts to Google Drive.
