Keeping your files safe is crucial in today's digital world. If you store important documents, photos, or videos on Google Drive, having a local backup on your computer provides an extra layer of security. In this guide, I'll show you six completely free methods to backup Google Drive to your computer, ensuring your data remains protected even if something happens to your cloud storage.

Whether you're worried about accidental deletions, account issues, or simply want offline access to your files, these backup solutions will help you maintain peace of mind without spending a penny.

Why You Should Backup Google Drive Files

Before diving into the methods, let's quickly understand why backing up your Google Drive is important:

• Protection against accidental deletions
• Access to files during internet outages
• Safety net if your Google account gets compromised
• Insurance against cloud service changes or shutdowns
• Faster access to frequently used files

Now, let's explore the six free ways to backup your Google Drive files to your computer.

Method 1: Google Drive for Desktop App

Google's official desktop application offers the most straightforward way to sync and backup your Drive files to your computer.

How to Install and Set Up Google Drive for Desktop

1. Visit the Google Drive download page
2. Click "Download Drive for desktop"
3. Run the installer and follow the prompts
4. Sign in with your Google account
5. Choose your sync options during setup

Configuring Backup Settings

• Once installed, click the Google Drive icon in your system tray/menu bar
• Click the gear icon and select "Preferences"
• Under "Google Drive," you can choose between:
  • Mirror files: Keeps exact copies on your computer
  • Stream files: Saves space by downloading only when you open files
• Select which folders to sync to your computer
• Click "Apply" to save your settings

Pros and Cons of Google Drive for Desktop

Pros	Cons
Official Google solution	Uses system resources in the background
Automatic syncing	Limited control over sync timing
Easy to set up	May cause conflicts with file edits
Works with multiple Google accounts	Requires continuous internet for some features

Method 2: Manual Download from Google Drive Web

If you prefer more control or don't want to install additional software, you can manually download files from the Google Drive website.

Downloading Individual Files

1. Go to drive.google.com and sign in
2. Right-click on the file you want to download
3. Select "Download" from the menu
4. The file will save to your default downloads folder

Downloading Multiple Files or Folders

1. Select multiple files by holding Ctrl (or Command on Mac) while clicking each file
2. Right-click on any selected file and choose “Download”
3. Google Drive will compress the files into a ZIP archive
4. Once downloaded, extract the ZIP file to your preferred location

Tips for Organizing Downloaded Files

• Create a dedicated folder structure on your computer that mirrors your Google Drive
• Rename the downloaded ZIP files with dates to track when backups were made
• Use descriptive folder names for easy identification
• Consider setting calendar reminders for regular manual backups

Method 3: Google Takeout

Google Takeout is a free service that lets you export and download data from various Google services, including Drive.

Creating a Google Drive Backup with Takeout

1. Visit takeout.google.com and sign in
2. Deselect all services by clicking "Deselect all"
3. Scroll down and select "Drive"
4. Click "All Drive data included" to customize which folders to include
5. Scroll down and click "Next step"
6. Choose your delivery method (email link), file type (ZIP), and size (up to 50GB)
7. Click "Create export"

Managing Your Takeout Files

Google will prepare your export, which may take hours or days depending on the size of your Drive. Once ready:

1. You'll receive an email with a download link
2. Click the link and download your archive
3. Extract the ZIP file to your computer
4. Organize the files as needed

Limitations of Google Takeout

• Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are converted to their respective Microsoft Office or OpenDocument formats
• The process can be slow for large accounts
• Archives expire after a week, so download promptly
• Not suitable for frequent backups due to the manual process

Method 4: Using Rclone (Command Line Tool)

Rclone is a powerful command-line program that can sync files between your computer and cloud storage services, including Google Drive.

Setting Up Rclone

1. Download Rclone from rclone.org/downloads
2. Extract the downloaded file to a folder on your computer
3. Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux)
4. Navigate to the Rclone folder
5. Run rclone configto set up a new remote
6. Follow the prompts to configure Google Drive access

Basic Rclone Commands for Google Drive Backup

Once configured, you can use these commands to backup your drive:

# List all files in your Google Drive
rclone ls gdrive:

# Copy all files from Google Drive to your computer
rclone copy gdrive: /path/to/local/backup

# Sync Google Drive to your computer (will delete local files not in Drive)
rclone sync gdrive: /path/to/local/backup

# Copy a specific folder from Google Drive
rclone copy gdrive:folder /path/to/local/backup/folder

Creating Automated Backup Scripts

For Windows, create a batch file (.bat) with your rclone command:

@echo off
rclone copy gdrive:D:GoogleDriveBackup --progress
echo Backup completed at %date% %time% >> D:ackup_log.txt

For Mac/Linux, create a shell script (.sh):

#!/bin/bash
rclone copy gdrive: /Users/username/GoogleDriveBackup --progress
echo "Backup completed at $(date)" >> /Users/username/backup_log.txt

You can then schedule these scripts using Task Scheduler (Windows) or Cron (Mac/Linux) to run automatically.

Method 5: Backup with MultCloud

MultCloud is a free web-based service that allows you to manage, transfer, and backup files across different cloud storage platforms.

Setting Up MultCloud

1. Visit multcloud.com and create a free account
2. Click "Add Cloud" and select Google Drive
3. Grant permission to access your Google Drive
4. Add your computer as a destination by using MultCloud's WebDAV feature or by adding another cloud service where you can download from later

Creating a Backup Task

1. In MultCloud, go to "Cloud Transfer" or "Cloud Backup"
2. Select Google Drive as the source
3. Choose your destination
4. Select which folders to backup
5. Set a schedule if desired (note: free accounts have limitations)
6. Click "Transfer Now" to start the backup

Managing MultiCloud Backups

With the free version of MultCloud, you get:

• 2TB of monthly data traffic
• Basic transfer speeds
• Ability to schedule tasks (with limitations)
• Option to filter files by type

To maximize the free plan:

• Be selective about which folders you backup
• Use the file filter to exclude unnecessary large files
• Schedule backups during off-peak hours

Method 6: Backup Using Google Chrome Extensions

Several Chrome extensions can help you download and backup files from Google Drive directly to your computer.

Recommended Extensions

1. Drive Downloader for Google Drive

• Allows batch downloading of files
• Preserves folder structure
• Simple right-click interface

To use:

1. Install from Chrome Web Store
2. Navigate to Google Drive in your browser
3. Select files/folders
4. Right-click and look for the extension's download option

2. Download Plus

• Works with multiple cloud services
• Can download entire folders
• Handles large files well

To use:

1. Install the extension
2. Open Google Drive in Chrome
3. Navigate to folders you want to backup
4. Use the extension's interface to select and download

Limitations of Extension-Based Backups

• Requires Chrome browser
• Manual process (no automation)
• May have file size or quantity limitations
• Browser must remain open during downloads
• Extensions may require permissions to your Google account

Compare All 6 Backup Methods

Method	Ease of Use	Automation	Speed	Best For
Google Drive for Desktop	Very Easy	Yes	Fast	Regular, complete backups
Manual Download	Easy	No	Medium	Selective file backups
Google Takeout	Medium	No	Slow	Full account backups
Rclone	Difficult	Yes	Very Fast	Technical users, scheduled backups
MultCloud	Medium	Limited	Medium	Cross-cloud backups
Chrome Extensions	Easy	No	Medium	Occasional backups

Best Practices for Google Drive Backups

Creating a Backup Schedule

Depending on how frequently you add or modify files, consider these backup schedules:

• Daily users: Set up Google Drive for Desktop with continuous sync
• Weekly users: Schedule weekly Rclone backups or manual downloads
• Monthly users: Run Google Takeout or MultCloud monthly backups

Organizing Your Backup Files

Keep your backups organized with these tips:

• Create a dedicated backup folder with clear naming conventions
• Organize by date (Year/Month/Day folders)
• Maintain the same folder structure as your Google Drive
• Use descriptive file names that include the backup date

Security Considerations

Protect your backed-up data:

• Store backups on an encrypted drive
• Keep multiple copies in different locations
• Regularly check backup integrity by opening files
• Protect backup folders with passwords if possible
• Consider using file verification tools to confirm complete backups

Troubleshooting Common Backup Issues

Fixing Sync Errors in Google Drive for Desktop

• Problem: Files not syncing
  Solution: Check your internet connection, restart the app, verify you haven't exceeded storage limits
• Problem: Sync conflicts
  Solution: Review conflict notifications, choose which version to keep
• Problem: Slow syncing
  Solution: Close bandwidth-heavy applications, check for large files, consider selective sync

Resolving Download Problems

• Problem: Downloads failing
  Solution: Try smaller batches, check internet stability, use a different browser
• Problem: Corrupted files
  Solution: Re-download files individually, check available disk space
• Problem: Incomplete folder downloads
  Solution: Compare folder contents manually, try a different download method

Handling Large Files and Folders

For backing up large amounts of data:

• Split large folders into smaller subfolders before downloading
• Use Rclone with the --transfersflag to handle multiple files simultaneously
• With Google Takeout, choose smaller archive sizes for more manageable downloads
• For manual downloads of large files, use a download manager browser extension

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

Videos are precious memories and all of us never want to lose them to hard disk crashes or missing drives. PicBackMan is the easiest and simplest way to keep your videos safely backed up in one or more online accounts. 

Simply download PicBackMan (it's free!) , register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are - PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those too. You don't have to ever touch it.

Conclusion

Backing up your Google Drive to your computer doesn't have to cost anything. These six free methods provide options for everyone, from beginners to advanced users. Google Drive for Desktop offers the simplest solution with automatic syncing, while manual downloads give you more control. Google Takeout provides comprehensive backups, Rclone offers powerful command-line options, MultCloud helps manage multiple cloud services, and Chrome extensions provide quick download options.

By implementing a regular backup strategy using one or more of these methods, you'll ensure your important files remain safe and accessible, even if something happens to your Google account or if you need offline access to your documents. Remember to organize your backups carefully and check them periodically to confirm they're complete and up-to-date.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will backing up Google Drive files use additional storage on my computer?

Yes, backing up Google Drive files to your computer will use local storage space equal to the size of the files you're backing up. Make sure you have sufficient free disk space before starting a backup, especially if you have a large Google Drive account.

2. How often should I backup my Google Drive files?

The frequency depends on how often you add or change files. If you use Google Drive daily for work or important projects, consider daily or continuous backups using Google Drive for Desktop. For less frequent use, weekly or monthly backups may be sufficient.

3. Can I backup shared files from Google Drive?

Yes, you can backup files that others have shared with you. With Google Drive for Desktop, you can select “Shared with me” folders to sync. When using manual downloads or Google Takeout, you can include shared files if you have appropriate access permissions.

4. Do Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides backup in their original format?

No, when backing up Google's native file formats (Docs, Sheets, Slides), they typically get converted to compatible formats like Microsoft Office or OpenDocument formats. Google Drive for Desktop can maintain the link to the online version, but local copies will be in converted formats.

5. What happens if I edit a file both in Google Drive and in my local backup?

If you're using Google Drive for Desktop with syncing enabled, the app will try to reconcile changes, but conflicts may occur. In this case, you'll need to choose which version to keep. With manual backup methods, changes won't automatically sync, so you'll need to re-download files to get the latest versions.