Backing up your Google Drive files to an external hard drive is a smart way to protect your important data. While Google Drive offers cloud storage, having a local backup gives you extra security against account issues, service outages, or accidental deletions. In this guide, I'll walk you through several methods to download your Google Drive content to an external hard drive, ensuring your files stay safe in multiple locations.

Why Backup Google Drive to an External Hard Drive?

Before diving into the how-to steps, let's quickly look at why creating a local backup makes sense:

• Offline access to your files when internet connection is unavailable
• Protection against accidental deletions or changes to online files
• Security if your Google account gets compromised
• Safety net if Google experiences service disruptions
• No monthly subscription fees for storage

Method 1: Manual Download and Transfer to External Hard Drive

The simplest approach is to manually download files from Google Drive and copy them to your external drive. This works well for smaller collections or specific files you want to back up.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer
2. Open your web browser and go to drive.google.com
3. Sign in to your Google account if needed
4. Select the files or folders you want to back up by clicking on them (hold Ctrl or Command to select multiple items)
5. Right-click on the selected items and choose "Download"
6. Wait for the download to complete (files will be compressed into a ZIP archive for folders)
7. Open your file explorer/finder and locate the downloaded files (usually in your Downloads folder)
8. Extract the ZIP files if necessary
9. Copy or move the downloaded files to your external hard drive
10. Organize the files on your external drive as needed

Pros and Cons of Manual Download

Pros	Cons
No additional software needed	Time-consuming for large file collections
Selective backup of specific files	Must be done manually each time
Simple process	No automatic syncing
Works on any operating system	ZIP compression may alter folder structure

Method 2: Using Google Drive for Desktop App

Google Drive for Desktop (formerly Backup and Sync) creates a local copy of your Google Drive on your computer, which you can then back up to an external drive.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Download Google Drive for Desktop app from Google's official website
2. Install the application on your computer
3. Sign in with your Google account
4. During setup, select which Google Drive folders you want to sync to your computer
5. Choose a location on your computer for the Google Drive folder
6. Wait for initial synchronization to complete (this may take time depending on the amount of data)
7. Connect your external hard drive to your computer
8. Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac)
9. Navigate to your Google Drive folder on your computer
10. Copy the entire Google Drive folder (or selected contents) to your external hard drive

Setting Up Automatic Backups

Once you have Google Drive for Desktop installed, you can set up automatic backups using your computer's built-in backup tools:

For Windows Users:

1. Open File History (Windows 10) or Backup and Restore (Windows 11)
2. Add your external hard drive as a backup destination
3. Include your local Google Drive folder in the backup selection
4. Set a backup schedule that works for you
5. Run the initial backup

For Mac Users:

1. Open Time Machine from System Preferences
2. Select your external hard drive as the backup disk
3. Make sure your Google Drive folder isn't excluded from backups
4. Time Machine will automatically include your Google Drive folder in regular backups

Method 3: Using Specialized Backup Software

Third-party backup software can automate the process of backing up your Google Drive to an external hard drive with more features and flexibility.

Popular Backup Software Options:

Software	Key Features	Best For
Acronis True Image	Cloud backup, incremental backups, scheduling	Complete system backup including cloud storage
Backblaze	Unlimited backup, automatic or scheduled backups	Simple, set-it-and-forget-it backups
EaseUS Todo Backup	File-level backup, scheduling, incremental backups	Flexible backup options with good free tier
Duplicati	Free, open-source, encrypted backups	Privacy-focused users who want control

General Steps for Using Backup Software:

1. Install your chosen backup software
2. Connect your external hard drive
3. Create a new backup job/task in the software
4. Select your local Google Drive folder as the source
5. Select your external hard drive as the destination
6. Configure backup settings (scheduling, compression, encryption, etc.)
7. Run the initial backup
8. Verify the backup completed successfully

Method 4: Using Google Takeout for Complete Google Drive Backup

Google Takeout allows you to export a copy of all your Google Drive content at once, which you can then save to an external drive.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Go to Google Takeout
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Click "Deselect all" at the top of the page
4. Scroll down and select "Drive"
5. Click on "All Drive data included" to customize which folders to include if needed
6. Scroll to the bottom and click "Next step"
7. Choose your delivery method (export frequency, file type, and size)
8. Click "Create export"
9. Wait for Google to prepare your download (you'll receive an email when it's ready)
10. Download the export files when ready
11. Connect your external hard drive
12. Extract the downloaded archives if necessary
13. Copy the extracted files to your external hard drive

Important Notes About Google Takeout

• Google Takeout exports can take hours or even days to prepare, depending on the amount of data
• Files are typically split into multiple compressed archives
• Some Google-specific file formats (Docs, Sheets, Slides) will be converted to standard formats (like Microsoft Office or PDF)
• File structure and organization may differ from how they appear in Google Drive
• Takeout is best for one-time, complete backups rather than regular incremental backups

Method 5: Using rclone for Advanced Users

For tech-savvy users, rclone is a powerful command-line tool that can sync cloud storage services like Google Drive with local storage.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Download and install rclone from rclone.org
2. Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux)
3. Configure rclone to access your Google Drive by typing:

   rclone config

   Follow the prompts to set up a new remote for Google Drive
4. Connect your external hard drive
5. Use the rclone copy or sync command to transfer files:

   rclone copy googledrive: /path/to/external/drive/google-backup

   or

   rclone sync googledrive: /path/to/external/drive/google-backup

6. Wait for the operation to complete
7. Verify the files were copied correctly

Creating a Scheduled Backup Script

For regular backups with rclone, you can create a simple script:

Windows (.bat file):

@echo off
rclone sync googledrive: E:GoogleDriveBackup --progress
echo Backup completed at %date% %time% >> E:ackup_log.txt

Mac/Linux (bash script):

#!/bin/bash
rclone sync googledrive: /Volumes/ExternalDrive/GoogleDriveBackup --progress
echo "Backup completed at $(date)" >> /Volumes/ExternalDrive/backup_log.txt

You can then schedule this script to run using Task Scheduler (Windows) or cron jobs (Mac/Linux).

Method 6: Using MultCloud for Cloud-to-Cloud Transfer

MultCloud is a web-based service that can transfer files between cloud services and also download to local storage.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Sign up for an account at MultCloud.com
2. Add your Google Drive account to MultCloud
3. Navigate through your Google Drive files in MultCloud
4. Select the files or folders you want to back up
5. Click "Download" from the menu
6. Save the downloaded files to your external hard drive

Organizing Your Google Drive Backup on External Hard Drive

Keeping your backup organized will make it easier to find files and restore them if needed:

Folder Structure Suggestions:

• Create a main "Google Drive Backup" folder on your external drive
• Use dated subfolders for each backup (e.g., "Google Drive 2023-11-15")
• Maintain the same folder structure as your Google Drive
• Consider creating separate folders for different Google accounts if backing up multiple accounts
• Keep a backup log text file noting what was backed up and when

File Naming Best Practices:

• Keep original file names when possible
• For converted Google Docs files, use a consistent naming convention
• Avoid special characters in file names that might cause problems across different operating systems
• Consider adding a date to important files that change frequently

Maintaining Your Google Drive Backup

Creating a backup is just the first step. Maintaining it ensures your data stays protected.

Backup Schedule Recommendations:

Usage Type	Recommended Backup Frequency
Personal use with occasional updates	Monthly
Regular work files with weekly changes	Weekly
Business-critical files with daily changes	Daily
After major projects or significant file additions	Immediately after completing the project

Backup Verification Steps:

1. Periodically check that backup files can be opened
2. Compare file counts between your Google Drive and backup
3. Test restoring a few random files
4. Check for corruption in larger files (especially media files)
5. Verify that converted Google Docs files contain the expected content

Troubleshooting Common Backup Issues

Even with careful planning, you might encounter some issues when backing up Google Drive.

Problem: Slow Download Speeds

Solutions:

• Check your internet connection speed
• Try downloading during off-peak hours
• Download smaller batches of files instead of everything at once
• Use Google Drive for Desktop for background syncing
• Try a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi

Problem: Not Enough Space on External Drive

Solutions:

• Clean up unnecessary files from your external drive
• Be more selective about which Google Drive files to back up
• Use file compression to save space
• Invest in a larger external drive
• Split your backup across multiple external drives

Problem: Google Drive API Limitations

Solutions:

• Spread large backups over multiple days
• Use tools that handle API limits gracefully (like rclone)
• Reduce backup frequency for large accounts
• Contact Google support if you have a Google Workspace account

Problem: Files Won't Open After Backup

Solutions:

• Ensure you have the right software to open the file format
• Check if Google Docs files were converted to compatible formats
• Try re-downloading problem files
• Check for file corruption during transfer

Security Considerations for External Drive Backups

Protecting your backed-up data is just as important as creating the backup.

Encryption Options:

• Use BitLocker (Windows) or FileVault (Mac) to encrypt your entire external drive
• Create encrypted containers using VeraCrypt for specific folders
• Use backup software that offers encryption options
• Password-protect ZIP archives containing sensitive files

Physical Security:

• Store your external drive in a secure location
• Consider a fireproof and waterproof safe for critical data
• Keep the drive away from magnetic fields and extreme temperatures
• For highly sensitive data, consider off-site storage

Restoring Files from Your External Drive Backup

Knowing how to restore files is crucial if you ever need to recover data.

Restoring to Google Drive:

1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer
2. Open your web browser and go to drive.google.com
3. Sign in to your Google account
4. Click "New" and then "File upload" or "Folder upload"
5. Navigate to your external drive and select the files to restore
6. Wait for the upload to complete
7. Organize the restored files in your Google Drive as needed

Restoring to Your Computer:

1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer
2. Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac)
3. Navigate to your Google Drive backup on the external drive
4. Select the files or folders you want to restore
5. Copy them to your desired location on your computer

Comparing Backup Methods

Here's a comparison of the different backup methods to help you choose the best one for your needs:

Method	Ease of Use	Speed	Automation	Best For
Manual Download	Easy	Slow	None	Occasional backups of few files
Google Drive for Desktop	Medium	Fast	Partial	Regular backups of all files
Backup Software	Medium	Fast	Full	Scheduled, reliable backups
Google Takeout	Easy	Very Slow	None	Complete, one-time backups
rclone	Difficult	Very Fast	Full	Tech-savvy users needing customization
MultCloud	Easy	Medium	Partial	Users who prefer web interfaces

External Hard Drive Recommendations for Google Drive Backup

Choosing the right external drive is important for reliable backups:

Key Features to Look For:

• Sufficient storage capacity (at least 2-3 times your Google Drive usage)
• USB 3.0 or newer for faster transfer speeds
• Reliable brand with good warranty
• Portability if you need to take the backup with you
• Durability for long-term storage

Drive Types Comparison:

Drive Type	Pros	Cons
External HDD	Lower cost per TB, high capacity options	Slower, more fragile (moving parts)
External SSD	Fast, durable, compact	Higher cost per TB, typically lower capacity
Portable Hard Drive	Convenient, bus-powered	Generally smaller capacity, less durable
Desktop External Drive	Higher capacity, often better cooling	Requires power outlet, less portable

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.

FAQs About Backing Up Google Drive to External Hard Drive

1. How long does it take to back up a large Google Drive to an external hard drive?

The time required depends on several factors: your internet speed, the amount of data, your computer's performance, and the external drive's connection type. For large accounts (100GB+), expect several hours to complete a full backup. Using Google Drive for Desktop with a USB 3.0 external drive will be faster than manual downloads or Google Takeout.

2. Will Google Docs files work properly when backed up to an external drive?

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are web-based formats that need to be converted when backed up locally. When downloading manually or through Google Takeout, you can choose to convert them to Microsoft Office formats or PDFs. These converted files will open in compatible applications but won't have the real-time collaboration features of Google Docs.

Conclusion

Backing up your Google Drive to an external hard drive is a smart strategy to protect your important data. Whether you choose the simplicity of manual downloads, the convenience of Google Drive for Desktop, or the power of specialized backup tools, having a local copy of your cloud files provides peace of mind.

Remember to establish a regular backup schedule, verify your backups occasionally, and keep your external drive in a safe location. By following the steps in this guide, you can ensure your Google Drive data remains secure and accessible, even if something happens to your online account or internet connection.

The best backup approach often combines multiple methods – perhaps using Google Drive for Desktop for daily working files and Google Takeout for quarterly full backups. Choose the methods that fit your comfort level, technical skills, and the importance of your data.