Three Simple and Cost-free Methods to Synchronize Google Drive with an External Hard Drive

Table of Contents:

• Why Sync Google Drive with an External Hard Drive?
• How to Sync Google Drive Files to an External Hard Drive
  • Syncing Files Using Google Drive for Desktop
  • Syncing Files Using Google Drive Disk
  • Automatic Synchronization of Google Drive with an External Hard Drive
• Extra Tip: Syncing & Backing Up Google Drive with Another Cloud Service
• In Conclusion

It’s common for many of us to need to sync or back up our Google Drive to an external hard drive. In this article, we will explore three easy and free methods to accomplish this task. Whether you want to ensure the safety of your data stored on your hard drive, have concerns about limited local backup space, or have experienced the loss of local backups due to unfortunate circumstances, these methods can help.

Why Sync Google Drive with an External Hard Drive?

Google Drive is a convenient tool for cloud file storage and synchronization, allowing access to personal files from any device at any time. Real-time synchronization between the files saved on your Google Drive and those on your desktop occurs when you download Google Drive for desktop.

However, despite the advantages of cloud backup over an external hard drive, some users still feel the need to sync their Google Drive with an external hard drive or USB flash drive. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Offline Access: Syncing with an external hard drive allows users who frequently need access to Google Drive files on different devices to still access their files even when the network is offline.
2. Added Data Protection: Synchronizing files adds an extra layer of protection against file corruption or virus infection.
3. Native Application Processing: Synced files can be easily opened and processed in their native applications without the need for downloading and uploading non-Google files.

How to Sync Google Drive Files to an External Hard Drive

You can use either the mobile or desktop applications of Google Drive to sync your files with an external hard drive. Here are three different methods you can use:

Syncing Files Using Google Drive for Desktop

To sync your files using Google Drive for desktop, which integrates Backup and Sync and Drive File Stream, follow these steps:

1. Connect your external hard drive to your PC and start Google Drive for desktop. Follow the prompts to complete the setup process.
2. Under the Google Drive tab, check the ‘Mirror files’ option and adjust the folder location if necessary.
3. Locate the external hard drive folder and confirm it as your location.
4. Once you’re back on the application interface, confirm the location again and start syncing.

Syncing Files Using Google Drive Disk

If you want to transfer photos from Google Drive to an external hard drive, you can use a local Google Drive disk created by the app:

1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer and open the desktop app. You’ll see a disk named Google Drive.
2. Locate the Google Drive folder on your external hard drive. All changes made to the files on online Google Drive will now be synced with your external hard drive.

Automatic Synchronization of Google Drive with an External Hard Drive

There are free third-party tools available as alternatives to Google Drive for desktop, such as AOMEI Backupper Standard. This tool can automatically sync your Google Drive folder with external hard drives, USBs, NAS drives, and more:

1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer and launch AOMEI Backupper Standard.
2. Click on ‘Add Folder’ and select Google Drive disk as the source path.
3. Click on ‘Schedule’ to automate file syncing on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
4. Confirm your operation and click on ‘Start Sync’.

Extra Tip: Syncing & Backing Up Google Drive with Another Cloud Service

Cloud storage services offer benefits such as scalability and data loss prevention that give them an edge over external hard drives. If you want to enhance your data protection further, consider syncing your Google Drive data with another cloud drive.

For this purpose, CBackup can be beneficial as it is a cloud backup manager that offers professional cloud-to-cloud syncing and backup services. With CBackup, you can directly sync data across cloud disks without the need for manual downloading or uploading of data.

In Conclusion

The three methods outlined above will enable you to effectively synchronize your Google Drive with an external hard drive. However, for superior data protection, consider syncing your Google Drive with another cloud service using a tool like CBackup. Explore more about CBackup and other data protection strategies today!