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Backup Your Entire Google Drive using 3 Secure Methods

Backup your Entire Google Drive [2024 Guide]

By Avantika SinghPublished about a year ago 5 min read
Backup Your Entire Google Drive using 3 Secure Methods
Photo by Crew on Unsplash

It is essential to save your Google Drive data, but it can be difficult for many users. Therefore, we will explain how you can backup your entire Google Drive. In addition, we will also explain the benefits of saving your data.

Know About - Google Drive

Before going through the methods, first, we will know about Google Drive. So, Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service provided by Google itself. The purpose is to store, share, and access files from any device using the internet server. Normally it gives 15 GB of free storage space which you can increase by purchasing a Google One membership. Not only this, users can integrate the Drive to other Google services like Gmail, Google Docs, Google Photos, etc.

Therefore, storing your data in Google Drive provides many great features. However, it is crucial to download or archive your Google Drive data as it will be very useful.

Why Do You Need to Backup your Entire Google Drive Data?

Taking a backup is a must in any work, as there is no chance that in the future you will have your data or not. Other than that, there are many benefits you may get backing your data. For example,

  • Backing your Google Drive data will help you to access them offline.
  • To prevent accidental deletion or data corruption, you can save your files.
  • Issues like tech or outages can make your files temporarily inaccessible. So having a backup file helps make you tension-free.
  • You are switching your account with others and can also help you with your backup file.

So having the backup gives you control over your data and it will be very useful in dire situations. So, now let’s see the ways you can use it to get your data backup.

Backup your Entire Google Drive using Manual Solutions

To manually backup your Google Drive data, there are several methods that you can use. Users can directly download their Google Drive files by clicking on the in-built option. Other than that you can use the Takeout utility to export your Google Drive data. So we have,

  • Download your files directly
  • Using the Google Takeout tool

From these methods, you can easily save your drive data. Now we will explain each option one by one to you so follow them carefully.

Download Files Directly from Google Takeout

For a quick and straightforward way to backup important files or folders from your Google Drive, this is the easiest method. It is perfect for smaller sets of data that you want to save locally on your computer or move to another storage device.

  1. Open Google Drive and sign in to your account.
  2. Go to the files or folders you want to backup.
  3. Right-click on the selected file or folder.
  4. Choose Download from the drop-down menu. If you select multiple files, Google will automatically compress them into a ZIP file before downloading.
  5. Once downloaded, extract the ZIP file and save it to your desired location.

With this method, you can easily backup selective data free of cost. There are other external options that you can use like Google Takeout.

Using Google Takeout Utility

Google Takeout is a service provided by Google that allows you to export all your Google data, including Google Drive. This method is ideal for those who want to backup their entire Google Drive, especially if you’re planning to transfer the data to another platform or need a full archive of your files. So here are the steps.

  1. Visit the Google Takeout website. Log in to your Google account.
  2. By default, Google Takeout selects all your Google services for export. Click Deselect All if you only want to backup your entire Google Drive.
  3. Scroll down to find Drive and check the box next to it.
  4. Click Next Step at the bottom of the page.
  5. Choose the way to receive the backup by receiving a download link via email or have it directly uploaded to another service like Dropbox or OneDrive.
  6. Select the file type (ZIP or TGZ) and size of the download. If your backup exceeds the chosen size, it will be split into multiple parts.
  7. Click Create Export. Google will start preparing your files. This may take a while depending on the amount of data you have.
  8. Once your export is ready, you’ll receive an email with a link to download the files.

After downloading the files you can extract the files and then your data will be in the MBOX file which you can open MBOX file in Thunderbird or another email client. However, these options may have limitations using them which we have explained below.

Limitations of Manual Methods

Manual backup methods for Google Drive are useful and accessible. However, it comes with certain limitations that can make them less ideal in certain scenarios. We will explain the points below.

  • Downloading individual files or folders can be incredibly tedious if you have a large number of files to archive. There’s no simple way to select all files within deeply nested folders, which adds to the effort.
  • Google Drive doesn’t allow for automatic backups, meaning you have to manually repeat the process every time you want to backup new or updated files.
  • For users with large amounts of data, the export process can take a significant amount of time. Google may take hours or even days to prepare your download link, depending on the size of your Drive.
  • If your Drive contains a large amount of data, the backup will be split into multiple files. Managing and downloading these large chunks can be a hassle, especially when trying to reassemble the data after downloading.

Manual backup methods offer flexibility and are accessible to most users, but each comes with certain limitations that can impact their effectiveness. For those with large amounts of data or complex backup needs, alternative automated solutions or professional backup services may be a better fit.

Professional Method to Save Your Google Drive Data

Manually may not work for you. But there is a professional option which you can use. Corbett G Suite Backup Tool will help you. Here, the software will easily save your Google Drive data in any format that you like such as EML, MBOX, PDF, PST, etc. Other than that users can save in different email programs like Thunderbird, Outlook, Windows Live Mail, etc.

Steps to Backup your Entire Google Drive

  1. Download and open the software.
  2. Click on the Open option, then Email Account and Add Account button.
  3. Enter your G Suite account details. Then press on the Add option.
  4. All your emails will be displayed in front of you. Preview your files.
  5. Click on the Export option, and choose any option you desire.
  6. Click on the Browse button, and save your emails.

Conclusion

The article explained how to backup your Google Drive data using methods such as downloading files directly and using the Google Takeout service. It also highlights the benefits of backing up data and provides limitations of the manual methods. So, if you have a problem using the tool, use this professional software.

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