How to back up documents with Google Drive

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This guide is for people who create, edit, and store files on their Windows computer and want to backup files and folders to Google Drive (rather than working mostly online through Google Drive). Refer to:

Viewing backed-up files in Google Drive

After you have backed up folders to Google Drive online, to see the folders from your computer you have backed up:

  1. Enter drive.google.com in your browser.
    You will now see:
    Screenshot of Google Drive with 'Computers', 'My PC', 'Training' selected on menu.
  2. Expand Computers.
  3. Click on the device’s folder (for example, My PC, My computer) to view the folders and files from your computer that have been backed up to Google Drive online.

Viewing backup and sync progress

Anytime you want to see the progress in syncing files or folders:

  1. Click the Google Drive for desktop icon on your taskbar.
    You will now see the activity pane:
    Activity pane showing 'Test Doc.csv', 'Training', 'My PC' ticked with message 'Everything is up to date'.
  2. Click away from the pane to close it.

How to back up a folder using Google Drive for desktop 

Note: Before carrying out the next steps, allow for large files/folders possibly taking several hours to sync to Google Drive (especially when you do the first sync.

  1. Decide which folder you want to back up to Google Drive (it must be a folder, not a file).
  2. Click the Google Drive for desktop icon Triangular google drive icon. on your task bar - you may need to select the arrow to view hidden applications:
    Arrow pointing up on bottom of computer screen to google drive icon.

  3. Click on the settings cog on the top right of the app (‘1’ in the image below).
    Screenshot of settings cog with 'Preferences' selected.
  4. Select Preferences (‘2’ in the image above).
    You will now see:
    Screenshot of 'My Laptop' selected on Google Drive, then 'Add folder'.
  5. Select My Laptop (it may say My computer).
  6. Select Add folder.
    You will now see:
    Screenshot of file explorer with folder title 'training' selected.
  7. Navigate to the folder to be backed up (‘1’ in the image above).
  8. Click Select folder (‘2’ in the image above).
    You will now see:
    Screenshot of 'Settings' page with 'Training' folder selected, tick box next to 'Sync with Google Drive', then 'Done' selected.
  9. Check the folder is the correct one (‘1’ in the image above).
  10. Select Sync with Google Drive (‘2’).
  11. Click Done (‘3’ in the image above).
  12. Click away to close the Google Drive for desktop app.

Backing up more folders

You can either add more folders by repeating steps 1 to 12 above, or:

  1. Navigate to the folder you want to backup.
    You will now see:
    File selected in file explorer, right click box expanded to select 'Sync or backup this folder'.
  2. Right click on the folder name (‘1’ in the image above).
  3. Select Sync or Backup this folder (‘2’ in the image above).
    You will now see:
    Settings folder with 'Training' selected, then 'Sync with Google Drive' ticked, and 'Done' selected.
  4. Check the selected folder(s) is correct (‘1’ in the image above).
  5. Select Sync with Google Drive (‘2’).
  6. Click Done (‘3’ in the image above).
  7. Click away to close the Google Drive for desktop app.

The folder you selected to move is now in the backed-up folder and backed up to Google Drive online.

Backing up individual files

You can back up individual files by moving them to a backed-up folder.

Folder selected in file explorer, right click box expanded with 'cut' selected.

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