To mirror your hard drive to Google Drive, you'll use the Google Drive for desktop application to synchronize files and folders from your computer directly to your Google Drive account. This mirroring feature ensures that changes made on your hard drive are reflected in Google Drive, and vice-versa, keeping your files consistent across both locations.
Understanding Mirroring with Google Drive
Mirroring, in the context of Google Drive for desktop, means that files and folders you select from your computer are kept in exact sync with your Google Drive in the cloud. A copy of these files resides both on your local hard drive and in your Google Drive cloud storage. This is distinct from "streaming files," where files are primarily stored in the cloud and only accessed on demand on your device, potentially saving local disk space.
Steps to Mirror Your Hard Drive to Google Drive
Follow these clear steps to set up mirroring for your selected hard drive folders:
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Download and Install Google Drive for desktop:
Begin by ensuring you have the official Google Drive for desktop application installed on your computer. If you don't have it, you can download it from the Official Google Drive Download Page. Once downloaded, install it and sign in with your Google account. -
Open Google Drive for desktop Preferences:
After installation and signing in, locate the Google Drive icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (macOS). Click on it. -
Access Preferences/Settings:
From the dropdown menu that appears, click the gear icon (⚙️) or the three-dot menu (⋮) and then select 'Preferences' (or 'Settings'). -
Navigate to Google Drive Settings:
In the Preferences window, on the left-hand side (LHS) menu, click on 'Google Drive (Folders from Drive)'. This section manages how files from your Google Drive cloud are handled on your computer. -
Select 'Mirror files' option:
Under the 'My Drive syncing options' section, you will find choices for how your Google Drive files are managed locally. Select the 'Mirror files' option.- Mirror Files: This option downloads all your selected Google Drive files and folders to your computer, keeping a local copy that is constantly synchronized with the cloud. This means you always have an offline copy available.
Setting Up Folders from Your Hard Drive to Sync
Once mirroring is enabled for 'My Drive', you also need to specify which folders from your local hard drive you want to back up and sync to Google Drive.
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Add Folders from Your Computer:
In the same Google Drive for desktop preferences, navigate to the 'Folders from your computer' section. Click 'Add folder'. -
Choose Folders to Mirror:
Browse your hard drive and select the specific folders you wish to mirror to Google Drive. You can select multiple folders. For each folder selected, you'll be prompted to choose whether to 'Sync with Google Drive' or 'Back up to Google Photos' (for photos/videos). -
Confirm Sync:
Ensure 'Sync with Google Drive' is selected for your chosen folders. This will create a mirrored copy of these folders and their contents in your Google Drive account, typically within a new folder named "Computers" followed by your computer's name.
Benefits of Mirroring Your Hard Drive to Google Drive
Mirroring offers several advantages for data management and accessibility:
- Offline Access: All mirrored files are available directly on your hard drive, allowing you to work on them even without an internet connection.
- Real-time Backup: Any changes you make to a mirrored file on your computer are automatically updated in Google Drive (and vice-versa), providing a continuous backup.
- Convenience: Your files are organized similarly on both your local drive and in Google Drive, making it easy to locate and manage them.
- Version History: Google Drive retains previous versions of your files, allowing you to revert to an older state if needed.
- Data Redundancy: By having copies on your local drive and in the cloud, you reduce the risk of data loss due to hard drive failure.
Important Considerations
- Storage Space: Mirroring requires sufficient space on your local hard drive to store all the files from your Google Drive that you choose to mirror.
- Internet Connection: While files are accessible offline, an internet connection is required for initial sync, ongoing updates, and for Google Drive for desktop to communicate with the cloud.
- Bandwidth Usage: Large initial syncs or frequent changes to many files can consume significant internet bandwidth.
- Folder Selection: Be selective about which folders you mirror. Mirroring your entire hard drive (especially system files or applications) is generally not recommended or feasible, as Google Drive is designed for user data and documents. Focus on personal documents, photos, videos, and work files.
By following these steps, you can effectively mirror your important files and folders from your hard drive to Google Drive, ensuring they are always backed up, accessible, and synchronized.
