Does Google Drive desktop have options to backup local folders?

[TwistedHelixis]

Currently using Google Backup and sync on SIMS servers to backup a few files / folders.

 

I have just recieved an email saying that I need to transition over to Google Drive for Desktop but when I look at that there are no options to backup local folders or files, only seems to sysnc Google Drive or Shared drive folders.

 

Does it now do the same as backup and sync? If not, will it ever do local folder backup?

[Michael]

Yes - they're shortly combining the two services come the end of July 2021. Google Drive for Desktop (File Stream renamed), will also include features of Backup and Sync in a single client.

[Michael]

Google Drive 49.0.8.0 -

 

Updated first screen -

 

 

Looks straight forward -

 

 

Looks like you can only mirror My Drive and not Shared Drives (would have been nice) -

 

 

Adding additional accounts maps as the next available drive -

 

 

As far as I can tell though, you can't have one account Streaming and the other Mirroring, again would have been nice!

[jthompson]

I hadn't realised the mirroring feature was coming. Hopefully there'll be options for admins to restrict that. The beauty of this app was that it meant staff laptops weren't full of a bazillion user files.

 

Mirroring Shared Drives wouldn't make sense, so not surprised that it's not an option. Large repositories of files that the user is not actually the owner of, along with whatever other people unilaterally decide to place in there.

[timbo343]

We are looking at testing Synology's Active Google Backup app that will pull down configured accounts.

[caffrey]

I have it now, are there any policies for it ? I know the original drive stream was just reg entries. I also noticed when you insert a usb stick it asks if you want to back that up

[TwistedHelixis]

So I have backup and sync installed already, then I installed the new Google Drive desktop app. The info at Google help seem to suggest after installing Google Drive alongside backup and sync it would initiate some kind of migration, but this didn't happen.

 

Also when I open the Google Drive settings I dont have any of the backup settings, just the old file stream type settings, even though I just downloaded this version from Google Drive web page.