Understanding Google Drive

DullGreyGuy

peter021072 said:

If anyone else makes this mistake, all is not lost because the removed local files will still be retrievable from your local waste bin.

Again depending on your OS and settings... certainly with some OS the bin can be set to auto empty after something has been in it for over 30 days

Olinda99

or, as in my case, the recycle bin is disabled (W11)

tedted

its still there just you've got to look for it

Doshwaster

It's really important to understand how Google Drive and similar services work.  Thinking of it as a simple "backup" is an oversimplification which can lead to unexpected and unwanted consequences.

Better to think of it as a way of synchronising data across devices so that you can access the same data from your laptop, web browser, phone or tablet

I'd recommend looking at some tutorials on YouTube.