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.

Roger-D

Doshwaster said:

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.

I too have the same issue and find it an absolute farce. Who does need all of these documents on all of the various devices? Photos yes, but everything else, I use on the one machine only. Personally, I would like to keep it as a back-up only.
It is all very confusing.

Frozen_up_north

The whole business of "cloud backup" has become a mess. There is an incorrect assumption by some that you need a vast amount of cloud storage and huge broadband speeds (upload as well as download) to back up everything up to cloud storage. I backup my iPhone pictures to Proton Drive but not much to the Apple iCloud since they downgraded the encryption for UK users.

I make regular backups of the whole PC/laptop to an external USB drive, every Wednesday for the desktop and less frequently for the two laptops. I don't do incremental backups, only full backups, and delete the older ones when the drive is near full. The drive is left unplugged when not doing backups, the software I use is Acronis True Image.

My Microsoft Word and Exel use OneDrive, as it is very handy to be able to access the same files from home or away.

The National Cyber Security Centre have advice on ensuring your data remains safe, etc. See:

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/advice-guidance/you-your-family

poseidon1

Forgive me for being a bit of dinosaur. If backing up to Google drive or MS one drive is fraught with potential mishaps, why not resort to old fashion external storage and/or the latest portal SSDs. I back up my PC to both (around 240 GB of documents and music files).

Googles' free 15GB wholly inadequate for my purposes ( mostly holds photos and emails and  attachments), and I refuse to pay a subscription for more storage I can't access without an Internet connection.

booneruk

poseidon1 said:

Forgive me for being a bit of dinosaur. If backing up to Google drive or MS one drive is fraught with potential mishaps, why not resort to old fashion external storage and/or the latest portal SSDs. 

If you want a high level of backup security, you need an off-site storage (fire, theft etc)

Grumpy_chap

Frozen_up_north said:

I make regular backups of the whole PC/laptop to an external USB drive, every Wednesday for the desktop and less frequently for the two laptops. I don't do incremental backups, only full backups, and delete the older ones when the drive is near full. The drive is left unplugged when not doing backups, the software I use is Acronis True Image.

poseidon1 said:

 old fashion external storage and/or the latest portal SSDs. I back up my PC to both (around 240 GB of documents and music files).

Is there a reliable and simple (and not too expensive) back up software for regular backups from (several) PC to SSD?

I currently copy files across to SSD manually.  Probably not frequently enough.

booneruk said:

If you want a high level of backup security, you need an off-site storage (fire, theft etc)

I have the SSD located away on the top of a tall cupboard which I assume would not be targeted by a thief in the house.  One imagines they'd want to be in and out quickly.

Fire risk remains but house fire is exceptionally rare.

Frozen_up_north

“Is there a reliable and simple (and not too expensive) back up software for regular backups from (several) PC to SSD?”
As per my earlier reply, I use Acronis True Image. It has saved me a lot of work a couple of times and was easy to use. One occasion was when an SSD drive became unreliable and the other when a Windows 11 update fouled up a laptop preventing me logging on.

I use a Seagate 2 TB USB3 pocket size hard disk drive (not an SSD).
https://www.acronis.com/en/products/true-image/