Deploy Backup and Sync

Deploy Backup and Sync in your organization to synchronize local files to Drive on the web, making them available on all your devices.

Note: We recommend using Drive File Stream to access My Drive and shared drives on your computer while using less disk space. Backup and Sync doesn’t support shared drives, but you can use it along with Drive File Stream to sync other folders with Drive, such as Documents and Desktop. Compare sync solutions.

This article is for administrators in an organization. If you’re using Drive with a work or school account, your admin may install a sync solution for you, or ask you to install a particular application yourself. If you want to install Backup and Sync for your personal account, see Back up & sync files with Drive.

How it works

When you install Backup and Sync, it creates a folder on your computer named Google Drive. Anything you put in this folder syncs with a folder named My Drive in Drive on the web, and becomes available on all your Drive devices. This is a 2-way sync, so changes you make online are reflected on all your devices, and vice-versa. Learn more about syncing files.

With Backup and Sync, you can also:

  • Sync other folders on your computer, such as Documents or Desktop
  • Sync USB devices and SD cards
  • Back up your photos and videos to Google Photos

Install or deploy Backup and Sync

  1. Verify that the Drive system requirements work for your organization.

  2. If you haven’t already done so, turn on sync for your organization. Make sure to allow Backup and Sync and specify whether users can see Backup and Sync download links.

  3. Install Backup and Sync on each user's computer using one of these options:

    • Let each user install Backup and Sync on their own machine.
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      If users have problems installing Backup and Sync, they should restart their computers, then try again. 

    • Push the appropriate Backup and Sync .msi file, 32 bit or 64 bit, to your users. You can use this option for a silent, unattended installation. See your Windows documentation to learn how to install .msi files.

      You can also use Google Update (Windows) or Google Software Update (Mac) to control whether Backup and Sync is automatically updated on your users' computers.

  4. Send your users an email letting them know about Drive and how they can get started. We provide a template email that you can copy and modify to suit your organization's needs.

Customize default user settings

If desired, you can customize the default Backup and Sync settings for your users.

Customize defaults

  1. Create a plain text file named user_setup.config. Example content:

    [Computers]
    desktop_enabled: False
    documents_enabled: False
    pictures_enabled: False
    folders: /path/to/folder1, /path/to/folder2, /path/to/folder3
    high_quality_enabled: False
    always_show_in_photos: False
    usb_sync_enabled: True
    ignore_extensions: ext1, ext2, ext3
    # Delete mode can be: ALWAYS_SYNC_DELETES, ASK, NEVER_SYNC_DELETES
    delete_mode: ALWAYS_SYNC_DELETES

    [MyDrive]
    folder: /path/to/google_drive
    my_drive_enabled: True

    [Settings]
    autolaunch: True
    show_overlays: False

    [Network]
    download_bandwidth: 100
    upload_bandwidth: 200
    use_direct_connection: False

  2. Customize the file for your organization. 

    Note: Environment variables are not supported for the folder attributes. 
     

  3. Deploy the config file to this location:

    • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Drive/user_default
    • Windows: %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Google\Drive\user_default

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