Sep 12, 2021

Back up and sync / drive for desktop problems

Ok so i have been using back up and sync to sync files from my PC for quite a while, files would automatically upload to drive and if needed i could manually upload files. I could then delete unwanted files from my pc and they would still be on my google drive (due to a setting allowing removed files from a pc would not be deleted from drive). but with the new Drive for desktop it seems to want to sync all the drives / files. i dont want this, i dont have the hard drive space and i dont need to sync with anywhere else by the pc / device than the one i work on.

is there anyway i can revert to backup and sync?

Thanks in advance

Simon

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Drive for Desktop,Windows

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Recommended Answer

Sep 13, 2021

I'm having the same issue and from what it sounds like THEY STRAIGHT UP REMOVED THAT FEATURE. Can you believe it?

Original Poster Simon Rudd marked this as an answer

Simon Rudd

Original Poster

Sep 14, 2021

its an utter sh*t move on their part - what is the point in having a drive where everything must be synced

edit - i just found this https://www.boxcryptor.com/ - it maps your google drive to your pc.

Last edited Sep 14, 2021

suzannah

Sep 14, 2021

It will do what backup and sync used to do?

Simon Rudd

Original Poster

Sep 15, 2021

box thing just maps it so you can click and drop - but its not a patch on backup and sync

Last edited Sep 15, 2021

Adrian Saunders

Sep 28, 2021

I agree, google have really messed up with this.

Allan Marcus

Sep 28, 2021

What you have to do is think about your folder organization on your computer and your Google Drive. Only sync the folder you want to sync. Have some folder on the computer that don't sync, and have some folders in drive that don't sync. Then you just put the file in the folder as you see fit. Want it in Drive, but not sync, put it int he Drive folder than not syncing.

Adrian Saunders

Sep 29, 2021

To Allan Marcus - I don't think you 'get' why the old Backup and Sync was so good. I already chose which folders I wanted to 'sync' to the Drive. On my Drive was an exact copy of the folders on my personal laptop that I wanted syncing - and I can sign in anywhere (e.g. my work laptop) and see a 'copy' of my personal laptop. Except - with the old system, I could delete any photos/docs I wanted from my personal laptop, and would be prompted with a question something like 'do you also want to delete from Drive?' And you could choose 'yes' or 'no'. So on my personal laptop I could save room, but on the 'copy' of my personal laptop I could leave loads of stuff in the synced folders that I wanted to keep backed up. Now with 'Drive to Desktop' you can't do that - the Drive just stays exactly the same as laptop. Sure, there are manual fiddly ways you could work around that, but the old 'Backup and Sync' system was brilliant - finally got my life organised! And now google have messed it up. Also my wife copied this system and used it for her business, but paid for extra storage. Now we are going to have to try shopping around and find something else. It's like we finally got all our bookshelves and cupboards in our house sorted out, and then the bookshelf/cupboard manufacturers came in and mixed them all up again. I think other people were loving google's Backup and Sync system as well, but now it's been removed.

Alberto Raschillà

Sep 29, 2021

It does not matter! I am a graphic designer and I create dozens of graphics a day. I save them all in the Work folder. Before, when there was Backup and Sync, every month I deleted all the folders from the PC and they remained perfectly saved on the Drive. Instead now, since I just upgraded to Drive Desktop, not only can I no longer do it but Drive automatically wants to download more than 1 TB of files to my PC! What a mess!!!

Alberto Raschillà

Sep 29, 2021

If Google does not solve this problem soon I will be forced to switch to other CHEAPER (because Google gets paid well!) And MORE FUNCTIONAL services, which really improve people's work and make the sync function OPTIONAL, NOT MANDATORY.

Alberto Raschillà

Sep 29, 2021

And I think that you too, if Google does not act soon, you will be forced to change service. Google, or you forum moderators, listen to our words and update this app!

Celso Scaletsky

Sep 29, 2021

It's an awful system now

O'Brien Jones

Sep 30, 2021

I am so pist! I thought it was only me. I have a IG account with 71k followers and so I transfer a lot, lot of files and photos which are not even mine. Now all of a sudden they are on my hard drive and I have to sift through my own to find what I need and I can't even sync it properly from LIGHTROOM. I need to save it to my PC then xfer. ARE you kidding me? A moment ago I swear I wanted to throw my laptop across the room. Luckily I just got it otherwise it would have shut down from the 3TB's google decided I needed

User 7495462625183892706

Oct 3, 2021

change the default "save" folder location on your PC ... SEE below as I did for microsoft edge.

@O'Brien Jones @Rob Boyle.

Microsoft ONE drive does the same thing it just syncs files including picture folders from desktops, movies idk everywhere, and shoves them into a drive that is too full that you transfer out .. a mess. ,, but to help save you space . lovely when you least expected it, without notice, and your thinking you gotta do a system restore or reset or some crazy shit. Hell Nah....

I changed the default Microsoft edge folder location by adding 4 character letters to the end of the file extension and left it in the same location. maybe this will help Ya'll. Took me a min when all my files were gone without update or any notice. Just keep calm and get technology ON! :)