How to copy all google photos to hard drive

In this article we will show you how to backup google photos to external hard drive, google photo is one of the most popular photo storage services provided by Google downloading photos and videos from Google photo is a straightforward procedure.

Downloading photos from Google Photos to the computer is very common these days. Users can edit the video backup the file which is downloaded from Google photos.

You can also use the website alone to download photos from Google photos to computer. Using an external hard drive is the best alternative to back up your Google photos because they offer an enormous storage capacity.

In case you are looking for a solution on how to back up Google photos to external hard drive, this is the right article for you.

Step By Step Guide On How To Backup Google Photos To External Hard Drive :-

  1. First you need to connect hard drive to your computer.
  2. After doing so sign into your Google account.
  3. Enter your valid email id along with your password to access Google photos.
  4. Open Google Chrome on your system.
  5. Click the nine dots placed at the top right corner of the Google Chrome homepage.
  6. You will see various Google applications in the drop-down list.
  7. Select the Google photo application.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  8. Click the photos that you want to back up to an external hard drive.
  9. Clean the three dots placed at the top right corner of the screen.
  10. Select download all option from the drop-down menu.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  11. In case your computer has a default setting all the selected images will be downloaded to a specific folder.
  12. The format in which the photos will download is in a Zip file.
  13. Now you need to move the zip file from one folder to another to create a backup in an external hard drive.
  14. Right-click the zips file and select the option copy or cut from the drop-down menu.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  15. In case you only want the images to display on your external hard drive and not on your system then simply press copy.
  16. Now you need to find your external hard drive from the folder options.
  17. The drive will be placed on the left side of the dialogue box.
  18. Click the title of the drive and now you need to paste the zip file into the external hard drive.

Conclusion :-

I hope this article on how to backup google photos to external hard drive helps you and in This article, we covered an essential guide and the steps mentioned above are quite detailed and easy to follow and implement.

Try some simple solutions to transfer photos from Google Drive to an external hard drive. And to save time and effort and simplify the export process, users can rely on the Kernel G Suite Backup tool

Google Drive, a cloud storage platform used by billions of users worldwide, has experienced extraordinary growth since its launch in 2012. It is a part of the Google Workspace suite and shares a free 15GB storage space with Gmail and Google Photos. Also, with effect on June 1, 2021, the free Google Photos storage is a part of this 15GB space, which is shared with other applications, and once this limit is exceeded, users need to buy a plan or subscription to store more photos on the cloud application. This is applicable for future storage only and not on the already stored photos on the application.

Google Drive application is supported on Windows and Mac environments, mobile applications (Android and iOS), and website interface. The synchronization feature of Google Drive makes it a flexible cloud storage application utilized by individuals as well as businesses to secure their online data.

Here, our discussion is completely on the solutions to move Google Drive photos to an external drive which is essential when a user needs to backup or secure some crucial image files to a portable storage device.

Read Also: Easy Ways to Migrate Google Drive Data to Another Account

Why Should I Backup my Google Photos to a Hard Drive?

Among all of the photo storage services available, Google Photos has always been a top-of-the-line choice.
Although it’s secure, you shouldn’t store all your precious photos and videos there. Google Photos can also have problems. Therefore, it is recommended to back up your Google Photos to an external hard drive or local hard drive for the following reasons:

  • The Protection of Data
    You can protect your Google Photos data by backing them up to your hard drive. A backup lets you quickly and easily restore your data, no matter what happens to your source data.
  • Access Photos & Videos Offline
    When the internet is available, Google Photos gives users convenient access to their data. In the absence of an internet connection, navigating to Google Photos is difficult. The data can be accessed offline in Google Photos directly after backing it up to your hard drive.

Methods for Exporting Google Drive Photos to an External Drive

There are both native and professional methods available to export photos from Google Drive photos to an external drive. Manual ways are indirect, time-consuming, and less flexible, with almost no filter options. So, they are not suited to perform large exports or transfers.

A professional Google Drive backup solution like Kernel G Suite Backup, one of the best tools in the market, offers a direct transfer of the required data from Google Drive and other Google Workspace (G Suite) applications in only a few steps.

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So, the decision of choosing the medium or solution for exporting Google Drive photos to an external drive is up to users’ understanding.

Native Workarounds – Explained

These solutions are free and can be tried by users if these methods suit their current requirements.

Download from Google Drive & Export to the connected External Drive

Google Drive Download option can download selected image(s) or photo file(s) to the local Downloads folder in the ZIP file format, which can be de-zipped to extract downloaded files within it. The whole ZIP folder can be exported to the connected external device (with a USB cable or pen drive) folder. Let us check out this process in detail.

  1. Launch Google Drive and log in with your Google account sign-in credentials.
  2. Select desired image files from the desired folder on Google Drive, click the 3 vertical dots on the top, and select the Download option from the drop-down list.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  3. The selected photos will start downloading in the ZIP file format. Click on the Open file option to view downloaded image files.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  4. If you are finding it tough to find image files in your Google Drive folders, click on the blank search space and select Photos & images from the drop-down list.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  5. Now, all the image files in all formats will get listed. Select the desired ones and click the Download option as done earlier.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  6. Once the files are downloaded in the Zip file, extract the same or right-click on it to select the Send to option and then the external drive folder to send it to the same. (The external hard drive must be connected before performing this step). Hence the Photos from Google Drive have been Transported to the External Hard Drive Folder Manually.

Hence the Photos from Google Drive are Transported to the External Hard Drive Folder Manually

Using Google Takeout Feature to move specific folders from Google Drive

Google Takeout is an inbuilt solution to export or download Google account application data, including Google Drive data. Users can select the image file format and the folder containing image files during the export. After the export, it can be moved to the external drive connected to the system. Check out the detailed process.

  1. Launch Google Takeout and sign in with the Google account.
  2. Now, deselect all the options and select the Google Drive option by selecting the checkbox against it.
    Under the Drive option, you can select file formats for export.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  3. Select the image file format against the Drawings section and click OK.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive

    Note: Another option is to select the folder(s) containing image files only. After the selection, click OK.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  4. Now, move to the second stage by clicking the Next step option.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  5. Now, choose the export frequency, and file size, after which splitting of the file will occur to manage the large file size.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  6. Choose the file type and click Create export.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  7. The export will start and will show the progress. Once it is completed, a download link will appear, which includes a zipped file containing selected Google Drive data. Click on the link to download it and then transfer it to an external drive.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive

Sync Google Photos with your Hard Drive

Syncing photos from your PC to Google Photos now has a desktop app called Drive for Desktop. The application allows two-way synchronization between the cloud and the computer. Therefore, you can use it to automatically backup your Google Photos photos to your hard drive.

  • Download the Drive for desktop app & install it.
  • Log in with your Google account to use Google Photos.
  • Click on Add Folder and then tap on Backup to Google Photos.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  • Choose the photos folder that you want to backup.
  • Next, click on Save to backup your photos between Google Photos and the hard drive.
    How to copy all google photos to hard drive
  • Navigate to the Settings tab.
  • Within the Upload size tab, choose the upload size. Now your hard drive is synced with Google Drive.

An Easy Solution to Transfer Photos from Google Drive to an External Drive

We just have learned that the native processes, whether using the Google Drive interface feature or Google Takeout feature, are lengthy as well as indirect and do not offer flexible export of Google Drive photos. In such cases, opting for an alternative solution with no such limitations would be a great choice.

Kernel G Suite Backup is a smart backup solution for G Suite applications, including Google Drive. It supports backup of Gmail, Contacts, Calendars, and Appointments to multiple file formats and supports direct export to any folder on the system, including the external drive folder. The same tool can be used to backup Google Hangouts/Chats exclusively. Check all features and information about the tool below –

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Why do We Recommend Backup Tool?

It is a highly recommended tool for users who need to secure their Google Workspace content to a local system drive or external drive. Some advanced features and services offered by the tool are:

  • Backup everything – Gmail, Google Drive Files, Chats, Calendars, Appointments, etc.
  • Wide format support – Supports backup to file formats like PST, MSG, HTML, PDF, MHTML, DOC, DOCX, and EML
  • Flexible backup – Selective backup provision with folder, date range, item type, incremental backup, and more options
  • Choice of destination – Users can choose an existing folder as the destination or create a new one from the interface itself.
  • User-friendly – The interface is interactive with simple descriptions to complete the backup in minimal time
  • Support for P12 key – Easy and quick addition of Google Workspace accounts with a service account and P12 key (The user interface includes a complete description of the method of creating a service account and generating the P12 key)

FAQs – Google Drive to External Drive

Q- How can I select only image files from Google Drive files in the Kernel G Suite Backup tool?

A- The tool adds the Google Drive Files folder to back up its data selectively, and users can choose the folders containing image files, add a date range and choose other filters to do the backup.

Q- What limitations are there on the free trial version of the tool?

A- Using the free trial version of the tool, users can explore its interface and features. Also, they can do a free backup of 10 items per folder and 5 documents per drive.

Q- What filter options are available in the Google Takeout feature for exporting the Google Drive data?

A- Google Takeout feature provided by Google lets users export Google Drive data selectively with filters like –
Multiple file formats: Choice of file format from Documents, Drawings, Forms, and Presentations.
Advanced settings: Include named, published, and uploaded versions and Include additional info for files and folders
All Drive data included: Include all files and folders in Drive or select specific folders

Q- Is there any backup report available after the backup via this backup tool?

A- Yes. Once the migration is completed, a backup report is generated automatically which users can save as a CSV file at the desired location.

Q- Does this tool works on the Mac environment also?

A- No. The tool works on the Windows environment only and widely supports all Windows OS versions.

More Information

  • Quick Way to Recover Deleted Photos or Images from Google Hangouts
  • Tricks to Backup and Sync a Specific Folder in Google Drive
  • Google Account Storage Limitation for Photos, Videos, Emails
  • Google Drive Vs. Google Photos Difference and Benefits

3 responses to “How to Transfer Photos from Google Drive to an External Hard Drive?”

  1. How to copy all google photos to hard drive
    Madison says:

    July 7, 2022 at 05:23

    I successfully saved all of my pictures from Google Drive. The software procedure is quite simple and fast. It also turned out to be quite profitable for me.

    Reply

  2. How to copy all google photos to hard drive
    Jonas says:

    February 21, 2022 at 10:08

    I will not challenge the usefulness of Google Takeout, but this KernelApps tool is much faster is backup. Google Takeout takes many hours to create the download file.

    Reply

  3. How to copy all google photos to hard drive
    Abigail says:

    February 7, 2022 at 07:15

    Thanks for mentioning the technicalities related to Google Takeout and how it can download data from Google Drive. I will follow it regularly.

    How do I copy all my photos from Google Photos?

    Step 1: Select Google Photos Go to the transfer Photos view of Google Takeout or follow the steps below. Go to your Google Account Dashboard. Transfer data.

    Can I download all Google Photos at once?

    You can hold down Shift and click further down the page to select multiple photos at once, or hover over a date and click the tick that appears to select all photos and videos from that day. Click on the three dots at the top right and click Download (or press Shift + D). Your download should begin.

    Can you put Google Photos on a hard drive?

    Select the photos that you want to export and click on the three dots in the top right corner. Choose the download option from the menu. Then we can see that our photos are downloaded into our system. We can either move them into the hard drive by using copy-paste method or we can use drag and drop.