How to Download a Backup from Google Drive

Using Google Drive on the Web

Go to https://drive.google.com in a web browser. If you're not already signed in to your Google account, you should do so now. If you sync files to your Google Drive using Backup and Sync, deleting a file on your computer may also delete that file on Google Drive. This depends on your Backup and Sync settings. See How to Recover Deleted Files from Your Computer if you're unable to download backed-up files with this method.

Click the triangle next to "Computers." This shows a list of all computers that are configured to back up to your Google Drive.

Navigate to the file or folder you want to download. If you want to download the entire backup at once, just stay where you are. Otherwise, click the triangle next to your computer's name to view the backed-up folders.

Right-click the file, folder, or computer name you want to download. If you want to download the entire backup as a ZIP file, right-click the computer name. Otherwise, right-click the desired folder or file.

Click Download. If you're downloading a single backed-up file, the file will either download to your default download folder, or prompt you to select a download folder and click Save. If you're downloading a folder or the whole computer's backup, the files will be compressed into a single ZIP file—you can watch the progress at the bottom-right corner of the screen. When the file is ready, select a download location and click Save.

Using Google Backup and Sync

Open Backup and Sync. It's the cloud icon at the top-right corner on your Mac, or the bottom-right corner on Windows. If you sync files to your Google Drive using Backup and Sync, deleting a file on your computer may also delete that file on Google Drive depending on your settings. Keep reading to learn how to double-check your sync settings and change them if necessary.

Click the menu ⋮. It's the three dots at the top-right corner of the app.

Click Preferences. This displays your syncing preferences.

Click the name of your computer. It's at the top-left corner of the app.

Check your syncing preferences. Under "Google Drive" you'll see an option selected from the "Remove items synced between Google Drive and this computer." This option determines whether deleting a file on your computer will also remove it from Google Drive. Always remove both copies: If this option is selected, synced files and folders you delete from your computer are immediately deleted from Google Drive. This means if you're looking for a file you deleted, you might not find it on Google Drive. See How to Recover Deleted Files from Your Computer if you're unable to download backed up files with this method. Never remove both copies: This option means that deleting a file or folder on your computer will not affect the synced copy of that file on Google Drive. You can restore from your backup. Ask before removing both copies: This option is your best bet—when you remove a file from your computer, Google Drive will ask if you also want to delete the backed-up copy. If you say no, the file will remain on your Google Drive in case you need to download it again.

Click Google Drive. It's in the left panel.

Decide what to sync to your computer. If you want to sync the contents of your Google Drive to the computer you're using now, select "Sync My Drive to this computer," and then select which folders to sync. To sync everything in Google Drive to your computer, select Sync everything in my drive.

Click OK. The selected information from your Google Drive will now sync to your computer. Now that this data is synced, be aware that deleting a file or folder from your computer will also delete it from your Google Drive. If you don't want that to happen, return to your Backup and Sync preferences, uncheck the files and folders you synced to your PC, and then click OK.