Alternative for Google Drive for Desktop? 🤔

Milincho · Oct 7, 2024

Is there a good alternative for Google Drive for Desktop with the same functionality (synching to your google account's gdrive online, integration with Windows Explorer context menus, sharing links to "Anyone with the link", ... but also displays transfer speeds and has better UI?

I'm just fed up with how bad Google Drive for Desktop works. Most of the time it just doesn't synch some files and you have no idea why, it has very few configuration and customization options, it doesn't show the transfer speeds (I guess on purpose, so you don't realize how slow it really is due to Google throttling the transfers), the context menu entries just disappear god knows why...

The old Google Backup & Synch was great, but Google Drive for Desktop is plain crapware. It has been a painful and infuriating experience dealing with this crap.

To clarify: I'm not looking to use alternative storage providers like Onedrive, Dropbox, etc. I just want a better Windows software for my google account storage.

pparks1 · Oct 7, 2024

I use OneDrive, but mostly because I buy Office/Microsoft 365 and it comes with 1TB of space for each of my accounts (up to 6 accounts). For the $99 a year I spend (and it's actually $69 because I get 30% off via my employer), it the cheapest storage online storage I can find. And I get Microsoft Office for free.

dacrone · Oct 7, 2024

you can use Dokan drivers to map it as a local drive, or you can use RaiDrive to map it as a network drive

GitHub - dokan-dev/dokany: User mode file system library for windows with FUSE Wrapper

User mode file system library for windows with FUSE Wrapper - dokan-dev/dokany

github.com

RaiDrive|Mount a Cloud Storage like a USB drive

Mount a Cloud Storage like a USB drive

www.raidrive.com

glasskuter · Oct 7, 2024

My experience with GD differs from yours. GD for desktop has worked flawlessly for me. While I have way more Onedrive storage than Google drive storage, I prefer GD because of selective sync. I don't want to jack with symbolic links with Onedrive. Along with selectively syncing certain folders,I have GD mapped to a drive letter for easy drag and drop of stuff I want to quickly store in GD. Knock on wood, so far it's just worked.

TonyCzar · Oct 7, 2024

FreeFileSync states it will work with GDrive.

BrianInEngland · Oct 7, 2024

glasskuter said:
My experience with GD differs from yours. GD for desktop has worked flawlessly for me. While I have way more Onedrive storage than Google drive storage, I prefer GD because of selective sync. I don't want to jack with symbolic links with Onedrive. Along with selectively syncing certain folders,I have GD mapped to a drive letter for easy drag and drop of stuff I want to quickly store in GD. Knock on wood, so far it's just worked.

I installed GD recently and found it was using 5-10% CPU even when not syncing anything. Uninstalled after 5 minutes

glasskuter · Oct 7, 2024

BrianInEngland said:
found it was using 5-10% CPU

I guess mileage can vary but mine is a steady .1 % of cpu and 107 mb of ram, so uses almost no resources at all unless I drop large files into GD or selective sync a new folder. Usage will spike some then but it's temporary.

TraderGary · Oct 7, 2024

pparks1 said:
I use OneDrive, but mostly because I buy Office/Microsoft 365 and it comes with 1TB of space for each of my accounts (up to 6 accounts). For the $99 a year I spend (and it's actually $69 because I get 30% off via my employer), it the cheapest storage online storage I can find. And I get Microsoft Office for free.

I too use OneDrive and subscribe to Microsoft 365 for the same reasons. I've used OneDrive for 16 years.

BrianInEngland · Oct 7, 2024

glasskuter said:
I guess mileage can vary but mine is a steady .1 % of cpu and 107 mb of ram, so uses almost no resources at all unless I drop large files into GD or selective sync a new folder. Usage will spike some then but it's temporary.

Unless it was a bug it was constantly using high CPU resources

andrew129260 · Oct 7, 2024

glasskuter said:
GD for desktop has worked flawlessly for me.

Milincho said:
Most of the time it just doesn't synch some files and you have no idea why, it has very few configuration and customization options

My google drive works fine as well. But I only have it syncing certain folders, and it's a proper backup instead of onedrives mirroring. What settings are you using? Is it backing up all the files on your pc or just certain folders?

You could also just every now and then go to google drive website and backup files and folders manually. That way you can eliminate the software altogether. I would never trust a third party program to upload my files to a cloud provider. I am sure there are some out there though.

Here are some:

FreeFileSync

Download FreeFileSync 13.9. FreeFileSync is a free open source data backup software that helps you synchronize files and folders on Windows, Linux and macOS.

freefilesync.org

Syncdocs – The Best Google Drive App

Google Drive upgraded by Syncdocs: Multiple accounts, end-to-end encryption, free version, sync any folder, automated install and many advanced features

www.syncdocs.com

TraderGary said:
I too use OneDrive and subscribe to Microsoft 365 for the same reasons. I've used OneDrive for 16 years.

pparks1 said:
I use OneDrive, but mostly because I buy Office/Microsoft 365 and it comes with 1TB of space for each of my accounts (up to 6 accounts). For the $99 a year I spend (and it's actually $69 because I get 30% off via my employer), it the cheapest storage online storage I can find. And I get Microsoft Office for free.

That's fair if you need office and want cloud storage from microsoft. But onedrive definitely can have a mind of its own and some people like me dont like the way it works and how it touches your files. It also can be incredibly annoying with its syncing and can massively slow down file explorer. I use it at work and it's quite a headache sometimes.

TraderGary · Oct 7, 2024

andrew129260 said:
My google drive works fine as well. But I only have it syncing certain folders, and it's a proper backup instead of onedrives mirroring. What settings are you using? Is it backing up all the files on your pc or just certain folders?

Mirroring is exactly why I use OneDrive. I work all day on my PC and never want to ever lose anything. Thus, everything I do is mirrored in cloud OneDrive in real-time as I work.

For backup I use an actual proper backup. I make daily complete drive images with Macrium Reflect.

trevo · Oct 7, 2024

The OP specifically stated, inter alia, "To clarify: I'm not looking to use alternative storage providers like Onedrive..."

andrew129260 · Oct 7, 2024

TraderGary said:
Mirroring is exactly why I use OneDrive. I work all day on my PC and never want to ever lose anything. Thus, everything I do is mirrored in cloud OneDrive in real-time as I work.

If you delete a file on your pc it goes away on onedrive to onedrives recycle bin with a countdown of 30 days.

If I delete a file on my computer it stays in google drive, it doesn't go to the trash. It's an actual backup. It works in real time as well. It also respects my choice of keeping all files on my pc unlike onedrive. It can even show up in file explorer as an external drive so I can simply drag and drop files into it. It just works better without touching my stuff in a way that can screw it up. If I uninstall it, it doesn't screw up my files or move them somewhere else. It lets me actually own my files. I also use external drives to backup my data as well.

You can tell onedrive to keep all files on your pc, but it doesn't always listen. And the basic setting it does the mirror operation. So most people delete a file on their pc thinking one drive has it so they are fine should something happen, but they dont know it goes to the recycle bin for onedrive. I see it all the time.

Anyways dont want to derail the thread about onedrive again.......I believed I answered the question to what OP is looking for.

TraderGary · Oct 7, 2024

If you use OneDrive, you have to understand how it works. The problem is many don't.

andrew129260 · Oct 7, 2024

TraderGary said:
If you use OneDrive, you have to understand how it works. The problem is many don't.

Agreed. I just think its badly designed. But that is my opinion. I know some disagree and that's fine.

TraderGary · Oct 7, 2024

andrew129260 said:
Agreed. I just think its badly designed. But that is my opinion. I know some disagree and that's fine.

Agreed. As they say, there's always more than one way to skin a cat. :wink:

TonyCzar · Oct 7, 2024

TraderGary said:
If you use OneDrive, you have to understand how it works. The problem is many don't.

I haven't taken this online course, but in general like Ask Leo explanations. (I'm hunkered down now for any haters out there.)

Almighty1 · Oct 7, 2024

What about GoodSync?

GoodSync Cloud Storage

GoodSync proprietary cloud storage offers the fastest, safest, and the most affordable way to securely and easily backup and restore data from any of your devices by using GoodSync interface.

www.goodsync.com

pparks1 · Oct 7, 2024

andrew129260 said:
Agreed. I just think its badly designed. But that is my opinion. I know some disagree and that's fine.

Yeah, i guess it's whatever you want. Me, I want my files in 2 places, but not necessarily a backup of my files in the cloud the way they used to look. If I update or modify a file on the computer, I want it to update in the cloud.

For some things where I want a cloud backup of a file, but not have it on my PC, I disable the folder from view on the PC and solely access via the web interface and put files in it. Any commercial software that I use along with the license keys works like that.

jimbo45 · Oct 8, 2024

Have no probs with OneDrive -- works on Linux too - it's cheap enough for the amount of storage I need -- approx €18 / $19.50 (US) a year -- for 500GB -- that's fine for me.

Cheers
jimbo

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