Back Up Windows to Google Drive — Automatic, Encrypted

Last updated June 2, 2026

Schedule real, versioned, AES-256 encrypted backups from your Windows PC to Google Drive. Use the Google One storage you already pay for — encrypted, so Google cannot read it.

Most people already pay Google for storage — a Google One plan, or the 15 GB that comes free. Using that space as a real backup target is one of the cheapest ways to get your data off your PC. BackupKit connects to your Google Drive, encrypts your files locally, and uploads them on a schedule. No second subscription, no new vendor.

Sync is not backup

The Google Drive desktop app syncs a folder: change a file and the change is mirrored to the cloud, including mistakes. Delete a file, or let ransomware encrypt it, and that destruction syncs straight up. There's no real version history of arbitrary folders and no protection against “the bad thing already happened.”

  • Backup keeps history. BackupKit stores versioned archives with retention you set, so yesterday's good copy survives today's mistake.
  • Backup is deliberate. Choose exactly which folders to protect — not just whatever lives inside the synced Drive folder.
  • Backup is encrypted by you. Files are AES-256 encrypted before they leave your machine.
Encrypted so Google can't read it

BackupKit encrypts client-side with a password only you hold. What lands in your Drive is an encrypted archive — Google stores the bytes but can't read the contents. The trade-off: if you lose the password, the backup is unrecoverable, so store it safely.

Sync mirrors one copy, so a deletion travels to Google Drive with everything else. A backup writes a dated archive per run, so an earlier day is still there to restore.
Sync keeps one copy in step. Backup keeps yesterday.

Set it up

  1. Add your Google Drive account in BackupKit and authorize access. Connect as many accounts as you like.
  2. Create a backup job. Source = the folders you care about (Documents, Projects, photo library). Destination = a folder in your Drive.
  3. Configure. AES-256 encryption with a password, a daily or weekly schedule, retention (e.g. keep 30 days or the last 10 versions), and optional compression.
  4. Save and activate. It runs unattended; you get a notification if a run fails.
BackupKit's Google Drive authorisation step, with the OAuth link and an explanation of the permission screen
Connecting Drive is a standard OAuth handoff — BackupKit never sees your Google password.

Common questions

Does it count against my Google storage?

Yes — backups live in your Drive and use your quota. Compression helps; for large libraries, a Google One upgrade or a second destination (a NAS, an FTP server) may be cheaper than a big Drive plan.

Can I back up to Drive and somewhere else at once?

Yes. Run a second job to a NAS or FTP server for a proper 3-2-1 strategy — one copy local, one off-site, on their own schedules and retention.

Does BackupKit work with Shared Drives / Workspace?

It backs up to the Drive account you connect. Personal and standard accounts are the typical case; check your organization's policy before backing up to a Workspace account.

Related

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