Streamlining Time Machine Backups to Google Drive

When it comes to backing up your files, using both Time Machine and Google Drive for Desktop can seem like a hassle. However, there are ways to streamline this process and ensure that you have a reliable backup system in place.

One solution is to set up Drive for Desktop to backup a particular folder on your computer. This will allow you to specify which files you want to back up and when. However, if you're looking for a way to include certain files in your Time Machine backup without having to manually select them each time, there's another option.

By using Google Backup & Sync instead of Drive File Stream, you can back up specific folders or files using Time Machine. This method is particularly useful if you're already familiar with using Backup & Sync and don't want to switch to Drive File Stream.

To set this up on your Mac, navigate to the preferences menu inside the DFS app and select the folder you want to backup. Note that this only works for folders outside of the default Google Drive directory.

Another solution is to move the cache stored by Drive File Stream to a different location. This will allow Time Machine to include it in your backups. However, please note that Time Machine also excludes this cache by default, so you'll need to manually specify which files you want to back up.

In addition to these solutions, it's worth noting that Drive File Stream stores a cached version of its data in the following locations on Macs: `~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS`. When you make your files available for offline access, DFS creates a human-readable file structure that you can view by mounting this cache.

Overall, there are several ways to streamline Time Machine backups to Google Drive. By using either Google Backup & Sync or Drive File Stream, and by manually specifying which files you want to back up, you can ensure that your important data is safely stored in multiple locations.

Time machine to google drive stream