Storage with Google Drive

How and where to save on your new computer

There is only one rule!

Save to Google Drive!

Really? That's it?

Yep. If there is ANYTHING you want to keep on your computer, it needs to live in Google Drive. If you save it anywhere else (desktop, documents folder, etc.), it will not be backed up by the server. If something happens to your machine, such as a device failure or theft, your files will likely be gone unless they are in Drive.

That's just files, right? Shouldn't I still put my photos in iPhoto?

Actually, no. Anything you want to keep, goes in Drive.

What about if I make an end of year slideshow?

While you technically can store photos in Photos (the new name for iPhoto), they are not backed up. I would recommend dragging your photos into either Photos or iMovie when you are ready to create your slideshow at the end of the year. This is pretty easy to do when they are stored in Drive. You could choose to do this periodically throughout the year or do one massive drag-in when you're ready for the slideshow.

Should I save my files to the desktop and then drag them into Drive?

Well, you can. But that requires extra steps!

Did you know you can save directly to Drive? See the video below to learn how: