How to Restore Backup From Google Drive to PC Easily (3 Ways)

Why Restore Backup From Google Drive to PC?

Google Drive is a cloud storage device commonly used by people who choose to back up files and folders to Google Drive to access the data and sync the changed information online. Some users want to restore a backup from Google Drive to their PC, so they might download a backup from Google Drive or use a backup tool, this article summarizes several common reasons below:

📌Offline access to files: Files backed up on Google Drive are online files, so you can only view the files when you have an Internet connection. If you restore the backup from Google Drive to a PC, you will be able to access and view the files anytime even when you are offline.
📌Protect data: If your Google account is accidentally hacked and your account is terminated, then it may result in files being lost forever. To avoid data loss in this case, you can restore the backup from Google Drive to a PC or an external hard drive for storage.
📌Save space on Google Drive: Google Drive only provides limited storage space for free (up to 15GB for free Gmail users). So you can restore some files to your PC to save space on Google Drive.
📌Device Migration: When switching to a new PC or setting up a replacement device, restoring backups from Google Drive allows you to transfer your important files, documents, and settings seamlessly to the new device.

How to Restore Backup From Google Drive to PC

In the following sections, we'll explore three effective methods for restoring backups from Google Drive to your PC. These include two methods to download backups from the Google Drive website or Google Takeout. Also, free third-party restore software can help you escape from downloading. Depending on your preferences and requirements, you can select the method that best suits your needs. Continue reading to learn more about each option.

Method 1: Restore Backup From Google Drive to PC via Third-party Software(Easiest)

Besides the two methods mentioned above, there's an easier option available that you don't need to download backups from Google Drive: using the free third-party software, AOMEI Backupper Standard, to restore a backup from Google Drive to your PC. This software offers several advantages over the previous methods. It simplifies the process, making it more user-friendly and efficient. Additionally, AOMEI Backupper Standard provides robust features for better data management and recovery. No need to download the Google Drive app.

Quickly restore any backups: Google Drive website or Google Takeout can only restore folders one by one or select all of them. But AOMEI Backupper Standard allows you to select some folders in Google Drive to restore, and you don't need to download them manually one by one.
All-in-one backup and restore: This software is both backup and restore software, so you can restore directly after backup without switching to other software, which is very convenient.
Support multiple systems: It supports multiple Windows operating systems, including Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista.
Easy to operate: You can easily restore a backup from Google Drive to your PC with just a few clicks. The restore process can be done locally, so you don't need to access the cloud drive.

Then, you can follow the graphic tutorial below to restore a backup from Google Drive to your PC.

Please note that AOMEI Backupper Standard can only restore files from a backup created by itself. If you don't have a file backup, please download this free software first and create a file backup.

If you have already prepared a backup of your files, then you can start restoring them by following the steps below. If your backup is on an external hard drive, you need to connect it to your computer and make sure that the computer recognizes it.

Step 1. Open AOMEI Backupper Standard, and click Restore > Select Task to find your file backup.

Step 2. Choose the file backup containing all your files and then click Next.

Step 3. Select files or folders you want to restore from Google Drive to your PC and then click Next to continue.

Step 4. Select Restore to the original location or Restore to a new location based on your own needs. Then, click Start Restore to restore a backup from Google Drive to your PC.

Method 2: Restore Backup From Google Drive to PC via Google Drive Website

The first method to restore a backup from Google Drive to your PC is to download backups from the Google Drive website. By using the download option available on the Google Drive interface, you can easily transfer your backups to your computer. Simply follow the steps outlined below to complete this process:

Step 1. Navigate to the Google Drive website, and sign in with your Google account.

Step 2. Choose the file or folder you want to restore from Google Drive to your PC. Right-click on the file or folder and click the Download button.

Step 3. After clicking on the Download button, it will compress the selected folder into a ZIP file and download it to your PC. Repeat this operation for all folders and files that you wish to restore from Google Drive to your PC.

Note:
This method can't restore backup from Google Drive to your PC automatically or cannot directly download complete data from Google Drive to your PC or external hard drive. You need to download each folder one by one. If you want to download the files and folders automatically, you can try the next method.

Method 3: Restore Backup From Google Drive to PC via Google Takeout

It would be troublesome to restore all the data stored in Google by downloading them one by one. If you want to restore all the backups from Google Drive to your PC at once, you can use Google Takeout to download backups from Google Drive automatically. Follow the steps below to learn how to copy backup from Google Drive to PC in one go. Here are the steps.

Step 1. Navigate to Google Takeout, click Deselect all tick the Drive checkbox, then click Next step.

Step 2. Customize your archive format by selecting the Delivery method, frequency, File type, and Archive size, then click Create Archive.

Step 3. After the archive is completed, the download link will be sent via email, you can download it as a zip archive and store it on your local hard drive.

FAQs about downloading backups from the Google Drive

1. Why can't I download large files from Google Drive?

When downloading large files from Google Drive, you might encounter a "failed - network error." This issue often arises due to antivirus software or unwanted software blocking the download process, though it isn't always the rule for large files.

2. How big of a file can you download from Google Drive?

Files larger than 2GB will be downloaded individually instead of being included in a ZIP file. To free up space in Google Drive, delete unnecessary files and empty the trash.

3. What is Google Drive's download limit?

There are no specific limits for downloading files from Google Drive.

Summary

To access your data easily or protect your data carefully, it is very important to restore the backup from Google Drive to your PC. You can choose the 3 methods mentioned in this article to help you achieve the goal. You can download backups from Google Drive or use AOMEI Backupper Standard to help you.

Google Drive website can download files to your computer one by one manually, which will take a lot of time if you need to restore many files. Google Takeout can automatically download all the files in Google Drive for you, but in most cases, many users don't need to download all the files locally.

AOMEI Backupper Standard, a free third-party software, is the easiest way you can choose. It can automatically restore backups from Google Drive to your PC, and you can select any files you want to restore at once. It also supports multiple Windows operating systems.

In addition to restoring files and folders, it can also restore systems, disks, and partitions. Its Universal Restore feature even helps you to restore system image to a computer with different hardware. You can upgrade to the Pro version to experience more features.