Free & Pro Methods to Import Google Takeout to External Drive

Introdution: Downloading large Google Takeout archives to your computer can sometimes be complex, especially if your system’s storage is limited. A more effective method is to import Google Takeout to external drive, providing a portable, secure backup that remains accessible without an internet connection. Below, find a guide that indicates both free manual methods as well as a professional MBOX Converter. They help securely transfer Google Takeout files to an external hard drive for both Windows and macOS.

Google Takeout is Google’s official utility for exporting information. It allows a user to backup data from web applications such as Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Contacts, and Photos in an archive format. It typically contains data in a .zip or .tgz format, including your documents and emails.

Overview of Google Takeout Structure

When you perform an export using Takeout, your data will be downloaded as a .zip (by default) or .tgz file. After extracting it, you will find folders organized by services like:

• Drive: Google Drive files in their original file types or converted to .docx, .xlsx, or .pdf.
• Mail: Your emails are in .mbox format, which you can later import into email clients like, but limited to, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or those that support MBOX.
• Photos: Your images are sorted into folders by albums.

You may also be able to import Google Takeout to new account using some upload methods that are illustrated later, or MacSonik MBOX Converter, designed for this purpose.

Why Import Google Takeout to External Drive?

The probable reasons for which you must perform the import of Google Takeout files are:

• Exporting large backups from your Google Takeout will save space, optimizing storage.
• Archiving data allows you to have it available across multiple devices, i.e., portability without re-downloading.
• Google Takeout allows you to access important data offline that you stored in the Google ecosystem.
• If you need to keep your digital assets for compliance/audit purposes, this import helps with long-term archiving.
• Moreover, it can be used for analysis and other purposes too, without specifically accessing Google services.

How to Download from Google Drive to External Hard Drive Mac?

Well, for those who are interested in a cost-free solution, they can use the long manual way. Otherwise, those interested in a quick, secure, and hassle-free import can get the professional tool as explained below. 

DIY to Transfer Data from Google Takeout to Hard Drive

The manual method is ideal for users who have a small quantity of exported data. Please follow these instructions to transfer your Takeout archive securely.

Phase 1) Download the Google Takeout Archive

1. Go to the Google Takeout page and select the data you wish to export.
2. Then, click Next Step and choose the destination “Download link via email”.
3. Next, select the .zip file as the archive format for easy extraction. 
4. Furthermore, pick the file size, export frequency, and press Create Export.
5. When the export is complete, click Manage Archive/Download to obtain the Takeout file.

Phase 2) Import Google Takeout to External Drive

1. First, connect your external hard drive or SSD to your computer (Windows or Mac).
2. Then, wait for the drive to appear under “This PC (Win)” or “Finder (Mac)”.
3. Further, go to the local folder where the Google Takeout .zip file has downloaded.
4. If necessary, extract all of the files from the .zip file.
5. Lastly, copy the folder or the .zip file from the local folder and paste it onto your external drive.

This process is straightforward and useful for transferring files. It is important to note that if the Takeout archive is large (typically over 10–15 GB), the manual copy/paste method may cause errors or interruptions during the transfer. This results in corrupted files, incomplete moves, or failures, particularly with older drives or slower USB connections.

Smart Download Google Takeout to External Hard Drive

Use the MacSonik Google Takeout MBOX Converter for large data exports. It is automated and allows for straightforward downloading, managing, and saving of Google Takeout data to any external drive or destination folder without a difficult manual process. 

Note: The only requirement is that you must first extract your Google Takeout files in MBOX format.

Steps to Import Google Takeout to External Drive

1. Open the MacSonik MBOX File Converter Tool on your machine.
2. Then, select Files/Folders, upload your Takeout MBOX, and click Next.
3. After that, preview the data of your Google Takeout, select folders, and click Next.
4. Furthermore, choose the output file format (PST/PDF/CSV/etc) depending on how you want to save/ view the data.
5. Finally, set the destination path directly to your external drive, apply filters, and click Convert.

When it has finished, the full amount of Google Takeout data will be saved directly into the external drive in the format you select.

Benefits of the Best Google Takeout Converter Tool

• Export directly to an external drive or USB, no local copy in between.
• Batch exporting of multiple Takeout files at the same time.
• Folder hierarchy and file metadata preserved.
• Selective exporting of specific mailboxes, Drive folders, or Photos included.
• Both Windows and Mac are compatible with a self-explanatory interface. 

If the Takeout contains Gmail MBOX files, you can further directly import Google Takeout to Gmail, easily avoiding considerable manual work.

Conclusion

Transferring your Google Takeout files to an external drive is a critical part of planning for long-term data storage. Even though you can manually import Google Takeout to External Drive, it lacks reliability when downloading a large amount of data. For professionals and organizations, the dedicated Google Takeout Converter Tool allows users to exchange content from Google’s servers to any external storage in a secure, safe, and error-free way. This is automation at its best, ensuring you have backups that are portable and verifiable.

Also Read: Convert MBOX to Maildir

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Post