Whenever cloud services are mentioned, Google Drive usually tops the list, alongside Microsoft’s OneDrive. Both services sync files and folders from your desktop to the cloud service, creating a safe back up accessible whenever you need it, from any location.

To use a service like Google Drive, you’ll have to download the Backup and Sync version to your computer to allow it to automatically back up and sync data right from your system. If it’s your first time using Google Drive, one question that must be lingering in your head is, “Where is the Google Drive folder on my PC?”

After installing Google Drive on your Windows computer, it creates a dedicated folder, labeled “Google Drive”, on your main drive – C:\Users\<yourusername>\Google Drive. It’s in this folder that all your videos, documents, images, and every other file will be stored as a backup.

If you are in a situation that forces you to change the location of a Google Drive folder in Windows 10, the guide below provides a step-by-step process to accomplish that.

How to Change the Google Drive Default Folder Location

There are two approaches you can use to change the location of a Google Drive folder in Windows 10:

Method 1: Install the Google Drive Desktop Client

This process applies if you haven’t downloaded the Backup and Sync client to your desktop.

  1. If you haven’t installed Backup and Sync to your desktop, and you’re logged in to your Google Account, you’ll first need to log out before proceeding.
  2. Open your browser and search for Google Drive. Scroll down to the bottom of the official webpage and open the “Drive for Mac/PC” link under “Downloads”. This action will open up another tab, with options to download the program.
  3. Under the “Backup and Sync” section, you’ll see the “Download” button. Click on it.
  4. To proceed you must select the “Agree and Download” option.
  5. Choose your preferred location to save the file. Once it’s downloaded, open the containing folder, double-click on the file, and select “Run”.
  6. Click “Yes” on the system prompt and wait patiently for Google Drive to be installed.
  7. After the installation completes successfully, click “Close”.
  8. Now, go to the system tray and click on the “Backup and Sync” option to launch the program.
  9. Click on the “Get Started” button and enter in your login credentials.
  10. Click on “Got it” and choose the necessary settings, including the upload quality of your videos and photos.
  11. Click “Next” and set syncing preferences. On this page, you’ll see the default location of the Google Drive folder. Next to it, you’ll find the “Change…” link.
  12. Click on it, navigate to the new location where you want to save your Google Drive folder, and click on “Select Folder”. You can also create a new folder to house the Google Drive folder.
  13. Select “Continue” on the popup screen that appears next.
  14. After you’re done, click on “Start” and choose the folders and files you want to back up to Google Drive.

Method 2: If You Have Backup and Sync Already Installed…

We mentioned earlier that Google Drive backs up your data to its folder, which, by default, is located in C:\user\<yourusename>\Google Drive. However, you can move the Google Drive folder to a location of your choice. To do this:

  1. Go to your taskbar and click on the “Backup and Sync” client, usually a white cloud icon located at the bottom right corner of your screen. If you can’t find it in the Taskbar, check in the “Show hidden icons” option.
  2. At the top right corner of the Google Drive desktop client, click on the three vertical dots to access the settings.
  3. Select “Preferences…” from the dropdown list. A new pop up screen will open.
  4. Click on “Settings” in the left pane, and select the “Disconnect Account” link in the screen on the right side, just below your email address.
  5. You’ll get a prompt asking you to confirm if you want to disconnect. Select “Disconnect”. This action will remove your Google Drive account.
  6. After the process completes, you’ll receive another notification informing you that your account has been disconnected. Click on “Got it”.
  7. Next, relaunch the Google Drive desktop client by clicking on its icon in Windows Taskbar.
  8. Select “Sign in”, and fill in your Google account details. You can use the same Google account that you disconnected or any one of your other accounts.
  9. On the next popup screen, click “Got it”.
  10. Choose the folders you want to back up with Google Drive storage and click “Next” when you’re done.
  11. Click on “Got it” again.
  12. Moving on, you’ll see that Google Drive has already created a default location. To change the location of the Google Drive folder, click on the “Change…” link. This will open another popup window where you can choose the new location for your Google Drive folder.
  13. Once you’ve selected the folder, click “Start”. The program will now initiate the backup and sync process.

The steps above also show you how to add Google Drive to the File Explorer Navigation Pane in Windows 10. This means you can easily access the contents of the Google Drive folder via File Explorer (Win + E).

Free Up Disk Space

One of the main reasons people opt to back up their data to cloud services is security concerns. If your PC is hacked and the data is damaged, you can always log on to your Google Drive account and restore the files and folders from any location.

Others use the cloud service to move some of their files and folders to create more disk space. But, did you know that junk files and unneeded applications can take up valuable space on your hard drives? Each time you do something on your PC, such as use Microsoft Word or update Windows, you leave behind a trail of files.

Over time, these files accumulate, filling up your disk. While you can use the Disk Cleanup utility in Windows, it’s easy to forget to clean up your disk every now and then.

To always ensure that space hogs don’t waste your hard drive space, Auslogics BoostSpeed has a scheduler that allows you to set a regular interval, say every Tuesday, to have your system inspected and cleaned out.

The advantage of using Auslogics BoostSpeed is that it does more than just clean out the junk. It’s a PC optimizer, which means that it scans for speed-reducing issues on your PC and resolves them. The program tweaks various system settings to enhance the performance of your computer. Not only does it help to improve the loading speed of programs, but it also boosts your internet speed.

BoostSpeed ushers you to a myriad of other useful features that you can configure to keep your Windows PC running at an optimal level.