To solve this dilemma, a company called Gladinet came up with a way to back up and sync your Google Docs. If you want to compare it to other services, think of it like Dropbox or Mozy for your Google Docs.
Set up
Setting up Gladinet is pretty easy. Go to http://www.gladinet.com/p/download_starter_direct.htm and download the installer for your Windows computer. You can choose between 32 and 64 bit. Gladinet is compatible with XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 2003.
When you have the setup file downloaded, double click on it and the follow the steps.
Once the basic install is done, you have a few more steps. The first is to register with Gladinet. By registering, you get free tech support and updates.
Next comes a little configuring. All you will need to do for this part is select what you would like to back up. In this case, we are going to use standard Google Docs. As you can see, there are many other options to choose from. If you use any of the other services now or plan to in the future, you can always add them in later.
Once you you have selected the web service and clicked next, you are brought to a screen with some settings. If you would like to change the proxy settings, drive label letter (default is Z) or the name of the drive, do that now. Simply click [edit] or [change] next to the item you want to modify. Click Finish.
You will see something like this for the next page. Click on the top icon that says [Click to mount].
You should be whisked away to a log in screen. Put in your Google account email and password here. Click next.
During the sign in authentication process, a pop up will ask for the okay to download a Google Docs plug-in; Click ok and continue the setup.
When it is finished setting up, you will be presented with the option to back up other folders on your computer. If you want to go forward with this, do so now. If not, you can always go back to it later.
Congratulations, you have just set everything up and now you have a virtual back up of all of your Google Docs.
How to Access
Accessing your documents can be done in a few ways. If you installed a desktop or Start menu shortcut, you can click there to open a window. If you did not choose to install these shortcuts, you can access the drive in {My Computer] under the [Network Drives].
Another way to access the folder containing your virtual docs is to click on the icon in the task bar (assuming Gladinet is running).
Virtual Drive
The window you see when you click on the virtual drive icon looks similar to the one from earlier. However, this time you can click on the [Google Docs] folder.
When you do, you will see all of your folders and docs here. If you have an app like Word you will be able to view and edit the docs just like they were on your computer.
Backing Up
Making a back up is super easy. When you sign into your Google Docs account, you will notice a couple of new folders. These are your back up folders. To keep your documents backed up, drag them into the [Backup From] folder
To sync the virtual drive and Google Docs, right click on the icon in the task bar. Select [Backup My Files Online] then [Create Google Docs Backup Task]. Any files you have dragged into your back up folder in your Google Docs page will be backed up automatically.
Uploading
By dragging and dropping a document into the window, you will automatically upload it to your Google Docs account. What you will see is a FTP style window showing the progress of the upload.
To see if it worked, log into your Google Docs account and see the newest edition.
Overall this is a pretty great way to add an extra measure of security and convenience for those of us who use cloud based office suites and document storage. How do you backup your cloud based documents?
