Stopping Google Drive for desktop without losing files requires understanding which synchronization mode is active on the machine. The confusion between streaming and mirroring remains the primary cause of data loss during a deactivation. Here we detail the technical procedure, the pitfalls associated with each mode, and the precautions on the Workspace administration side.
Streaming or mirroring mode on Drive for desktop: what changes upon deactivation
Google Drive for desktop offers two distinct operating modes. The streaming mode mounts a virtual drive: files remain stored in the cloud and are not physically present on the local disk. The mirroring mode copies all synchronized folders to the hard drive.
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This distinction has a direct impact on what happens when synchronization is turned off. In streaming mode, uninstalling or disconnecting the application does not delete anything in the cloud since the local disk did not contain any actual copies. The virtual drive disappears, but the files remain accessible via drive.google.com.
In mirroring mode, the situation is riskier. If you delete local files after cutting off synchronization, they remain in the cloud. However, if you delete them while synchronization is still active, the deletion propagates to the cloud. The correct procedure for stopping Google Drive synchronization without deleting files is to first pause synchronization, then disconnect the account, before any local manipulation.
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Disconnect a Google Drive account without deleting local or remote files
Open the preferences of Google Drive for desktop, click on the gear icon, then select “Preferences”. In the connected account tab, use the “Disconnect account” option. This action cuts the synchronization link without affecting the files present in the cloud.
Checks before disconnection
- Ensure that all ongoing transfers are complete. The application icon in the system tray displays the number of pending files. Any disconnection during a transfer may leave partial files in the cloud.
- Check the active mode (streaming or mirroring) in Preferences > Google Drive folder. In mirroring mode, local files will remain on the disk after disconnection, thus still occupying local storage space.
- Identify the folders on your computer configured for backup to Drive (Documents, Desktop, Pictures). These backups stop at disconnection, but files already sent remain in the “Computers” section of Drive.
Files in the “Computers” section of Drive persist after disconnection. Many users are unaware of this and mistakenly believe that cutting the link deletes these remote copies. This is not the case.
Workspace administration rights and blocked synchronization
In a Google Workspace environment, administrators can restrict or prohibit local synchronization via the admin console. We regularly observe situations where a user cannot activate mirroring mode because the administrator has enforced streaming mode only.
This setting has a direct consequence on the deactivation strategy. If the administrator has imposed streaming, the user has no local copy to protect. The disconnection is then risk-free for the data. However, if the administrator allows mirroring and the user has activated it, the procedure described above must be followed.
Points of caution for administrators
Disabling Drive for desktop at the organizational unit level does not delete files already synchronized on the machines. Local mirrored copies remain on the machines. For a clean removal, we recommend first switching all users to streaming mode, waiting for the migration to complete, and then disabling the application.
A change from mirroring to streaming does not delete remote files. The application gradually removes local copies to replace them with shortcuts to the cloud.
Google Photos and Google Drive: two separate synchronization paths
Since the separation of the two services, turning off backup in Google Photos no longer affects files stored in Drive, and vice versa. Disabling automatic backup of Google Photos on a smartphone prevents new photos from being sent to the cloud, but photos already backed up remain accessible in Google Photos.
This separation simplifies matters: it is possible to disable Drive synchronization on a computer while keeping the Photos backup active on mobile, without interference between the two. The historical confusion between these two services has caused many accidental deletions, as shown in Google support threads where users delete photos synchronized from Drive thinking they are only affecting their storage space.
Disable Photos backup without losing existing pictures
In the Google Photos app, open Settings > Backup, then turn off the toggle. Photos already sent to the cloud remain available. Disabling backup only stops the sending of new files.
To free up space in the cloud without affecting the originals on the phone, use the “Free up device space” function in Google Photos, which deletes the local copies of photos already backed up. The reverse operation (deleting from the cloud while keeping the local) requires first disabling the backup, then manually deleting the files in photos.google.com.
Each deactivation operation, whether on Drive for desktop or Google Photos, boils down to one principle: cut the synchronization link before any file deletion. As long as synchronization is active, deleting on one side deletes on the other. Once the link is cut, the two copies become independent.