Google Drive - BeyondCompare support for?

[arjaydavis]

What features already existing in BeyondCompare provide support for using the newly launched google drive? Are there plans to implement new features too?

See question/answer about Windows Explorer support for Google Drive here:

http://superuser.com/questions/419599/is-it-possible-to-map-network-drive-for-google-drive-so-it-appears-as-a-usual

[Aaron]

Hello,

The Folder is simply located on your harddrive, and can be loaded in the Folder Compare for comparing timestamps and size, a snapshot could be created, etc.

The *.gdoc files themselves are not plain text documents. They contain URL information and act as shortcuts when executed with the Google Drive installed application. The URL information could be compared, but not the text document contents at this time.

If you are familiar with an application that can take these files and export the text content as a plain text output, please let us know and we can look into incorporating such a workflow with an External Conversion rule.

[gustms]

Any chance of having Google Drive as a Profile in BC 4? Thanks a lot in advance.

[gustms]

Is it possible to add Google Drive as a profile? Thanks in advance.

[brad.wade]

One Way to Sync With Google Drive

Any chance of having Google Drive as a Profile in BC 4? Thanks a lot in advance.

One easy way to compare files in Google Drive is to:

1. Download the Google Drive For Windows/Mac
2. Install it
3. Sync with Google Drive
4. Compare the folders from that tool with the one you want

More details here.

Thanks,
Brad

[Aaron]

In addition to Brad's suggestion, which is a good workaround in the current version, Google Drive support is something on our wishlist, and we would like to tackle it as a Profile type.

[w3w3]

Update to Brad's suggestion

Hi,

Often Brad's suggestion will work. But I wrestle daily with times when the Google Drive is not synching correctly. I am synching 1+ TB. This may have something to do with the problems I run into with Google Drive. I see it trying to check more than a million files. And no matter how long I leave it on, the Google Drive sync never seems to finish.

Symptoms include:

1. Copying files to a Google drive create a duplicate file (same name) about 2% of the time.
2. I have waited sometimes several weeks, and some of the files or directories on the local copies of Google Drive on my local hard disk (only the ones I select of course), never sync.
3. Google frequently changes some of the pixels in an image in the lower right corner. I am guessing this is so it can uniquely identify each image somehow. The problem is that they then will not compare as the same. Google makes thesee changes so as to minimally impact the image we see.
4. Something like that is also going on with some audio files. When I copy, lets say, an .mp3 from my computer to the Google Drive local copy, it compares correctly. But later, lets say the next day, it may no longer compare. Not all, or even most .mp3s, but far too many to ignore.

Almost daily I use BC4 to copy files between the GoogleDrive local disks since otherwise they are not copying.

To correct for some of these, I did the following:

1. Use BC4 to copy files between the local GD copy on each computer. Even though the contents will be identical, Google may create a duplicate file. I made the online GD, and each local copy on each computer look the same. This is a problem if you use the .gdoc, .gsheet
2. I had to resort to manually (using BC4) sync each of my local GD areaas with each other.
3. Then created a bunch of .bat files (Windows of course), along with the public domain RCLONE program.
4. One of the command line switches for RCLONE tells it that when it copies a Google type file (.gdoc, etc...) to convert it to a Microsoft compatible file with corresponding file type. ie.. convert aaa.gdoc to aaa.docs. Works with docs sheets and slides.
5. Use BC to locate:
   a) duplicate files - delete them,
   b) files found in Microsoft format and corresponding Google specific file, (i.e. when aaa.docx is found along with aaa.gdoc). Open both (yeah this can be a lot of work) and visually compare the 2 files. Why? Because sometimes Google does not do a perfect good job of converting .gdoc files, for instance, to a .docx format (or visa versa). Same for .gsheet & others.

Just my 2 cents worth. :-)

[raymondkode]

Google drive has got some way serious syncing issue. (Lots and lots of issue posted on the Google drive support site.)
SO I don;t do any automatic syncing at all.

I have a couple of TB of storage on GD.
So, having BC check for the presence of a logged on Google drive on my Win 10 machine and then allowing me to select it would be wonderful.

Currently, I purchased and installed a product named "WebDrive" which allows me to assign a drive letter to my Google drive.
Once I have a drive letter, then BC works perfectly.

However, having BC recognize that I have a Google Drive and allowing me to use it like any local drive, would allow me to install fewer applications.

When I wonder, will this be available ?

[Chris]

Sorry, we don't have a scheduled release date for Google Drive support right now. We're tracking feature requests for support, but it isn't scheduled on our development calendar.

[sam:-)]

Please. I am desperate for this support, as well. I'D EVEN PURCHASE A MODULE in order to get this working.

[raymondkode]

Happy Tuesday evening. Chris wrote on Feb 4th of this year, "Sorry, we don't have a scheduled release date for Google Drive support right now. We're tracking feature requests for support, but it isn't scheduled on our development calendar." It's now the end of April. Two month later. I'm wondering is there yet a version of BC (that I might purchase) that will access my Google drive without the need for me to use a third party product that assigns a drive letter to my Google drive ?
Thanks for any new information on this issue.

[Aaron]

Hello,

We appreciate the enthusiasm, but do not have any updates at this time. The current schedule is pretty full throughout the year, and it's unlikely we'd be able to tackle it before then. I'd also like to emphasize that does not mean we'd be able to implement Google Drive after those, either, but to help give you a bit more time scale and not lead on expectations for it two more months from now. If you are considering a purchase of BC4, please base it on if the current feature set meets your needs.

[raymondkode]

First, BC is an awesome app.

Second, for anyone with an interest, I have found a way around using BC with my Google drive.
For some months now, I have been running an app named "RaiDrive standard edition". (It's free.)
It has a small footprint and simply allows one to assign a drive letter to their google drive.
That's it.
No syncing or any of that business.
It just assigns a drive letter (of your choice.) to your Google drive.

I run the standard Microsoft Defender software along with Malwarebytes Professional and neither app has an issue with RaiDrive.

But most importantly, BC works perfectly with it.
BC simply sees your google drive as another disk drive letter.

I can now also use my Google drive just live a local drive.
I store objects of all file extensions on my Google drive and can open them using any app installed on my laptop. (Even zip files and such.)
No need for special extensions in the browser.

Any way, it's a great thing for BC users.
And, anyone with an interest might find it very useful.

[tired]

I'm going to try the RaiDrive suggestion, but please, add me to the "list" of people who would really appreciate native support for Google Drive within Beyond Compare.

I just finished trying what seems to be every Google Drive-supporting sync tool on the market, and none are up to the task.

[raymondkode]

Hi "tired".
Keep in mind that the free version of RaiDrive, doesn't do anything except allow you to assign a drive letter to the root of your Google drive.
The latest version is 1.8.0.
No syncing or anything like that. (Although I believe their "Pro" version does do additional things.)
There by, allowing Beyond Compare (or any other application) to see your Google drive no differently than a local drive.
Every Beyond Compare feature that I use, works perfectly accessing my Google drive via RaiDrive.
Good luck to you.