Using Google Takeout and Google Transfer

Opportunity

Before you leave UC Berkeley, it is your responsibility to make sure no one loses access to important content. This is an essential step to take before you leave.

• If you have shared content on Google Drive, unless you take appropriate steps to change ownership of your files , the content will be lost to campus after you leave even if the people you shared it with have edit access.

  • Please refer to Graduating? Prevent Google Drive Content Loss to learn how to transfer ownership of files you have shared.

• Since all alumni @berkeley.edu Google accounts are limited to 5 GB of total storage, including Gmail, Google Drive, Photos, etc., if your Berkeley account is over 5 GB you will have to remove content from the account so it won’t be deleted.

• Please refer to Graduating? Prevent Google Drive Content Loss to learn how to transfer ownership of files you have shared.

Follow these instructions to move your personal content to a personal account, for example to a personal Gmail account.

Options

• Google Takeout

  • Best for less than 50 GB of content 

  • You can choose which content to copy

  • Content is copied to your personal computer

• Google Transfer

  • All content is copied for each Google service you choose

  • Content is copied to another Google account

  • Files will stay organized in folders you transfer

• VaultMe

• • VaultMe is a paid service for which Berkeley offers a discount. Berkeley might discontinue the discount in the future.

How to use Google Takeout

Note: Consult Google's detailed instructions for how to download your Google data before you get started. 

Note: Berkeley IT does not offer technical support for this tool.

Step 1: Select data to include

• Go to the Google Takeout page while using Chrome (recommended browser).

• Google products (e.g. Gmail, Drive) are automatically selected for export, but it is best to export your data for each product separately otherwise the export is liable to fail.

  • Therefore, choose Deselect all and then select one product to export.

Choose Deselect all

• If you only want to download some of your data from a product, you will have the option to click a button like "All Drive data included". Then you can uncheck the box next to any data you don’t want to include.

Choose “All Drive data included” to reveal further download choices

• For Drive, choose All Drive data included, then choose Deselect All and then  choose the folder/files you want in the download archive.

  • Note: It's best to download your data in smaller chunks given the Google Takeout 50 GB maximum archive size (see below).

Choose which Drive content you want to download

• For Mail, Click All Mail data included. The tool will display all the mail labels in your Berkeley mail. You can keep the Include all messages in Mail box checked or uncheck it and select the specific labels you want to export.

• Click OK.

Choose “All Mail data included” to reveal further download choices

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Next step.

Step 2: Customize your download archive format

Delivery method

• Choose Option 1 to have Google send you an email with a link to download your Google data archive.

• Choose Option 2 to have your archive downloaded directly into another storage system.

• Google has detailed instructions on moving your content to other cloud services.

  • Note: selecting Drive is not recommended because this will add your download to your Berkeley Drive, adding to your current storage usage.

Export type

• Choose Export once.

File type

• Google offers .zip and .tgz options. In most cases, .zip will be best since .tgz might require additional software.

Archive size

• Choose the maximum size archive you want to create (50 GB is the largest option)

Note: If the data you’re downloading is larger than this size, multiple archives will be created.

Choose Archive size for download

Step 3: Retrieve your Google data archive

• Google will email you a link to your archive’s location.

Note: This process could take from a few minutes to a few days, depending on the amount of information in your account and what you chose to export.

Step 4: Open, save and check your Google data archive 

• Download your archive to your computer or an external drive and then open your archive to access the files.

Note: We recommend you check several folders to confirm they are complete and several files to confirm they are intact. 

Note: Google Takeout provides email in the .MBOX format. This can be useful if you only need to keep your email for archival purposes. You can also import the .MBOX files into any third-party mail client that supports the format or special purpose programs for transferring email between accounts.

Step 5: Delete files from your @berkeley Google account

• Once you have confirmed the data you want to keep has been transferred successfully, delete it from your Berkeley Google account.

  • Manually empty your Trash since Google takes 30 days to empty it automatically.

How to use Google Transfer

You can use Google Transfer to copy all of your Berkeley Google mail and/or Berkeley Google Drive content to another Google account, e.g. a personal @gmail account. 

Note: Consult Google's detailed instructions for using Transfer before you get started.

Note: Berkeley IT does not offer technical support for this tool.

Things to Consider:

• You can only copy all of your email or Drive content, not a sub-selection (unlike Takeout).

• You must make sure you have enough storage in the destination account or the transfer will fail.

• The copy process can take up to a week if you have a lot of content.

• You cannot halt a transfer once it starts and you have no way to monitor its progress.

• Copied files or email might appear in batches on your Google account during the copy process.

• Google Transfer only supports email and Drive transfers.

Step 1: Create an account

• If you haven't already, create a personal Google Account.

Alert: Transfers will fail if your personal account does not have enough storage.  You should purchase a Google One storage plan large enough to support your data transfer to ensure success.

Step 2: Prepare your files

Note: You can only transfer files that you own within your My Drive. For more information, review My Drive vs. Shared Drives vs. Shared with me.

• To transfer content that you do NOT own, you must first make a copy. Be sure you have a right to this content outside of your Berkeley role.

Step 3: Start the copy process

Tip: Login to your berkeley.edu Google account in a separate Google Chrome profile from your personal Google account to avoid conflicts and error messages during your transfer.

1. Login to your Berkeley account and go to Transfer your content.

2. Enter the email address of the destination Google Account where you want your content to go.

3. Select Get code.

4. In a separate Google Chrome profile, login to your non-Berkeley Google Account, check your Gmail inbox for a confirmation email from Google. In the email, select Get confirmation code. A new tab will open with a code.

5. On your berkeley.edu Google account Chrome profile, go back to the Transfer your content page. Enter the code, then choose Verify.

6. Choose the content you'd like to copy (Email and/or Drive content), then select Start transfer.

Step 4: Check your copied files

• When your files or emails are finished copying, you'll receive an email.

• Check your files before deleting them from your Berkeley account. 

• Once you have confirmed the data you want to keep has been transferred successfully, delete it from your Berkeley Google account.

  • Manually empty your Trash since Google takes 30 days to empty it automatically.