How to Backup Google Workspace Emails with Attachments to an External Hard Drive

If you use Google Workspace (previously G Suite) for work or personal projects, you probably have a lot of essential emails in your inbox. These emails usually have contracts, invoices, project files, and other attachments that you can't afford to lose.

But what if someone hacks your account? Or does your subscription run out? Or do you just want a copy that isn't online for added safety? That's when email backups are useful.

We'll show you how to back up your Google Workspace emails with attachments to an external hard drive in this article. Regardless of their level of technological proficiency, anyone can follow the steps.

Why Backing Up Google Workspace Emails Matters

Email is more than a way to talk to people. It's a record of years of work for a lot of people and corporations.

Here's how a local backup can help you:

• Keep your data safe from being deleted by mistake, hacked, or lost.
• Even in the absence of an internet connection, it is possible to access your communications.
• Long-term archiving lets you keep old messages without utilizing cloud capacity.
• Compliance means following the law or industry rules about how long to keep records.

You can control your data by keeping a copy on an external hard disk. It doesn't depend on Google's servers all the time.

Different Ways to Backup Your Google Workspace Emails

You have a few choices when it comes to downloading emails from Google Workspace:

Google Takeout Google provides a complimentary utility known as Google Takeout. This tool enables you to extract your Gmail data, which includes emails with attachments.

• Pros: It's free, from Google, and not too hard.
• Disadvantages: just bulk downloads, no selective backup, and it can take hours or days to get ready.

Email programs, such as Outlook or Thunderbird IMAP lets you link your Google Workspace account to an email client. You can export your mailbox and save it to your computer once it's synced.

• Pros: You can read and manage emails even when you're not connected to the internet.
• Cons: Needs to be set up, syncing large mailboxes might take a long time, and exporting has to be done by hand.

Tools for backing up are made just for that. Some software programs are made to help you back up Gmail and Google Workspace much more easily. They let you choose which files to download, filter by date or folder, and save files in formats that are easy to access.

G Suite Backup Software is a good example of something that works. These solutions typically let you save emails directly to your external hard drive without having to do anything additional. They can keep attachments, keep the folder structure, and save you time if you need to back up often.

Step-by-Step: Backup Google Workspace Emails to an External Hard Drive

Let's go through the procedure using the easiest technique for most people, Google Takeout. After that, we'll talk about a speedier option for people who require more control.

Method 1: Using Google Takeout

Step 1: Open Google Takeout

1. Go to takeout.google.com in your browser.
2. Please log in using the Google Workspace account that you wish to save.

Step 2: Select the Data You Wish to Export

1. The Takeout website contains an exhaustive catalog of Google services.
2. Click "Deselect all" to make sure nothing else is chosen.
3. Check the box adjacent to "Mail" by scrolling down.
4. If you want to specify certain labels, like Inbox, Sent, or a project folder, choose "All Mail data included."

Step 3: Pick the type of file and how to send it

1. Press "Next Step."
2. The "Delivery method" box will have "Send download link via email" selected.  You can also send it to Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, but the download link works better for storing files on an external hard drive.
3. Choose the export type:
4. Export once (for one backup) or
5. Every two months for one year, make an export (for backups).
6. Choose: under File type and size,
7. ZIP format (most systems can open it easily).
8. Limit on file size (for example, 2GB). If your backup is too big, Google will break it up into smaller pieces.

Step 4: Make the archive and download it

1. Click "Create export."
2. Google will begin to get your archive ready. This could require anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, contingent upon the size of your receptacle.
3. An email containing a download link will be sent to you when it's ready.
4. To save the file to your PC, click the link.

Step 5: Put the Backup on Your External Hard Drive

1. Plug your external hard drive into your computer.
2. Put the ZIP file(s) you downloaded on your hard disk.
3. To help you stay organized:
4. Make a folder with a name like "Gmail Backup—August 2025."
5. Put all the files here.

When Manual Backups Aren’t Enough

The manual Google Takeout approach works, but it has several downsides.

• You must redo the entire process each time you want a new backup.
• The export can take several hours or even days to complete.
• There is no easy way to download only recent or important emails.
• Large mailboxes are sometimes split into several folders, making organizing difficult.

These limitations can be inconvenient if you have a large mailbox or require regular backups.

That is why many people prefer to utilize dedicated Google Workspace backup software. Instead of waiting for a download link, these tools connect directly to your account and allow you to choose exactly what to back up. You can filter emails based on folders, date range, or attachments.

The GainTools G Suite Backup Tool is one such option. It allows you to save emails and attachments straight to your external hard drive in formats such as PST, MBOX, or EML, allowing you to access them at any time using clients such as Outlook or Thunderbird.  After everything is configured, just choose your options and allow the backup to run in the background.

What is the best part? Backups can be performed as frequently as desired without having to repeat all the manual stages, making them perfect for long-term data protection.

Bringing It All Together

Backing up your Google Workspace emails with attachments is straightforward. The best approach depends on how frequently you need to back up and how much control you desire over the process.

If you only need a single download, Google Takeout is fine. However, a professional program like G Suite Backup Expert software can make your life much easier if you prefer quick, selective, and frequent backups.

In any case, having a backup on an external hard drive provides you with peace of mind. Your data is in your control, not only in the cloud.