New user needs info on using Google Drive for media folder

[Badger Rich]

New to the board and I'm coming from 2014.1 where I used just a single computer to research and add to my trees. I've just upgraded to 2019 and am now in the process of getting it setup on both a laptop and a desktop, which I'm hoping to use equally and almost daily to build my trees. I've used the online only version of Google Drive for years for various things and have now installed the Drive for Desktop for my two PC's. Because of my plan to use both computers daily on the same trees I was hoping to find a way to have a common folder(s) to store my media items that will be accessible to both computers and allow an addition to the folder(s) from the program on one computer to show up in the program on the other computer. Short of doing this manually and keeping copies of the media locally on both computers I was thinking maybe I could use a common folder(s) on Google Drive for desktop? How would I go about doing this, or is it possible? I'm probably missing something for sure.

And, I'll also need to figure out if I can also somehow keep the two .ftm files on both computers current with each other by using Google Drive. I guess I'm describing "syncing" but again I'm not even sure there's a way I can do any of this with Google Drive and FTM. So far all I've done is setup the default Family Tree Maker folder (in My Documents) on both computers to be shared via Google Drive, along with both having access to all my My Drive folders that I've used for years.

Can anyone familiar with Google Drive/FTM19 help out with suggestions?

Thanks so much!

[cbcarolyn]

Hi and welcome to the forum, not sure if anyone will be able to help you with this. We do have a number of members that use FTM (this site is not linked to the software), I do have it installed on my PC, but have not done anything like you are asking.

Currently I have a sub to Ancestry and I have everything on there, and just synch to FTM on PC. if I stop sub on Ancestry I may rethink my strategy.

I know there is a FB group for the software that maybe able to help.

[Badger Rich]

I was aware that my questions were kind of a shot in the dark and that I'd likely end up figuring things out on my own. Just thought it might be worth posting in the event someone could get me pointed in the right direction. I'll figure out how, or if, I can even make it any easier than just doing more manually between the two computers. At least I have the files from each easily available (via Google Drive) to each other so copy/paste will work.

Thank you for your reply,
Rich

[cbcarolyn]

Someone may come along with some info, always worth asking.

I assume you don't use Ancestry? As that would do the same job of synching.

FTM I assume will expect you to use their cloud, so won't be offering google solutions

[Badger Rich]

I use Ancestry but not to share my tree, just for researching and adding to my trees in FTM. I'll also soon be using Find My Past often as well and I know that doesn't sync with Ancestry.

I've been messing around with how to go about moving back and forth between my two computers and keeping the trees current on both by using Google Drive and I've found that if I just do a backup each time I've made changes to a tree on either of the two computers it will be saved to Google Drive, where I can access that backup with my other computer. Then I just need to do a restore and both programs will be on the same page.

Thanks Carolyn