Sync Google Drive from a Flash Drive
Syncdocs Portable – How to Sync to Google Drive from a USB Flash Drive
Often it is great to take your data around with you. You might not want to download your Google Drive to each PC you work on.
Or you might want to access your Google Docs or Google Drive files offline.
Syncdocs runs fine from a USB flash drive (memory stick). All your settings, data and files live on the flash drive. This means that you can carry your complete Google Drive around with you and sync it from any PC you want.
Here’s how to get it working
- Download latest the portable version here
- Run SyncdocsPortableInstaller.exe , and select the extract location to your USB memory stick.
- Run it SyncdocsPortable.cmd (this tells Syncdocs to run in portable mode)
- If it’s the first time you’ve run – you’ll see the normal setup screen asking you for your password
- Enjoy syncing – files and settings data is stored on the memory stick
Unplug – take your files and settings with you
- Plug in to another machine, just run SyncdocsPortable.cmd or Syncdocs.exe.
- For portable use, it is better to use OAuth (give Syncdocs permission to access your Google Drive account)
However you can still use a password in Syncdocs. Syncdocs may ask you to enter a password, as this is not stored on the USB stick. 
- Enjoy syncing off the USB stick.
More details
The portable version of Syncdocs stores all your files in its own folder (“My Google Documents”) on the USB stick. This is so that it can be plugged into multiple PCs with different drive letters. If you wish to set the data folder location, then run the non-portable Syncdocs.
The portable 64bit version of Syncdocs is a separate download.
Changing the default storage location
By default the Syncdocs portable version uses the USB drive folder it runs from as its default data storage location. This means that you can take your data and the program with you on the USB disk.
You can override this and store your data elsewhere by running the PortableOwnSyncFolder.cmd shortcut.
Security notes
We recommend using OAuth with Syncdocs rather than entering a password. This is safer as Syncdocs never sees your password – rather you tell Google to give Syncdocs access to your files. However, we don’t force this option.
Syncdocs does not store your Google Docs password on the memory stick. It stores it in the secure Windows password vault on the PC. To tell Syncdocs to wipe your password from the PC when you’re done, run this version: PortableWipeVault.cmd
Note that the extra security means extra hassle – you’ll have to re-enter your password each time.
Updated version notes
The new version 4.x requires the -portable in its command line. Previously whether the version was portable or not was stored on the PC, but in order to save no settings on the PC, we removed this.
Running ‘SyncdocsPortable.cmd” will set this up automatically.
First of all, I want to thank you for these wonderful utility.
After that, I would like to ask you for the update on the portable version. The program is continuously asking for it, but I think the update is only available for the normal version.
Finally I figure out how to solve the portable update issue.
First, I install the normal version from the command prompt with msiexec /a syncdocs.msi
Then I choose the directory where I had installed my portable version and re run SyncdocsPortable.cmd once.
That’s all. Hope it could help anyone.
Dear Sirs!
I use the suncdocs on my PC’s and it works pretty good! But I also would like to use it on my iPhone via ios app. Will you provide such app for ios (iPhone) and when?
Thank you.
People, GDrive is the current best iOS app for a similar purpose to syncdocs.
You guys freaking rock! Why Google doesn’t develop a portable version themselves is beyond idiotic…
Szuper Tools. Kudos …!!
I just started using sync docs. I want to be able to use the portable version.
Can you just use the portable version as needed? I mean if I use the portable version during a trip can I then go back to using my desk top version?
Yes, you can mix and match the portable and non-portable versions. Just be sure to sync the same folders if you are running on the same computer.
I have a security related question. Assume someone had stolen my flash drive and my Google drive password. If I delete data online it should be deleted on the flash drive as well next time it is logged in, right? Would this stop someone from accessing my files on the flash drive? Is the data on the flash drive encrypted somehow?
If someone has stolen your flash drive and runs Syncdocs from it, then it will sync your deletions.
If you have used Syncdocs to encrypt the files online and have left the default settings to also encrypt local files, then the files are also encrypted on the flash drive by Syncdocs.
This is in response to a comment from almost 4 years ago, so you may not even see this. However, I just wanted make things clear for other people who come to download/read about this app. Like the other commentor said, if someone has stolen your flash drive and runs Syncdocs on it, the deleted/moved items will be deleted off of the flash drive automatically. However, if they don’t let it run (which if they’re trying to steal your data, they wouldn’t run it), none of the files will be deleted and they’ll have full access to them, because ultimately they are physically stored offline on the drive. If that is a concern for you, I would recommend encrypting the files, or only syncing the files you need to work on and deleting them when you are finished with your session each time.
Excellent App!
My SyncDocs keeps shutting down in mid syncing I check error log and this is all I have
0/09/2015 8:41:30 AM(ver. 5.991) ReadCred Get password for FS Encryption
ReadCred failed with the error code 1168. System.Exception : sd criticality=1
Inner:
Source: Syncdocs : sd criticality=1
10/09/2015 8:42:01 AM(ver. 5.991) (re)started standard1 Syndocs at 10/09/2015 8:42:01 AM
10/09/2015 8:42:02 AM(ver. 5.991) First run. No data_FL3.db file present yet, ignoring.
10/09/2015 8:42:02 AM(ver. 5.991) Doing full sync, could not load FL3 change stamp
10/09/2015 8:42:02 AM(ver. 5.991) Doing full sync, FL3 change stamp <= 0
10/09/2015 8:42:12 AM(ver. 5.991) First run. No data_FL3.db file present yet, ignoring.
10/09/2015 8:45:48 AM(ver. 5.991) Download error on file F:\My Google Docs\Google Drive Portable Self Extracting.exe, will retry later.
The process cannot access the file 'F:\My Google Docs\Google Drive Portable Self Extracting.exe.sdtmp' because it is being used by another process. System.IO.IOException : sd criticality=3
Inner:
Source: mscorlib : sd criticality=3
Can anyone help please.
The Syncdocs executable file (.exe) is being skipped because it is busy running, and the operating system will not let you read it. You do not need to sync the program file.
It is not a critical error, Syncdocs will continue on to the next file.
I have about 40GB of google drive files in my PC, I would like to move that to USB and use Syncdocs. How to move the files to syncdocs without having to download the full files again. Please help
Hi Ruz, I replied here showing how to only sync certain Google Drive folders to USB
That’s really really good. Thank you!
Could we have a way to switch easily from an account to another one?
The easiest way is to click on “Switch to” on the accounts tab in the Preferences menu.
This lets you switch to the Google Drive account. You can also make a shortcut on the the desktop for each account. There’s info on how to do that here:
http://www.syncdocs.com/2012/04/how-to-sync-multiple-google-drive-accounts-at-startup/
Hi,
How to change the setting inorder to do one way sync from Flash Drive to Cloud only and any deletion or modification in Cloud drive does should not effect in Flash Drive data.
Is this possible.Kindly let me know.
Here’s how to only upload to the cloud:
1. Click on Syncdocs Preferences menu
2. In the “Sync” tab select the option to only Upload files to Google Drive. Uncheck the other options to download and sync deletions.