Google Storage Issues

Question

I have ran out of Google storage on Google email. I have backed up photos in it from my gallery. Now that my storage is full so I plan to back up the recent photos in another gmail account. But the problem is that I don’t want the photos that are already backed up to be in the new gmail. So I want the new email address to backup only those recent photos that were not in the old address. How to do it?

Answer 1

Hi Tahreem Noor

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

Based on your description, I understand that you're running out of storage space in your Google mailbox, so you're planning to back up your photos to another Gmail account, and I understand exactly how you feel!

Please allow me to explain that the forums and sections we are currently in are primarily for short response time Windows usage related questions, and your question seems to be primarily related to Google services.

Typically, it would be more appropriate for you to contact the Google support team, as they are more familiar with their product and may have had other users report similar issues.

But before you get in touch, I have some options that I use in my own daily life that might help you accomplish what you need.

Option 1: This is how I back up my photos through my other email address, but it should be somewhat relevant to your expectations.

1. We need to find the cutoff point first.

(1) Login to your old account and open google photos.

(2) Check the date of the last backed up photo (e.g. 2023-12-31)

(3) This last photo time can be used as the starting time for backup photos in the new account.

2. configure smart backup for the new account.

(1) I don't know if you are using Google Drive, but the general operation should be similar.

(2) After logging in to your new account, select “Preferences” -> “Backup” -> “Google Photos” -> turn on “Backup to Google Photos” option.

(3) At this point, we can manually set the filter conditions.

Click “Choose folders” to specify a new photo storage directory (we recommend creating a new directory such as D:\Photos_2024).

In “Advanced settings”, set “Only upload items added after [select cutoff date]”.

At this point the new account should only back up photos from the old account after the date of the last backed up photo due to the filter we manually programmed.

3. If the Google Photos backup tool is still running on your old account, it is recommended to disable it to avoid duplicate backups.

Open the Google Photos settings of your old account and turn off the “Backup & Sync” feature.

Option 2: If you are somewhat confused about organizing your photos over time, I will describe how to organize your local photos for you separately.

This is because organizing your photos helps to backup them more quickly and logically.

1. Create a new Photos folder:

Create a new folder to store the added photos (e.g. D:\Photos_2024).

Move the new photos from your phone or camera to this folder, making sure to separate them from the old ones.

2. Open the folder where the old photos are located.

In File Explorer, click the “Sort” button in the upper right corner and select “Modified by Date” or “Created by Date”.

Filter out the new photos after December 31, 2023 and move them to a new folder (D:\Photos_2024).

3. Right-click on the photo file and select Properties.

In the Details tab, check the Date Taken or Date Created to make sure the timestamp is accurate.

Please note: Timestamps are crucial for us to set up filters before backing up our data, and valid and reasonable timestamps can even help us to write scripts and then automatically back up our photos at regular intervals.

Option 3: Below is a script I wrote myself to automatically back up added photos on a regular basis, but it requires us to manually write a batch script and set up a Windows scheduled task.

Please note: This method is somewhat technical and you will need to modify it to suit your situation.

The following is an example I wrote, the specific parameters and paths need to be modified according to your actual use of the environment.

1. We need to manually create a batch script file first.

(1) First create a text file ending in .txt.

(2) Type the following command into it and save it. (You need to manually modify the path, parameters and even the script logic to make sure it matches your actual situation)

@echo off

set "source=D:\User\Pictures"

set "dest=D:\Photos_2024"

robocopy "%source%" "%dest%" /MOV /MINAGE:20231231 /XF *.jpg *.png *.heic

(3) Set up the task scheduler.

Open “Task Scheduler” and create a new task.

Set the trigger to “1st of the month” and run the move_photos.bat script.

Make sure that the script runs without interfering with your normal use.

Option 4: The options I gave you before were the ones I used myself, and then I made some default changes to make it easier for you to look at and modify.

However, regarding the Google storage space issue you mentioned, this is mainly a feature related to Google services, in order to better solve your needs, we recommend that you contact Google support team directly, they can provide you with more professional and more targeted solutions.

The link is: Google Help

Disclaimer:  Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and  is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party  linked sites or any support related to technology.

I sincerely hope that the above information and programs will help you!

I sincerely hope that after contacting the correct department, your issue will be handled appropriately and quickly!

I look forward to hearing back from you. 

Best Regards

Arthur Sheng | Microsoft Community Support Specialist