18GB photos etc on Google Photos = 108 x 2GB downloads using Takeout!

[Andrew_McP]

I did not imagine it would be quite that large! I'm trying again with the 50GB file limit instead of 2, in the hope this will make the downloading less of a chore, if nothing else.

Reading around, this seems like a common problem, but perhaps not always such a gobsmackingly huge one. Nothing free is ever simple, is it! Still, can't complain, I do really like Photos as a photo database. The searchability is worth it's weight in gold. However I want to clear some space and get backups first, so... <shrug>.

You have been warned. And the warning is... don't be tight, pay for Google One and don't worry that it'll all disappear when you snuff it. You'll be dead; you won't care.

 

[Andrew_McP]

Can't you install the gdrive desktop app

I'm going to pretend I knew that existed before you told me. It's a 300MB download... which is not a good sign if you ask me. When did everything get huge? I want my 80MB hard drive/486sx25 days back!

 

[Andrew_McP]

Out of interest, why is would a smaller library (18GB vs 99GB) be twice the size of mine (216GB vs 130GB) ?

This is a good question I have no answers for. A second attempt with 50GB files amounted to the same humongous download, so I gave up. This morning I went for the nuclear option and deleted about 8000 photos... just got sick of clutter (like airshows, seaside, countryside & sunset shots). But so far Google has yet to register any change in my used space (stuff temporarily in the bin doesn't count, so they say).

I think Google and I are in a marriage of convenience and neither of us understands each other.