Why I uninstalled Google Drive desktop
Google Drive desktop app uses 1.5GB of RAM on my machine, syncs every file to a local cache, and the fans spin up every time I open a large folder. The "Files on Demand" feature helps, but the sync agent still runs constantly.
What I do instead
I mount Google Drive as a local Windows drive using ScsDriver (5.5 lifetime). The files only stream when I actually open them. RAM usage drops to 200MB. The fans stay quiet.
The setup that took 2 minutes
- Install ScsDriver on Windows
- Right-click the tray icon, click Connect
- Paste my Google Drive WebDAV endpoint
- Drive letter G: appears in Explorer
- Drag files, open files, save files: native Windows
What I gave up
No real-time notifications when someone shares a file with me. The desktop app pings me instantly. I check the share folder every morning, which is fine for my workflow.
What I gained
- 1.3GB of RAM back
- 50GB of disk space (no local cache)
- 5.5 lifetime instead of 8/month for Google One 100GB
- The drive works the same way as any other local drive (D:, E:, etc.)
The 5.5 lifetime math
Google One 100GB is 8/month, 96/year. ScsDriver's 5.5 lifetime is cheaper than one month of Google One. Same as their 20 CNY plan in the China region - one payment, no subscription.
Other cloud drives I mounted the same way
- OneDrive (Y: drive)
- Dropbox (D: drive)
- Box (B: drive)
- A S3 bucket (S: drive via S3-to-WebDAV bridge)
All 5.5 total.
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