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Backup MEGA to Google Drive Automatically with RcloneView -- No More Manual Downloads

· 7 min read
Tayson
Senior Engineer

Stop babysitting MEGA exports and Google Drive uploads; let RcloneView's scheduler clock in every time.

SEO tools show that the demand for MEGA -> Google Drive workflows keeps climbing, yet most tutorials still stop at manual drag-and-drop:

  • mega to google drive -- 30K+ monthly searches
  • transfer mega to google drive -- 14K+ monthly searches
  • mega backup google drive -- 8K+ monthly searches

This guide adds the missing automation layer. You will connect MEGA and Google Drive once inside RcloneView, design a repeatable copy or sync plan, and hand it off to the Scheduler so backups run even when you're offline.

Why manual MEGA downloads slow teams down

Large MEGA folders are throttled when exported through the browser, links expire, and files arrive as multi-GB ZIP archives that must be extracted again before uploading to Google Drive. Repeating that loop creates several issues:

  • Clock-heavy workflows: manual downloads upload double the data and keep someone glued to a progress bar.
  • Error-prone steps: pausing a browser transfer corrupts archives, while Drive rejects resumed uploads that exceed the 750 GB/day quota.
  • No audit trail: it's hard to prove what was copied and when.
TaskManual approachRcloneView automation
Transfer pathDownload -> unzip -> uploadDirect cloud-to-cloud copy via rclone
ConsistencyDepends on human actionScheduler enforces cadence with retries
VisibilityBrowser tabsJob history with logs, bandwidth charts, and compare reports
ScaleOne folder at a timeQueue multiple jobs, run concurrently, reuse presets

Prerequisites: install RcloneView and connect both clouds

  1. Download the latest RcloneView build and sign in with your license or free tier.
  2. Add MEGA via + New Remote and follow the MEGA connection guide (session ID or email/password + 2FA).
  3. Add Google Drive using OAuth per the remote setup instructions.
  4. Confirm both remotes in Explorer; keep their names simple (mega-prod, gdrive-archive) so jobs stay readable.
  5. Optional but recommended: enable Compare folders and checksum defaults in Settings -> Transfers for better verification.

Supported Cloud Providers

Local Files
WebDAV
FTP
SFTP
HTTP
SMB / CIFS
Google Drive
Google Photos
Google Cloud Storage
OneDrive
Dropbox
Box
MS Azure Blob
MS File Storage
S3 Compatible
Amazon S3
pCloud
Wasabi
Mega
Backblaze B2
Cloudflare R2
Alibaba OSS
Ceph
Swift (OpenStack)
IBM Cloud Object Storage
Oracle Cloud Object Storage
IDrive e2
MinIO
Storj
DigitalOcean Spaces

Map your first MEGA -> Google Drive transfer

Before automating, design the exact copy/sync behavior:

  1. Open Explorer and split the view so MEGA is on the left, Google Drive on the right.
  2. Use Compare to preview deltas between source and destination; this catches stale or already-moved folders without running a job.
  3. Test manual operations:
    • Drag & drop files or folders.
    • Right-click -> Copy, Move, or Sync to open the job wizard with the selected paths pre-filled.
    • Apply include/exclude filters (for example: include /Projects/**, exclude /cache/**).
  4. Watch throughput and API usage in the transfer pane; this informs future scheduler settings (transfers, checkers, bandwidth caps).

Once the dry run looks correct, you're ready to save it as a job.

Build a hands-free Scheduler job

Step-by-step scheduler recipe

  1. Go to Job Manager -> Add Job.
  2. Pick Copy (keeps MEGA untouched) or Sync (mirrors MEGA inside Drive). For archival backups, Copy is safer.
  3. Select the MEGA source folder and Google Drive destination folder; you can nest Drive paths like gdrive-archive:mega-auto-backup.
  4. Configure filters and options:
    • Enable Compare checksum to avoid re-copying identical files even when timestamps change.
    • Set --transfers (default 4) higher for faster broadband, lower for congested links.
    • Turn on Versioned target folder if you want RcloneView to append date stamps such as YYYY-MM-DD.
  5. On the Schedule step, toggle Enable Scheduler and pick:
    • Cadence: hourly for critical workspaces, nightly for regular archives.
    • Start window: run outside Drive's busiest hours (e.g., 02:00 local).
    • Retries: 3 attempts with exponential backoff.
  6. Activate Notifications (email or webhook) for success/failure alerts if your plan supports it.
  7. Save and hit Dry Run once. When the preview is clean, flip the job status to Active.

RcloneView surfaces the underlying rclone command so advanced users can copy it for CLI automation. A typical sync looks like:

rclone sync mega-prod:Work gdrive-archive:MEGA-AutoBackup ^
--create-empty-src-dirs ^
--check-first ^
--drive-stop-on-upload-limit ^
--mega-hard-delete=false

You never need to paste this manually, but it shows how the Scheduler constructs reliable jobs under the hood.

Optimize reliability and speed

Automation thrives on predictability. A few tweaks ensure MEGA -> Google Drive runs survive throttles and quotas:

  • Respect Drive's 750 GB/day limit: split massive migrations into multiple scheduled jobs that target different folders or days.
  • Chunking & concurrency: set transfer threads to 4-8 for 1 Gbps links; reduce to 2 if MEGA starts throttling.
  • Checksum-first compares: combined with the Compare view, this prevents duplicate uploads when MEGA updates metadata but not file contents.
  • Bandwidth caps: throttle uploads in Settings -> Transfers so nightly jobs do not swamp shared offices.
  • Incremental strategy: run a nightly Copy for hot folders and a weekly Sync for cold archives; both can reuse the same remotes.
  • Encryption: if you use MEGA's client-side encrypted folders, keep them as-is and let Drive house the encrypted blobs; RcloneView copies them byte-for-byte.

Monitor, verify, and recover faster

Scheduled jobs matter only if you can prove they ran:

  • Job history: every Scheduler run logs start/end time, bytes transferred, exit code, and a link to verbose logs.
  • Compare view: after an automated copy, use Compare folders to verify zero-delta status or to spot intentional drifts.
  • Transfer panel: watch progress bars, bandwidth charts, and per-file updates while a job is live.
  • Retry & resume: if Google Drive hits an upload limit, RcloneView marks the job as Paused - limit hit and automatically resumes at the next window when you enable --drive-stop-on-upload-limit.
  • Audit-ready exports: copy the log file or CSV summary per job when you need compliance evidence.

Real-world automation playbook

TeamProblemScheduler solution
Video editorsMEGA desktop sync saturates workstations overnightCreate a Copy job that pushes /Studio/RAW to Drive between 01:00-05:00 with 8 transfers and a 200 Mbps cap
SaaS startupsNeed Google Workspace search but keep MEGA for encrypted originalsRun nightly Copy jobs to Drive for collaboration, keep MEGA as immutable source
AgenciesMultiple MEGA client vaults go staleQueue per-client jobs with staggered schedules and consistent naming in Job Manager for quicker reporting
Compliance teamsNeed proof of retentionVersioned folders plus Compare reports deliver weekly evidence without manual exports

Frequently asked automation questions

Does RcloneView need my PC to stay awake?
Yes, the Scheduler runs locally, so enable "Launch at login" and keep the workstation or server online. For 24/7 reliability, install RcloneView on a lightweight Windows Server or Linux VM.

Can I keep MEGA as the source of truth while collaborating in Drive?
Absolutely. Use Copy jobs so MEGA stays untouched, and pair them with Drive Shared Drives for collaboration. Add a weekly Sync job back to MEGA if you also need bi-directional protection.

What happens if the job is interrupted?
RcloneView writes checkpoints via rclone. When the Scheduler retries, it compares checksums and resumes only the missing blocks, so you never re-transfer finished files.

Ready to reclaim your time?

Automating MEGA -> Google Drive backups frees you from late-night download/upload babysitting and removes human error from the equation. Build the workflow once in RcloneView, let the Scheduler enforce it, and focus on higher-value work.

RcloneView app preview

Manage & Sync All Clouds in One Place

RcloneView is a cross-platform GUI for rclone. Compare folders, transfer or sync files, and automate multi-cloud workflows with a clean, visual interface.

  • One-click jobs: Copy · Sync · Compare
  • Schedulers & history for reliable automation
  • Works with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, S3, WebDAV, SFTP and more
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