Don't get trapped by Google Takeout

1) You'll go to Google Takeout and place an "order" for your files....

2) Some hours (or days) later, you'll receive an email with a link, and find there are multiple zip files to download...

3) You'll download them, and open one to find it full of a jumble of smaller files which have been "converted" for use with desktop software.

The only way to open many of them is to purchase or download compatible software - and that's only if you're lucky.

Some files, like Google Forms, are simply flattened into PDFs and not usable at all…

4) Worse still, you'll find the different file types are distributed across multiple zip files. What a mess!

Psst: If you're like most people, you'll just stop at this point. After all, you can tell yourself, "I HAVE the data, and SOME DAY I'll sort through it all..."

5) Also, keep in mind those 'mbox' files which contain your emails aren't very useful either.

They can't be searched, referenced, forwarded, or replied to until they're imported into a mail client like Thunderbird but even then they're not accessible from anywhere except your computer...

6) And when the day comes you want to open one of your documents, you're unfortunately in for another shock.

Once you find your carefully written essay, you'll discover most of the formatting has been destroyed…

7) It doesn't end there. Remember that project you worked so hard to collaborate on? You know, the one you wanted to bring to your big job interview? You don't have it.

Why? It turns out you weren't the "Owner" of the document, and Takeout doesn't export "Shared with Me" documents and files...

8) Finally, when you're on the go and really need that one email, having it stuck at home on your computer doesn't help one bit...