We’re often asked how to move all of the “My Places” content from one computer to another. While we had hoped that Google would have come up with a syncing mechanism by now, perhaps via Google Drive, that’s not yep the case. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to move those places from one computer to another (or simply keep them backed up).
Step One: Save your current “My Places” content.
To do this, right-click on the “My Places” text in your sidebar, then choose “Save Place As”, as seen here:
Choose somewhere to save the file. This can be just on your desktop, onto a USB drive, or into a system such as Dropbox or Google Drive. One way or another you need to save the file and have a way to transfer it to the new computer.
Step Two: Transfer that KMZ file to your other computer.
If the file is small enough you might be able to email it. Otherwise you can save it on a USB drive, save it in Dropbox or Google Drive, perhaps burn it to a CD. However you want to do it, you need to move it to the other computer.
Step Three: Open the file on the other computer.
Install Google Earth first, if necessary, then open the KMZ file on the new computer. This will put the files in your “Temporary Places” folder on the new computer. Simply drag-and-drop the places into your main “My Places” folder on the new machine and you’re done!
We’re still hopeful that Google will eventually have a way for us to easily keep those “places” synced to the cloud. There are workarounds to make it sync with Dropbox for those that are tech-savvy, but I expect will see a built-in solution at some point in the future.
About Mickey Mellen
Mickey has been using Google Earth since it was released in 2005, and has created a variety of geo-related sites including Google Earth Hacks. He runs a web design firm in Marietta, GA, where he lives with his wife and two kids.
You provide excellent information in very easy way. Actually I want to move my business please on google earth. Which I was not aware about it. But Now I can do very easily.
erdossays
great, i have been wondering about this for a long time, thanks for the guide. now i can transfer ‘my places’ between different PCs.
Jeffsays
Thanks! That was easy!!!!
Sarahsays
Thank you!!!
amirsays
Hello Mickey Mellen I do not find the folder “My places”, i have 2 folders : client & plugin can you give me any advice ? thanks – amir
B jarodiyasays
Thank you very much. You helped me a lot. Can I share my other issues too, please? Firstly, I saved my places on g earth. Then I imported this file into Google map. It shows only placemarks but not their names. I am not able to understand the reason, and it’s solution. Secondly, is it possible to see these places in android mobile app (Google map, earth or some other app). Please guide me. Thanks. Regards
brucewhainsays
Thank God for this Page. It’s the only thing on the internet that saved me and 8 months of work in kml format. However it was something I found about the file produced when saving My Places as described here that led to this: in order to open, the file must have this name: My Places.kml (just so, nothing more or less) so when they tell you to get your myplaces.kml and myplaces_backup.kml files out of the application and try and open them, be advised that this will not work – as I have proven by experience over about ten years of losing kml files.
Believe it is possible to change both these name formats – definitely myplaces.kml – to “My Places.kml” and get the file to open – with the individual file names intact. Hurray!
Mike Collinssays
You Sir, are a genius! Thank you so much for presenting something vital in a very easy-to-follow presentation. I dreaded losing months of painstaking work when changing computer. Thanks again. Michael.
Carleesays
I transferred the My Places kmz from my old computer to my new computer. Everything I had (which is A LOT) is there, but the icons and labels are way too big. How can I correct this without having to go to each waypoint’s properties and change literally thousands of items?
Install Google Earth first, if necessary, then open the KMZ file on the new computer. This will put the files in your “Temporary Places” folder on the new computer. Simply drag-and-drop the places into your main “My Places” folder on the new machine and you're done!
Step 1: Find location file. Windows. Press Ctrl + Esc + r or Windows key + r. . ...
Step 2: Move location file. There are a few ways you can transfer the file with your saved locations to another computer: Save the file in Google Drive. Email the file to yourself.
If you lose your Google Earth placemarks, first try to retrieve your placemarks file. To retrieve the file, click on “Start” and then “Run” from your Windows desktop. Type "C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Google\GoogleEarth" in the textbox and then click on the “o*k” button. Click on the “myplaces.
In the Open: bar, type or copy and paste in “C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Google\GoogleEarth” without the quotation marks. ...
Select OK, and in the directory, click on the myplaces.
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and a GIS program that offers users access to world-wide imagery, and a large number of location-based layers. Google Earth Pro is a commercial-oriented upgrade to Google Earth that offers additional features such as GIS data imports and advanced printing and saving modules.
Access “location” settings: Within the “Site Settings” or “Privacy & Security” section, find the option for “Location.” Click on it to access location settings.Toggle Off “Ask before accessing (recommended)”: By default, browsers often prompt you to allow websites to access your location.
To do this, launch Google Earth and right-click the place or places folder you want to transfer to a new computer. Select "Save As," browse to the location where you want to save the file and then click "Save."
To access all the settings of Google Earth, click Tools > Options. The setting options of Google Earth are divided in five different tabs – '3D View', 'Cache', 'Touring', 'Navigation' and 'General'.
Add a folder and drag the placemarks into it if necessary. Then right click the folder and "Save place as" a kml file. In Google Earth for web (https://earth.google.com/web/), click the three dot overflow menu to the right of the project title and "Export as kml".
Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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