Google Drive Files Go Missing for Desktop Users

Update: The problem that was causing files to disappear from desktop users’ Google Drive accounts has been fixed by Google. Version 84.0.5.0 of the desktop Google Drive software contains the patch. Users should update to the most recent version of the app if they are having this problem.

Original Story:

An concerning problem is that an increasing number of Google Drive users especially those using desktop computers running Windows and Mac OS, X—have claimed that their files are inexplicably disappearing from their cloud storage accounts. Many customers are frantically trying to recover their lost data as a result of this disconcerting behavior, and many are beginning to doubt the dependability of Google’s cloud storage technology.

Reports from as early as June 2023 indicate that users appear to have been impacted by the problem for a number of months. Although the precise source of the issue is yet unknown, it appears to be related to a recent update for the desktop version of Google Drive. The impacted users have reported experiencing various problems, such as:

Files appear and disappear from their local and online Google Drive folders at random.
Whole folders vanishing into thin air.
Files that cannot be restored from the Trash or by utilizing the Undo feature.

The frequent frequency of these file losses has greatly upset users of Google Drive, especially those who mostly depend on the service for storing important business and personal papers. It seems sense that the incapacity to retrieve deleted files has sparked doubts about the reliability of Google Drive’s data security protocols.

Google has started looking into the underlying source of the problem in light of how serious the situation is. The business has given users the reassurance that it is actively working on a fix to the issue, which would allow users to access their lost files again.

In the meantime, Google has advised affected users to take precautionary measures to safeguard their data, including:

Routinely creating a backup of their Google Drive contents to an other drive or cloud storage provider, for example.
Turning on the Trash confirmation setting will save you from unintentionally erasing crucial files.
Avoiding erasing or relocating any files or folders that might be impacted by the problem, as this might complicate the recovery process.

While impacted customers have some hope due to the current investigation and the promised resolution, their confidence in Google Drive’s dependability has definitely been weakened by the continued uncertainty surrounding the issue. The business must act quickly to address the root of the issue and put strong safeguards in place to stop such instances from happening again.

Google Drive customers are left with the difficult chore of manually backing up their information and closely monitoring their accounts for any future symptoms of data loss until a clear solution is forthcoming. This circumstance, irrespective of the cloud storage platform utilized, is a clear reminder of the significance of routine data backups.

How to Delete Google Drive Files

To delete a file or folder from Google Drive, follow these steps:

Go to drive.google.com.
Click on the file or folder you want to delete.
Click on the File menu.
Select Move to trash.

You will be able to remove the file or folder from your Google Drive. For a maximum of thirty days, deleted files can be recovered from the trash. The files will be permanently removed after 30 days.

How to Recover Deleted Google Drive Files

o recover a deleted file or folder from Google Drive, follow these steps:

Go to drive.google.com.
Click on the Trash icon.
Click on the file or folder you want to recover.
Click on the Restore icon.

The file or folder will be restored to your Google Drive.

Additional Hints

You can also recover deleted files from Google Drive by using the Google Drive File Recovery tool.
You can prevent accidental deletions by enabling the Trash confirmation setting.

References