Google Drive not syncing files: complete troubleshooting guide

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When Google Drive stops syncing files between the computer and the cloudProductivity suffers, and the fear of losing changes sets in. Fortunately, most issues can be resolved with simple steps and a little method, both on Windows and macOS.

In this guide you will find All typical causes, common errors and solutions Proven solutions to restore sync: from checking your connection and permissions to fixing corrupted folders, version conflicts, or storage limits. We also include advanced options, integrations and alternatives when you need something very specific.

Most common problems and symptoms

Before touching anything, it is advisable to identify what is wrong: sometimes some files are not uploadedOther times, nothing updates, the app crashes, or an unknown error appears. Pinpointing the symptom speeds up resolution, because many issues are repetitive.

Common symptoms include files stuck not uploading, folders that do not appear on the desktop or in My Drive, unexpected closures of Drive for desktop, and crashes when launching the app. If this happens to you, make a note of the time and any notifications the app displays.

Basic diagnostic steps (what works most of the time)

Start with the simple: a bad connection or a process blocked They're usually the cause of most traffic jams. If you go in order, you'll save time and avoid more invasive calls.

• Check your internet connection: Switch from Wi-Fi to a cable if possible, restart your router, or try another network to rule out outages.
• Pause and resume syncing: Forces Drive to rescan and resume uploads/downloads that were left hanging.
• Restart Drive for computers: Close the app from the icon (Mac: top bar; Windows: system tray) and reopen it.
• Restart the computer: Cleans up stuck processes and frees up resources that are preventing Drive from functioning normally.
• Disconnect and reconnect your account: Resets the link between your computer and the cloud (see the Lost Files notice below).
• Reinstall Drive for computers: Install the latest version from the official website to rule out corrupted installations.

If you need to restart the application in detail, remember that on Mac you must open the Drive menu in the top bar and choose Settings → Exit; in Windows, click the Drive icon in the tray, then Settings → Exit and restart the app.

Disconnect and reconnect your account safely

Before disconnecting your account, check if the app informs you about files copied to “Lost and Found” (or “Lost Files” in some translations). These unsynced files are saved locally and will be deleted when you disconnect the account if you don't move them to a safe place.

The process: open Drive for computers, go to Preferences → Advanced Settings, locate your account and select Disconnect account. Sign in again and choose a new location for your Google Drive folder if the app asks for it, ensuring a stable route with permits.

Reinstall Google Drive for computers

When all else fails, a clean reinstall often fixes version conflicts and corrupted program filesDownload the latest version from the official website, uninstall the current version, and reinstall it. On Windows, you can use "appwiz.cpl" (Win + R) to open "Uninstall or change a program."

When reinstalling, make sure you use the correct account and check if you prefer Stream files or Mirror files (Mirror Files) in the Google Drive tab: The mirroring option saves local copy of everything and reduces offline access problems.

Storage space: local and cloud

Two classic bottlenecks: low disk space computer or Google (or Google Workspace) storage is exhausted. Either of these blocks uploads and generates confusing errors.

If you're running out of local disk space, delete files from the affected drive (e.g., C: on Windows), close Drive for Desktop, and reopen it. For cloud storage, check your usage in Google Drive; if you run out of space, delete large files that you don’t need or buy more storage from “Buy storage”.

Permissions: Drive, system and folders

Without read and write permissions, Drive can't touch your files. Check in Windows, in the Security Properties, that your user has “Allow” in the key permissions and that there are no check marks in “Deny”. On macOS, use Get information and look at “Sharing & Permissions”.

For specific folders you want to backup, confirm that your user has privileges “Reading and writing”. On macOS, go to Finder → right-click → Get Info → Sharing & Permissions. On Windows, go to File Explorer → right-click → Properties → Security → Edit permissions for your user.

Files too large or small (Google Photos limits)

If you use Drive to copy to Google Photos, remember its limits: photos larger than 200 MB or 150 MP, videos larger than 10 GB, or images smaller than 256x256 pixels are not backed up. Adjust the size, remove automatic thumbnails, or move those items to unsynced folders. If you lose images, learn how to back up your files. recover deleted photos.

When the Google Drive folder “disappears”

If you moved or renamed the local Google Drive folder, the app won't know how to link to it. Open Drive for desktop and, when prompted, tap Locate/Search, choose the correct folder and confirm with Open. The application will reconnect the content and will reindex.

If you deleted the folder where you replicated “My Drive”, in the notification choose “Stop syncing this directory”If you no longer want to sync a specific folder, go to Preferences, select the folder, and uncheck Drive or Photos to prevent it from being replicated.

Files not appearing in the cloud or on your computer

If the file was deleted from the cloud or no longer shared with you, your local changes can't be applied. Ask the owner to share again content or remove it from your synced folder and add it again from Drive web. If you've lost access to your account, learn how recover a google account.

If it's missing from your computer, you may have moved it to the local trash. Restore the item and let it Drive resyncThis is key when you see “file not found” when trying to upload changes.

Bandwidth limits or temporary quotas

Drive for computers can brake when you reach upload/download limitsIn these cases, the app will automatically retry later. If things don't improve, wait 24 hours, restart Drive, and see if it restarts any pending operations.

Google files (.gdocs, .gsheet, etc.) corrupted

If you edit Google Docs with third-party editors, local access may become corrupted. Make a file copy directly in Drive web, delete the invalid Google file from your computer and, if applicable, re-share the copy with your collaborators.

Errors loading account and streaming location

Your account may not load due to lack of Internet, absence of available drive letters (on Windows), blocking proxy settings, or administrator restrictions. Solution: Free up a drive letter, check the proxy (switch to “Direct Connection”), or ask your administrator and verify the hosts file.

If the streaming location is already in use (for example, a letter occupied by another device), Drive will choose the next free letterTo use the one you want, disconnect the device that's using it and relaunch Drive.

Changes cannot be saved to the original file

This error occurs when your local edits clash with the cloud, the original file was moved or deleted, or you've lost permissions. Sometimes the app moves a copy with your changes to the original top folder or even to the root of “My Drive”.

To solve this, verify that you still have editing access to the original, ask the owner for permission if it is not yours or the administrator of the shared drive where it is located. Avoid moving files to deleted folders or folders where you don't have permissions.

Lost and Found (or Lost Files) Folder: Where It Is and What to Do

In rare cases, a file cannot be uploaded due to permissions or network errors, and is copied to a local folder called “Lost and Found”The app usually displays a notification with a link to open it.

Default paths: macOS: /Users/user/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS/lost_and_found/account_token | Windows: C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS\lost_and_found\account_tokenOn macOS, the Library folder is hidden; on Windows, you can type %AppData% in the address bar to access it.

Review its contents and move those files to My unit to retry syncing or to another safe location. Note: If you disconnect your account without moving them, you'll lose them permanently.

Advanced Solution: Backup Folder Permissions

Drive will not be able to create backups if the source folder does not allow it. read and write. On macOS: Finder → right-click → Get Info → Sharing & Permissions → your user with “Read & Write.” On Windows: Properties → Security → your user with Allowed permissions and nothing set to Deny.

Drive won't start due to configuration folder error

Drive settings live in Application Support/Google (macOS) or AppData\Local\Google (Windows). If you don't have permissions there, it won't be created. DriveFS and the app won't launch. Give full permissions and ownership to those routes and reopen the app.

macOS key paths: /Users/user/Library/Application Support/Google and /Users/user/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS (remember that “Library” is hidden). On Windows: C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Google and C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS.

The local cache directory cannot be accessed.

Go to the cache path indicated by the app (or the one shown in the settings). Inside, you'll see a folder for each account, with very long numerical names (e.g., 1245555729303), and within each one, “content_cache”.

Make sure that each account folder and each “content_cache” have read and write permissions. Without them, Drive won't be able to temporarily store the data needed for syncing.

Merged folders on Mac devices

If you notice folders that have been “merged” when using the same account on multiple Macs, try this flow: Sign out of Google, in the pop-up window press and hold Shift, open Menu and choose “Reset user preferences.” Then log in again.

Additional checks that often resolve crashes

Beyond the basics, there are little tricks that help a lot. For example, run the app as administrator on Windows to avoid system permission issues that prevent synchronization.

Check the firewall or antivirusIf Drive is blocked, syncing will be interrupted. Add Google Drive for desktop to your allow list or temporarily disable it to test.

Check the settings proxy in Drive (Preferences → Settings → Proxy). If it’s set to “Auto-detect” and fails, switch to “Direct connection” and try again.

Mark files that are not synced from the web as seen/unread, use “Retry everything” where the app shows pending, or check the “unsynced files” to force a new upload or download.

If you use very long paths, reduce the depth of the folders and shorten names: Windows has limits close to 255 characters per path; exceeding this limit causes silent errors.

Other tests that have worked for some users: renaming the old Backup and Sync executable (googledrivesync.exe, legacy), or deleting “desktop.ini” files in the root and cloud folders. Use these with caution, as they apply to very specific scenarios.

In the worst case, you can upload files manually from the web and download them to the other computer, as a temporary solution until the desktop app is back to normal.

Drive web not connecting: browser and account

If the Drive website doesn't open or show files, try a incognito window to discard corrupted cookies. Clear your browsing data if it improves in incognito mode, or change your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) to isolate the problem.

Another tactic that helps: log out and log back in with your Google account, especially if you see that the session is stuck. And, as a base, confirm that your Internet connection is stable and, if you need to export data, use Google Takeout.

How Google Drive actually syncs on the desktop

Drive for computers syncs your cloud space and can also back up folders on your computer under “Computers → My Computers” in the web interface. This means that a file on your PC1 “Desktop” will appear in Drive under that computer’s section, and on PC2 you’ll need to go to “Computers” and open the folder for the corresponding computer.

It is not a “magic mirror” of the Desktop between machines, but a copy sorted by deviceTo ensure everyone sees the same thing, use shared locations in Drive, shared drives, or configure which folders you mirror on each computer.

Useful app preferences

Activate "Open Google Drive on startup” so the app starts automatically and keeps syncing up to date. In Preferences, also check if you've chosen “Sync everything in My Drive” or a selection of folders, depending on your workflow.

If you want absolutely everything to be local, opt for Mirror filesIf you prefer to save space and stream, use "Stream Files." Each mode has advantages depending on your storage.

Send comments and logs to Google

When something isn't working, it helps to send feedback with logs. Open the app, tap Settings → Post comments, describe the problem, select “Include diagnostic logs,” and submit. This information speeds up analysis.

For more advanced bug reports, capture the Drive logs for computers as indicated by the official help and forward them to the support team if requested.

Integrations that may influence (example: Pipedrive)

Some integrations use Drive as storage. In Pipedrive, you can connect your account under Personal Preferences → Google Drive, decide whether to save to a separate folder and whether to share with users in your company.

Keep in mind the privacy settings: “View only” (view or comment), or “Private” (managed by Google). If you delete a file in Drive, it will also disappear from Pipedrive, because the original is stored in the cloud, not in the CRM.

Alternatives if you only need PDF documents and editing

If your priority is to have up-to-date PDFs on all your devices, you may want to consider UPDF Cloud, the cloud-based editing and annotation platform integrated into UPDF, which synchronizes in real time and encrypts with high-level security.

Another option for collaboration and document-centric storage is PDFelement Cloud, with online annotations, more free space, and connection to its PDF editor. It's useful when you're less interested in the system folder and more in a document workflow.

Quick “last resort” checklist

If you still have problems, check: stable connection, pause/resume, restart app and computer, run as admin, check firewall/proxy, folder permissions, local and cloud storage, short paths, “Lost and Found,” Drive folder settings, and sync mode.

And remember: if the website doesn't connect either, try incognito or change browsers; if the app doesn't launch, check DriveFS and permissions in the configuration paths; and if you're on a Mac with corrupted permissions (Mojave/High Sierra), repair extensions with Terminal.

Advanced Repair on macOS (Mojave/High Sierra)

In cases of corrupted system permissions, launch Terminal (Applications → Utilities) and run, as administrator: sudo kextcache -clear, after sudo mv /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagementBackup and finally sudo kextutil -l /Library/Google/DriveFS/dfsfuse.kext. Then open again Drive for computers.

With these guidelines you should be able to resolve almost any sync blockage in Google Drive: between basic steps, permission management, storage control, reviewing special folders and advanced solutions, the app will work normally again and your changes are saved both in the cloud and on your computers.