- Identify the cause: connection, permissions, space, or file conflicts before acting.
- Follow the logical order: pause/resume, restart app and device, check proxy/firewall and reinstall if necessary.
- Control storage (local and cloud), special folders, and paths; manage “Lost and Found.”
When Google Drive stops syncing files between your computer and the cloud , productivity suffers and you fear losing changes. Luckily, most issues can be resolved with simple steps and a little methodology, on both Windows and macOS.
In this guide, you'll find all the typical causes, common errors, and proven solutions for restoring synchronization: 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 changing anything, it's helpful to identify the problem: sometimes files fail to upload , other times nothing updates, the app crashes, or an unknown error appears. Pinpointing the symptom speeds up the solution, as many issues are common.
Common symptoms include files stuck and not uploading, folders not appearing on your desktop or in "My Drive," unexpected crashes of Drive for desktop, and the app freezing when you launch it. If this happens to you, note the time and any warnings the application displays.
Basic diagnostic steps (what works most of the time)
Start with the basics: a poor connection or a blocked process is usually behind most "stuck" systems. If you address these issues systematically, you'll save time and avoid more invasive interventions.
- 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 → Quit ; on Windows, click on the Drive icon in the system tray, then on Settings → Quit and restart the app.
Disconnect and reconnect your account safely
Before disconnecting your account, check if the app reports any files copied to "Lost and Found" (or "Lost Files" in some translations). These unsynced files are stored locally and will be deleted when you disconnect your account unless you move them to a safe location.
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 prompted, ensuring a stable path with the necessary permissions.
Reinstall Google Drive for computers
When all else fails, a clean reinstall often fixes version conflicts and corrupted program files . Download the latest version from the official website, uninstall the current one, and reinstall. 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 in the Google Drive tab: the mirroring option saves a local copy of everything and reduces offline access problems.
Storage space: local and cloud
Two classic bottlenecks: low disk space on the computer or full Google storage (or Google Workspace). Either one blocks uploads and generates confusing errors.
If you run out of space on your local disk, delete files from the affected drive (e.g., C: on Windows), close Google Drive for desktop, and reopen it. For cloud storage, check your usage in Google Drive; if you're running out of space, delete large files you don't need or purchase more storage from "Buy storage."
Permissions: Drive, system and folders
Without read and write permissions, Drive can't access your files. On Windows, in the Security tab of Properties, verify that your user account has "Allow" set to "Allow" and that "Deny" is unchecked. On macOS, use Get Info and look at "Sharing & Permissions."
For specific folders you want to back up, confirm that your user account has "Read and Write" privileges . 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 account.
Files too large or small (Google Photos limits)
If you use Drive to back up to Google Photos, keep in mind its limitations: 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 these items to unsynced folders. If you lose images, see how to recover deleted photos.
When the Google Drive folder “disappears”
If you moved or renamed your local Google Drive folder, the app won't know how to link to it. Open Drive for your computer and, when notified, click Locate/Search , choose the correct folder, and confirm with Open. The application will reconnect the content and reindex it.
If you deleted the folder where you were mirroring "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 mirrored.
Files not appearing in the cloud or on your computer
If the file was deleted from the cloud or they stopped sharing it with you, your local changes can't be applied. Ask the owner to re-share the content or remove it from your synced folder and add it again from Drive on the web. If you've lost access to your account, see how to 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 Drive sync again . This is key when you see "file not found" when trying to upload changes.
Bandwidth limits or temporary quotas
Drive for desktop may slow down when you reach upload/download limits . In these cases, the app will automatically retry later. If it doesn't improve, wait 24 hours, restart Drive, and check if it resumes pending operations.
Google files (.gdocs, .gsheet, etc.) corrupted
If you edit Google Docs using third-party editors, local access may become corrupted. Make a copy of the file directly to Google Drive, delete the invalid Google Doc from your computer, and, if necessary, share the copy again with your collaborators.
Errors loading account and streaming location
Your account may not load due to insufficient internet connection, unavailable drive letters (on Windows), a blocking proxy configuration, or administrator restrictions. Solution: Free up a drive letter, check your proxy settings (switch to "Direct Connection"), or contact 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 available letter . To use the one you want, disconnect the device that's occupying it and restart Drive.
Changes cannot be saved to the original file
This error occurs when your local edits conflict with the cloud, the original file was moved or deleted, or you've lost permissions. Sometimes, the app moves a copy of your changes to the original parent folder or even to the root of "My Drive."
To resolve this, verify that you still have editing access to the original file. If it's not yours, request permission from the owner or the administrator of the shared drive where it's located. Avoid moving files to deleted folders or folders where you don't have permission.
Lost and Found (or Lost Files) Folder: Where It Is and What to Do
In exceptional 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/username/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS/lost_and_found/ account_token | Windows: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS\lost_and_found\ account_token . On macOS, the Library folder is hidden; on Windows, you can type %AppData% in the address bar to access it.
Review the contents and move those files to My Drive to retry syncing, or to another secure location. Note: If you disconnect your account without moving them, you will permanently lose them.
Advanced Solution: Backup Folder Permissions
Drive will not be able to create backups if the source folder does not allow read and write access . On macOS: Finder → right-click → Get Info → Sharing & Permissions → your user account with "Read and Write" permissions. On Windows: Properties → Security → your user account with "Allowed" permissions and nothing set to "Deny".
Drive won't start due to configuration folder error
The Drive configuration is located in Application Support/Google (macOS) or AppData\Local\Google (Windows). If you don't have permissions there, DriveFS won't be created and the app won't start. Grant full permissions and ownership to those paths and reopen the application.
Key paths on macOS: /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Google and /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS (remember that “Library” is hidden ). On Windows: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Google and C:\Users\username\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 inside each one, "content_cache".
Make sure that each account folder and each " content_cache " has read and write permissions. Without this, Drive won't be able to temporarily store the data needed to sync.
Merged folders on Mac devices
If you notice folders that have been "combined" when using the same account on multiple Macs, try this process: Sign out of Google, hold down Shift in the pop-up window , open Menu, and choose "Reset User Preferences." Then sign back in.
Additional checks that often resolve crashes
Beyond the basics, there are a few tricks that can be very helpful. For example, run the app as administrator on Windows to avoid system permission issues that might prevent synchronization.
Check your firewall or antivirus : if they're blocking Drive, synchronization will be interrupted. Add Google Drive for desktop to the allowed list or temporarily disable it to test.
Check your proxy settings in Drive (Preferences → Settings → Proxy). If it's set to "Automatic detection" and it's failing, switch to "Direct connection" and try again.
Mark as seen/unread the files that do not sync from the web, use " Retry all " where the app shows pending, or check the "unsynced files" to force their re-upload or download.
If you use very long paths, reduce the depth of the folders and shorten names : Windows has limits of approximately 255 characters per path; exceeding them causes silent errors.
Other tests that have worked for some users include 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 manually upload files from the web and download them to the other computer, as a temporary solution until the desktop app is back to normal.
If the Drive website won't open or isn't displaying files, try an incognito window to rule out corrupted cookies. Clear your browsing data if it improves in incognito mode, or switch to a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) to isolate the problem.
Another helpful tactic: sign out and sign back in with your Google account, especially if you see that the session is "stuck." And, as a general rule, 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 storage and can also back up computer folders under " Computers → My Computers " in the web interface. This means that a file on your PC1's "Desktop" will appear in Drive under that computer's section, and on PC2 you'll need to go to "Computers" and open the corresponding computer's folder.
It's not a "magic mirror" of the desktop across machines, but rather a copy organized by device . To ensure the entire team sees the same thing, it uses shared locations in Drive, shared drives, or configures which folders to mirror on each computer.
Useful app preferences
Enable “ Open Google Drive on system startup ” so the app launches automatically and keeps synced. In Preferences, also check if you've chosen “Sync everything to My Drive” or a selection of folders, depending on your workflow.
If you want absolutely everything to be local, choose Mirror Files ; if you prefer to save space and work in streaming mode, use Stream Files. Each mode has advantages depending on your storage.
Send comments and logs to Google
When something is proving difficult, sending feedback with logs helps. Open the app, tap Settings → Send feedback , describe the problem, check “Include diagnostic logs,” and submit. This information speeds up the analysis.
For more advanced error reports, capture the Drive logs for computers as indicated in the official help and forward them to the support team if requested.
Integrations that may influence (example: Pipedrive)
Some integrations use Drive for storage. In Pipedrive, you can connect your account in Personal Preferences → Google Drive , choose whether to save to a separate folder, and decide 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 having up-to-date PDFs on all devices, you might consider UPDF Cloud , the cloud integrated into UPDF for editing and annotation, which syncs in real time and encrypts with high-level security.
Another option for document-centric collaboration and storage is PDFelement Cloud , which offers online annotations, more free storage, and integration with 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 continue to have problems, check: stable connection, pause/resume, restart app and device, run as admin, check firewall/proxy , folder permissions, local and cloud storage, shortcuts, "Lost and Found", Drive folder settings and sync mode.
And remember: if the website still won't connect, try incognito mode or switch browsers; if the app won't start, check DriveFS and permissions in the configuration paths; and if you're on a Mac with corrupted permissions (Mojave/High Sierra), repair extensions using 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 issue in Google Drive: between basic steps, permission management, storage control, reviewing special folders, and advanced solutions, the app will be working normally again, and your changes will be safe both in the cloud and on your computers.
