Recently, Google Drive users have reported missing files and folders, some claiming that months worth of data has vanished from their accounts. Google has acknowledged the issue, attributing it to the Drive for Desktop app, as reported by 9to5Google. The problem is troubling for users who have lost significant amounts of data. One user mentioned that an expense spreadsheet they regularly updated lost all data from the past five years, with the latest version showing as January 2019. Another user said their Drive reverted to May 2023, with subsequent data disappearing. Google has responded to the reports, stating that they are investigating the issue and providing updates. They have advised users not to click “disconnect account” within Drive for Desktop and not to delete or move a specific app folder called DriveFS. Google also recommends making a copy of the app data folder if possible. In addition, Google offers various methods for recovering or checking for deleted files, such as checking the trash, which is automatically emptied after 30 days, and the activity panel, which shows deleted or moved files along with the relevant date. However, for this latest issue, users report that the activity panel does not show the missing files.
Investigation Underway: Google’s Drive Issue Leading to Missing Files
