Some Google Drive Users Report Missing Data, Investigation Ongoing
Some Google Drive Users Report Missing Data, Investigation Ongoing
Google Drive users may have something to worry about at the moment – some users reportedly have lost access to their data on Google’s cloud storage platform, though the cause, at this time, is unclear. The company currently recommends affected users to avoid making any changes until the issue is identified.
The issue was revealed after a South Korean user reported on Google Support, claiming that their files from May 2023 onwards had disappeared from Google Drive, quite literally at that – as the files are nowhere to be seen in any folders or trash. Weirder still, even the folder structure itself gets reverted back in time, and the user noted the folders and files were never shared with anyone else.
According to a Google Support member, Google is currently investigating the issue, as there have been other similar cases reported elsewhere. In the meantime, users are not advised to restore the Drive themselves (or make any changes, for that matter), while the company’s engineers are looking for the root cause. The forum has since seen many other reports of missing files and folders, sometimes with only the files missing but folders intact.
Earlier today, Google posted a support thread with initial findings and recommendations for affected Drive for desktop users. Instructions as follows:
- Do not click “Disconnect account” within Drive for desktop
- Do not delete or move the app data folder:
- Windows: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS
- Optional: If you have room on your hard drive, we recommend making a copy of the app data folder.
Source: Android Police
Pokdepinion: Now is a time worth reminding the 3-2-1 rule of backups.
