Google Drive Users Warned Over Glitch 'Fixes'

Google is investigating a problem with its online storage tool Drive. It means some users may have lost the last six months of files.

The company is still trying to get to the bottom of the problem but has warned affected users against two potential actions they say could make the damage irreversible.

Drive is Google's cloud storage tool that lets users upload files and access them from any device with an Internet connection. Its primary uses include backing up files from a desktop computer, reducing the need to carry files on a laptop or memory stick, and sharing files with other users. Drive also integrates with Google's various document tools such as word processor Docs and spreadsheet tool Sheets.

Hundreds Affected

A poster on Google's support forum reported their "Drive" having reset to its state from May 2023, meaning any changes to files since then were inaccessible, while newly uploaded files were missing. The files were not in the service's "Bin" section, which is where they would normally end up if they were accidentally manually deleted.

Several hundred other users then reported the same problem. It's not yet clear how widespread the glitch is as this only represents people who visited the support forum to try to get answers. It also won't include any users who've not yet spotted the problem.

Users are understandably grasping for fixes for the problem, but Google support staff have warned against two supposed solutions that could make things worse and even turn a fixable glitch into an irreversible loss.

Don't Delete or Disconnect

The first is to move or change the data file that's stored on the user's computer and records changes made to the remote folder. This is found in the AppData folder on Windows and Library/Application on Mac OS. In both cases, its generally best to avoid making changes to any files in these locations. (Source: arstechnica.com)

The second supposed fix to be avoided is to choose the "Disconnect account" option in the Drive for Desktop tool. This tool lets users automatically back up any new or changed files from their computer to Drive. (Source: metro.co.uk)

What's Your Opinion?

Have you encountered this problem? Do you trust online storage tools? Should Google contact users directly to warn them about problems like this and the risk of supposed fixes?