Fix problems in Drive for desktop

1. On your computer, open Drive for desktop.
   1. Mac: In the top menu bar, click Settings Quit.
   2. Windows: In the bottom right taskbar, click Settings Quit.
2. Reopen Drive for desktop

1. On your computer, open Drive for desktop.
2. Click Settings Preferences Advanced Settings .
3. Find the account you want to disconnect.
4. Click Disconnect account.
   • If file sync is unsuccessful, Drive for desktop offers to move unsynced files to Desktop to avoid data loss.
5. Sign in again.
6. Choose a new location for the Google Drive folder.

1. On your computer, go to the Drive download page.
2. Download the most recent version of Drive for desktop.
3. Install the application.

1. Delete files on the drive listed in the message, for example, C: drive in Windows.
2. Exit Drive for desktop.
3. Restart Drive for desktop.

• On Windows:
  1. Right-click on the file or folder.
  2. Click Properties.
  3. Check the “Security” tab.
• On macOS:
  1. Right-click on the file or folder.
  2. Select Get Info.
  3. Check the “Sharing and Permissions” section.

These items can’t be backed up to Google Photos:

• Photos larger than 200 MB or 150 MP
• Videos larger than 10 GB
• Files that are smaller than 256 x 256 pixels

If your file is too large, you can:

• Reduce size of photo/video.
• Delete photo or video.
• Move photo or video to a non-syncing folder.

If your file is too small, you can:

• Delete photo or video
• Move photo or video to a non-syncing folder

If you moved the Google Drive folder to a new place on your computer

1. On your computer, open Drive for desktop.
2. On the notification, click Locate.
3. Select your renamed version click Open.
4. Google Drive will reconnect.

If you renamed your Google Drive folder

1. On your computer, open Drive for desktop.
2. On the notification, click Locate.
3. Select your renamed version click Open.
4. Google Drive will reconnect.

If you deleted the folder you are mirroring your My Drive to

1. On your computer, open Drive for desktop.
2. On the notification, click Stop syncing this directory.

If you don’t want to sync that folder anymore

1. On your computer, open Drive for desktop.
2. Go to Preferences select the folder and uncheck Drive and/or Photos.

After you locate your missing folder, it will take some time for Drive for desktop to complete.

Changes can’t be synced because the file may have been deleted or moved to trash on your computer.

To sync changes, restore the item from your computer’s trash.

The Google file you’re trying to sync has been corrupted. Since Google Docs (.gdocs) and other Google files' content aren't stored on your computer, using a third-party editor to make changes to these files can corrupt them. To resolve the issue, make a copy of the original Google file in Drive Web and delete the invalid Google file on your computer. You may need to reshare the file with collaborators.

Important: You need to be an administrator for your computer and enter your computer password to complete these steps.

If you use Drive for desktop on MacOS Mojave or High Sierra, permissions required to sync Drive files can get corrupted.

To resolve this issue:

1. On your computer, click Finder Applications.
2. Open the Utilities folder.
3. Click Terminal.
4. Enter sudo kextcache -clear
5. Press Return.
6. Enter sudo mv /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagementBackup
7. Press Return.
8. Enter sudo kextutil -l /Library/Google/DriveFS/dfsfuse.kext
9. Press Return.
10. Launch Drive for desktop.

Some reasons your account won't load include:

• You aren’t connected to the internet.
• You don’t have any available drive letters (Windows only).
• Your proxy settings don't allow Drive for desktop to run.
• Your admin doesn’t allow Drive for desktop for your organization or on your device.

To load your account:

• Make sure you’re connected to the internet.
• Free up a drive letter and restart the application (Windows only).
• Disconnect and reconnect your account.
• Contact your administrator.

• For macOS: The “Library” folder is hidden by macOS by default. If it’s hidden for you, you can access this folder by opening Finder, then at the top-left corner, clicking Go Library.

• For macOS:

Important: The “Library” folder in macOS is hidden by default. If it’s hidden for you, you can open Finder, at the top-left corner, click Go Library.

• /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Google
  • If you don’t have permission to this folder, you won’t have the DriveFS folder. Once you grant permission to this folder, you ‘re able to start the app and the app will create the DriveFS folder.
• /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS

• For Windows:

• C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Google\
  • If you do not have permission to this folder, you won’t have the DriveFS folder below. Once you grant permission to this folder, you are able to start the app and the app creates the DriveFS folder
• C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS

1. Navigate to your local cached files directory specified in the notification, or the path that's shown under the local cached files directory setting.
   • Make sure this folder has read and write permissions. To do so, you can follow the steps in Google Drive can't back or sync your folder.
2. Navigate into the local cached files directory, make sure each of these folders has read and write permissions.
   • You find a folder or folders with a long string of numbers as the folder name
     • For example, folder name: 1245555729303
   • Each of these folders is for each of the accounts that are signed into Google Drive.
3. Navigate into the account folders and find a folder named “content_cache.”
   • Make sure each of the “content_cache” folders within your account folders have read and write permissions.

1. Sign out of your Google Account.
2. In the pop-up window, press and hold Shift.
3. Click Menu .
4. Select Reset User Preferences.
5. Sign in to your account again.