Fix files are not syncing between the computer and Google Drive Issue

Aftab Alam
Aftab Alam linkedin | Updated On - December 06, 2022 |

Read time 6 minutes

Google users get various services and applications to enhance collaboration, facilitate communication and improve productivity. Google Drive is a cloud storage service that provides the benefits of flexible storage. It shares 15 GB of cloud storage free, and users can create folders and upload files/folders from the computer as the manual upload take much time and can be disrupted due to bad Internet or large file size. So Google offers a syncing application that works on the user’s computer, and the user can place the file in a synced folder, and it will reflect in the Google Drive application in the cloud.

Google Drive for Desktop

Google Drive for Desktop synchronizes the files between Drive and computer. Syncing means downloading the cloud data to the computer and uploading data from the computer to Drive. After synchronization, the same data is present in both platforms.

This application was earlier known as Google Drive File Stream and many people are still using it. If the Google Drive File Steam is not working then you should check the below methods and use them.

Files are Not Syncing Between the Computer and Google Drive

When the files do not sync, there will be discrepancies in the data in both platforms. When the Google Drive for Desktop application gives errors, you should go to settings and check the error list.

go to settings and check the error list

The error list will contain the mistakes that are stopping the connection and synchronization. The error will help you in understating the problem and using the correct method to remove it.

Causes behind Google Drive for Desktop not working
  • The user is trying to open Google Drive in the older version of web browser.
  • Internet connection is slow and down.
  • Web Browser has a large sized cache information.
  • The file that user is trying to access a large file that is causing the hindrance.
  • Offline access is turned off.
Method-1. Syncing is Paused

Google Drive for Desktop is a manual app that the user controls. A user can pause the syncing, and the connection will stop working.

  1. When you right-click in the application icon, you can see that syncing is paused. Under settings gear, you should click the Resume syncing option.
    click the Resume syncing option.
Method-2. Disconnect/reconnect the Google Account
  1. In the Application, you should go to settings and click Preferences.
  2. In the Google Drive Preferences, choose to disconnect the account. Click Save.Click Save
  3. Now, you should reconnect your account after providing the credentials. Confirm the connection, and the app will start to synchronize.
Method-3. Restart Google Drive for Desktop
  1. Restarting the Application will attempt to validate the credential and recheck the connection. In the Settings icon, click Quit.
    Restart Google Drive for Desktop

Now, restart the Application form Application’s menu. It will start to work again.

Method-4. Reinstall Google Drive for Desktop

If you have disabled the software updates for the application, then Google Drive for Desktop will have problems. You can download its new version from the following URL –
https://www.google.com/intl/en_in/drive/download/
Click Download Drive for Desktop.Download Drive for Desktop

Method-5. Check the Storage Space

Google Drive shares the same free 15 GB space with other applications. If the user has saved more data in other applications like Gmail, Photos, Docs, YouTube, etc., there will be no more space to save data in Google Drive.
Also, there should be enough space in the file system to sync the online files there. If the selected Drive does not have space, then synchronization will affect it.

Method-6. The User does not Have Permission

When the user tries to sync a file with some limitation due to ownership or sharing, it will not sync with Google Drive. You should contact the owner of the file and ask for permission to handle it.

Method-7. The File is Either too Large or Small

For cloud storage, there are some limitations related to the size of a file. Check the following-

  • Photos should not be more than 200 Megabytes or 150 Megapixels.
  • Videos should not be larger than 10 Gigabytes.
  • Files should not be smaller than 256 x 256 pixels.
Method-8. Synced Files are not Present in the Cloud

The files and folders saved in the cloud can be deleted to Trash. Once the files are deleted, they will not sync with the Desktop version of Google Drive. So, you should restore such files to their original cloud location, and it will start to sync.

Conclusion

There can be several reasons behind a bad synchronization between a computer’s file system and Google Drive. Google Drive for Desktop is a simple application that allows you to access cloud data conveniently. But, it has some limitations also. If you want to migrate File system data to Google Drive, you should use the Kernel Google Drive Migration tool. It will access the files from your local system, and network shared locations. Then, you can migrate them to Google Drive easily. It will also migrate data between two Google Drive accounts. As you can only share limited data manually between Google Drive accounts, so our tool provides an easy way to migrate Google Drive data to another account

migrate data between two Google Drive accounts