Fix Google Backup Not Working

Read time 8 minutes

Google’s Backup & Sync is a bidirectional synchronization tool that ensures both Google Drive and your computer’s local folder remain in sync. Whenever files are added or removed in either the cloud or the local folder, these changes are mirrored in the corresponding location. This synchronization process applies to data stored both in the cloud and on your local system drive. It is a native way to backup Google Photos locally as well.

Several factors can disrupt this synchronization, causing processes to become stuck and either freezing the synchronization or showing error messages, ultimately resulting in the backup process coming to a halt.

• “There was a problem signing in.”
• “Something went wrong. There was a problem signing in.”
• “Sorry, Backup & Sync needs to quit.”
• “Sorry, Google Drive needs to quit.”

Let us go through some reliable fixes for the “Google backup not working” issue.

Reasons for “Google Backup Not Working”

• Bugs
• Poor internet connectivity
• Improper configuration or settings
• Incorrect account details
• Service outage
• Lack of storage space
• Oversized files or long filename
• Stuck files and folders
• Windows Firewall issues
• Proxy settings

Try these basic fixes to get rid of the “Google Backup Not Working” scenario.

• Reboot the Local System
  Rebooting your system is a straightforward action that can help re-establish the connection between your local system and the Google Backup & Sync App. Give it a try to see if it resolves any issues.
• Restart Google Backup & Sync App
  If rebooting the system didn’t yield the desired results, consider restarting the synchronized application directly. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
  1. Go to the lower-left corner of the taskbar on your system, click the “Backup & Sync” application icon, click 3 dots on the top right and select the “Quit Backup & Sync” option.
     
  2. The application will be closed.
  3. Next, locate “Backup & Sync from Google” and then choose it to open it once more.
  4. Confirm if the backup and synchronization are working now.
• Pause & Resume Google Backup & Sync App
  When files become stuck, it causes a pause in the backup and synchronization processes, preventing the updating of new data. To address this issue, users can attempt to resolve it by temporarily suspending the backup and synchronization and then resuming these operations.
  1. Tap the App icon, followed by the three dots located in the upper-right corner. Choose the “Pause” option to temporarily halt the backup and synchronization process.
     
  2. Wait for about 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Once more, select the Backup & Sync icon, access the menu with three dots, and opt for the “Resume” choice to recommence the backup and synchronization procedures.
  4. Check the progress of the synchronization.
• Reinstall Google Backup & Sync App
  The problem might arise from an improper installation of the Backup & Sync application. Therefore, consider uninstalling and then reinstalling the application.

  Navigate to the Control Panel and locate the “Programs and Features” section. Find “Backup & Sync” in the list of installed programs and choose the “Uninstall” option to remove it from your system.

  After the successful uninstallation of the application, go to link https://google.com/drive/download to download and install Backup & Sync on your Windows system again.

These solutions prove valuable when you’ve exhausted all the typical fixes mentioned above and still haven’t achieved any success.

• Run Google Backup & Sync as Administrator
  To ensure the proper functioning of certain backup and synchronization processes, users are required to initiate the Google Backup & Sync application with administrative privileges.

  Type “Backup & Sync” into the search bar and choose the application labeled “Backup & Sync from Google.” Then, right-click on it and opt for “Run as administrator.” This will run the application with elevated privileges. Verify whether the processes are functioning as expected.
  

• Check Folder Settings for Synchronization
  Please review your Google Drive folder settings to ensure that specific folders or users were not previously selected for backup instead of backing up the entire data, potentially leading to an incomplete backup that may not meet your needs. You can adjust these settings as outlined below.
  1. Click on the Backup & Sync app icon on the taskbar. Then click on 3 dots or the “More” option and select the “Preferences” option from the list.
     
  2. Navigate to the Preferences – Backup and Sync page, and on the left panel, locate and click on “Google Drive.” Afterward, in the right panel, choose the “Sync everything in My Drive” option, and confirm your selection by clicking “OK.”
     
  3. Presently, all folders within the local system will be arranged for synchronization and backup.
• Add the Correct Account
  Occasionally, users may overlook adding the necessary account or input it incorrectly when setting up backup and sync. Fortunately, this issue can be swiftly rectified using the application’s “Add New Account” feature, enabling users to seamlessly include an additional Google account alongside their existing one.
  1. Click the application icon on the taskbar, click on 3 dots or the “More” option and select the “Add New Account” option.
     
  2. Please enter your Google account sign-in information correctly and patiently await the connection to establish.
  3. Keep ensuring that all the folders linked to your Google account remain synchronized by using the Folder settings feature within the application.
• Check Size Limitations
  Synchronization of excessively large files can lead to issues, necessitating users to monitor file sizes closely. Additionally, the length of file names is a crucial factor, with a maximum limit of 255 characters recommended for seamless and trouble-free backup and synchronization.
• Modify Proxy Settings
  If the Proxy Settings are activated within the application’s network configuration, it is necessary to adjust them from their default values, as these settings can potentially disrupt synchronization.
  1. Click on the application icon, click 3 dots or the “More” option and select the “Preferences” option.
  2. Next, click the “Settings” option from the left panel. Go to the right panel and click on the “Network Settings” option.
     
  3. Select the second option “Direct connection” under the “Proxy settings” section. Also, check that in the “Bandwidth settings” section, have Download Rate and Upload Rate set to “Don’t limit” option. Click “OK” to save these settings.
     
• Update Firewall Settings
  The Firewall system has the potential to disrupt or impede the operation of external applications like Backup & Sync. Nevertheless, it is possible to examine and adjust the Firewall settings specific to the application in order to address any associated problems.
  1. Search for “Firewall” in the search window on your system and select the “Allow an app through window” option to launch it.

  

  2. Locate the Google Drive backup and sync executable in the list. If it’s not found, click on the “Change settings” option, then select “Allow another option” at the bottom to browse for and add the Backup & Sync application’s executable to the list. After adding it, choose the “Domain,” “Private,” and “Public” options for the selected executable, and then click “OK” to confirm and secure these settings.

  

  3. It will remove the Firewall issues for the Backup & Sync application.

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