Google Drive users are currently experiencing a concerning issue where files and folders are mysteriously disappearing, and some individuals claim to have lost months’ worth of data. According to reports, Google has acknowledged the problem and attributed it to the Drive for Desktop app, as reported by 9to5Google.
The severity of the problem is evident in user accounts, with one individual expressing frustration on Google’s support forums. They mentioned that an expense spreadsheet, regularly updated over the past five years, has lost all data, with the version history showing the latest entry as of January 2019. Another user highlighted a case where the Drive reverted to May 2023, causing the loss of all subsequent data, and similar issues have been reported by other users.
In a recent announcement, Google acknowledged that they are actively investigating reports of an issue affecting a limited subset of users using Drive for Desktop. The problem specifically impacts Drive for desktop versions between v84.0.0.0 and 84.0.4.09. Google cautioned users against clicking “disconnect account” within Drive for Desktop and advised against deleting or moving a specific app folder named DriveFS, as outlined in their guidance. Additionally, they recommended creating a copy of the app data folder if there is available space on the hard drive.
For file recovery or verification of deletions, Google provides various options. Users can check the trash, which now automatically empties after 30 days. The activity panel is another useful tool, displaying any deleted or moved files along with the corresponding date. However, for this specific issue, users on Google’s support forum have noted that the activity panel does not seem to indicate the disappearance of files. Google assures affected users that they are actively working on resolving the problem and will provide further updates.
