Using a cloud storage platform offers a reliable method to maintain backup copies of your data in case your computer malfunctions or your hard drive fails. The probability of encountering issues with reputable cloud platforms is extremely low, if not practically non-existent.
This is primarily due to the fact that cloud storage services do not rely on a single copy of your data; instead, they maintain multiple copies across various data centers to mitigate any potential failures. A recent incident illustrates this point when several users reported losing all the new files they had created and stored in Google Drive over the past six months.
As we previously discussed in that article, it was only a matter of time before Google introduced a solution to recover these lost files. Although it has taken a bit longer than anticipated, if you were one of the affected users, you can now retrieve the files that went missing.
How to Recover Lost Files from Google Drive:
According to Google, the issue stemmed from the desktop application of the platform, specifically a problem with file synchronization. This problem caused some changes made to files not to be synchronized with the cloud, affecting certain new files created in the past six months. However, it’s important to note that this issue did not impact files that had already been synchronized and were accessible via the web or the mobile application.
To address this problem, the first step is to ensure that you have the most up-to-date version of the Google Drive application, which should be at least version 85.0.13.0 or higher. If the application does not update automatically, you can download the latest version directly from the Google Drive website. After downloading, close the application and install the new version without uninstalling the previous one.
Google Drive Configuration Options:
Once you’ve installed the latest version, the process to recover your files begins with clicking on the Google Drive icon. In the main window that appears, hold down the Shift key and click on the gear wheel icon to access the Windows configuration options.
Holding the Shift key while clicking the gear wheel reveals three additional options: “Recover from Backups,” “Enable Verbose Logging,” and “Generate Diagnostic Information.” Select the “Recover from Backups” option. It’s important to note that this feature is only available in this version and later, so updating the application is crucial.
By selecting this option, Google will initiate a background process to recover all the lost files. Once it’s complete, it will provide you with a summary of the changes made and create a folder on your Google Drive desktop called “Google Drive Recovery” containing all unsynchronized files.
If you happen to uninstall and reinstall the application at any point, be aware that the chances of recovery diminish unless you’ve retained the DriveFS folder located within the AppData/Local/Google/Drive directory in Windows. It’s worth noting that this issue affected both Windows and macOS users, and the solution remains the same for both operating systems.