Users who have already installed Google Drive complain that they are not able to sync all their folders and files properly through the Windows application. This behavior of Google Drive is common as the software gets regular updates and Windows patches even break it sometimes. We will go through all the solutions one by one and start with the most relevant one.
What causes Google Drive not to Sync in Windows 10?
Google Drive is long known to have problems in Windows 10. These problems do not lie in Google Drive all the time; other applications might also be the culprit. Here are some of the reasons why Google Drive doesn’t sync on your computer. Before we start with the solutions, make sure that you are logged in as an administrator and have an open private internet connection. Make sure that there are no proxies involved and you are free to access anything.
Prerequisite: Checking Google Drive Account
Before we jump into the solutions, it is worth checking if your Google Drive is indeed working properly without any issue and if you have enough space available on your account for the syncing process. You can also check which folders are being backed up and synced from the website end. This will give you an idea where the problem lies.
Solution 1: Logging in Using Taskbar Access
We experienced a specific behavior in several cases where users were accessing Google Drive using Windows Explorer. They assumed that they were logged in but in reality, they were not. They were accessing the local copy of Google Drive stored on their computer. If you are prompted at the startup telling you to log into the Drive, do so. If you don’t, you can use the taskbar to check the current status.
Solution 2: Disabling Antivirus/Firewalls
If you have Antivirus Software and Firewalls on your computer, it may be possible that these are conflicting with Google Drive. Since Google Drive accessing lots of your operating system as well as personal files, it is no surprise that these will try to conflict with the application. You can check our article on How to Turn Your Antivirus Off. You should also take a look at How to Disable Windows Firewall. Completely disable all your security system temporarily first and check if this solves the issue. If it doesn’t, disable/uninstall them and see how this goes.
Solution 3: Granting Administrator Rights
If you haven’t granted administrator rights to the application, you should do so immediately. Accessing the huge database of the files you are syncing on your computer along with the constant network connection requires elevation of some kind. To do this, you need to be an administrator yourself.
Solution 4: Signing in with a browser instead
If you are not able to sign in to your Google Account using the normal sign-in option in the application, you can also choose to log into the application using your browser. This options seemed to work for people who had two-step verification enabled or who were using proxy servers (we recommend that you disconnect proxies and VPN’s before opening the Drive). Here you will enter the credentials on your website and the application will automatically be signed in.
Solution 5: Downloading an Older Version of Google Drive
If you started experiencing this issue after a new update was launched for Backup and Sync folder (Google Drive), you can try installing an older version on your computer. There are numerous compatibility issues whenever Windows rolls out a patch update. You will need your account credentials and will need to sign in again.
Solution 6: Reinstalling Google Drive and Selecting Folders to Sync
If all the above methods don’t work, we will try reinstalling the entire application. First, we will uninstall the application and then select the required folders which we want to sync. Make sure that you are logged in as an administrator on your computer.
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