Quick Links

  • Full general Google Drive Troubleshooting Steps
  • How to Recover the Old Version of a Google Drive File
  • How to Recover a Google Drive File That Has Disappeared
  • Google Drive Has Run Out of Storage Space
  • Unable to Print on Google Drive
  • Can't View or Edit a Shared Google Drive File
  • How to Employ Google Drive Offline
  • Can't Upload or Sync Files
  • Do More than With Google Bulldoze

Google Drive allows yous to collaborate with others seamlessly. It's also integrated with lots of other services, and files are ever attainable. Best of all, you get an ample amount of storage for free.

Despite Google Drive'south excellence, there tin can be issues in accessing the service. You may not exist able to clear out storage space, share files, or are unable to access a document. Thankfully, many Google Drive issues are easy to fix.

We're going to offering some typical Google Bulldoze troubleshooting tips, and so solve some specific Google Drive problems.

General Google Drive Troubleshooting Steps

These are some unproblematic steps that you should try first. They can aid diagnose and set a variety of problems with Google Drive.

one. Check Google Drive'south Online Condition

google workspace status dashboard

Visit Google's app status dashboard. This lists all of Google's services and tells you if there'due south a known problem with them. If yous see a "service disruption" (bister) or "service outage" (cherry) indicator on the app yous want to use, you tin click on the colored dot to encounter details about when the service volition be back online.

If the problem with Google Drive is on Google'south end, the only thing you can do is wait for the outage to be over.

2. Disable Your Antivirus and Firewall

Antivirus and firewalls cause difficulties with syncing files, or a "You are offline, some functionality may be unavailable" error. As such, try temporarily disabling your antivirus and firewall—just remember to turn them back on later (there are plenty of reasons why y'all should use a firewall.)

On Windows x and Windows xi, disable Windows Defender with these steps:

  1. Press Windows key + I to open up Settings.
  2. Go to Update & Security (Windows ten) or Privacy & security (Windows 11) > Windows Security > Open Windows Security.
  3. One time here, click Firewall & network protection.
  4. Select your active network and slide Microsoft Defender Firewall to Off.

three. Restart Google Drive

If you're using Google Bulldoze via a spider web browser, log out, close your web browser, ensure your cyberspace connection is reliable, and so log back in.

exit google drive on desktop

You tin can besides quit Google Drive from your desktop. To practise this:

  1. Click the Google Drive icon in your taskbar.
  2. Click the settings cog in the tiptop-right.
  3. Select Leave.
  4. Reopen the app.

4. How to Recover the Old Version of a Google Bulldoze File

Google Bulldoze keeps a detailed edit history of whatever and all changes made on your document by any user who has editing permissions.

google sheets version history

To go back to an before save of a file created within the Google ecosystem (like on Google Docs), open the file and go to File > Version history > Meet version history (or press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H).

The history of changes made to the file volition appear on the right-paw side of the document, and you lot can navigate through all the revisions fabricated.

For not-Google files that you have uploaded, right-click the file, click Manage versions, and you lot can scan and download all prior versions of the file (up to 30 days or 100 versions).

5. How to Recover a Google Drive File That Has Disappeared

If you lot're the just one with access to the file:

Cheque your Google Drive trash folder, accessible via Trash on the left-hand navigation. If yous see the file that yous're looking for, correct-click it and select Restore. Your file will now be available in its original location.

If your missing file isn't in your trash, the name may have changed, or it was accidentally moved to another file. Thankfully, Google Drive has advanced search features. Attempt searching for your file using keywords or dates, and see if it's in another location than the one you anticipated.

If multiple people are working on the file:

One of the most mutual mishaps with Google Bulldoze is that it deletes the file for everyone if 1 person deletes a shared file. In that location are a number of factors to consider when using Google Drive to collaborate, just this is 1 of the most important. Just similar with any other file storage system, information technology's imperative that you keep backups of your files in a separate, secure location.

The owner of the shared file may exist able to retrieve it from their deleted files. Alternatively, if y'all take a Google Drive account through a schoolhouse or workplace, there may exist an administrator who can see all deleted files for xxx days later they have been deleted, and may be able to help you in your case.

vi. Google Drive Has Run Out of Storage Space

Google Drive'south storage capacity is shared across services like Google Docs, Google Sheets and Gmail, and Google Photos. To run into how much space you're using across all those Google services, visit the Google One storage page. If you run out of space, you accept a couple of options.

Delete Information From Google Drive

The offset is to clear out files you no longer need. On Google Drive, click Storage on the left-hand card. This will testify you lot all your files, which yous can sort by Storage used.

To delete something, right-click it and select Remove. Remember to as well remove it from the trash.

google drive manage apps

You should also cheque for any tertiary-party apps that are using storage invisibly. To exercise this, click the cog icon in the acme-right and click Settings > Manage apps.

For each app, click Options, and you can employ Delete hidden app data if necessary. You tin can also click Disconnect from Drive to remove the app integration entirely.

Upgrade Your Google One Storage

Google Drive comes with 15 GB of storage space, which you lot can quickly exhaust if you lot're not careful. If you can't observe annihilation to delete, consider paying to upgrade your storage capacity.

Bank check the Google Ane storage page for pricing, wherein you can pay a reasonable monthly or yearly cost for 100GB, 200GB, or 2TB of data.

7. Unable to Print on Google Bulldoze

Printers and Google Drive sometimes don't play well together, only you accept some options to try to troubleshoot the root of your problem:

  • Ensure that your printer software is upwardly-to-date. Considering Google Drive updates constantly, it can quickly outpace your printer software. This can cause communication problems between the two services, and outcome in press errors.
  • Similarly, you'll want to brand sure that the web browser you're using is upwardly-to-date as well.
  • Disable any browser extensions that may exist interfering with your ability to print.
  • If you're nonetheless unable to print directly from Google Drive, it might be worth taking the time to download your file as a PDF and then print it from your PDF software instead of from your browser.

This issue often crops up because of the number of choices users have for sharing Google Drive files with others. The person sending you the link to the file may have missed a step in the procedure or chosen the incorrect option. Therefore, you may be unable to meet the file at all or exist able to see the file without the ability to make any changes.

If you don't have admission to a file, Google Drive will provide you with a button to Request access from the file's owner, which will prompt them to change the sharing settings on the file.

If yous're the owner of a file and people are having problem accessing it, double-bank check that yous've set the sharing parameters correctly using the video above.

9. How to Use Google Drive Offline

In order to use Google Drive offline, you volition need to employ either the Google Chrome browser or install the Google Drive app on your PC or Mac.

On Chrome:

Visit Google Drive settings, and bank check Create, open and edit your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on this device while offline. You will need to download the Google Doc Offline plugin, which information technology will prompt you to do.

Y'all can only do this with ane account per computer, and then enable it merely on the account that you use about often. Also, to enable offline syncing, you lot will need to have an internet connexion initially, so it involves some planning the first fourth dimension.

On your reckoner:

Download Google Drive and follow the prompts to gear up your business relationship. You must be connected to the cyberspace initially then that your files can sync to your computer.

x. Can't Upload or Sync Files

One of the main advantages of using Google Drive is that it syncs your files beyond all your devices. If that breaks, it's a big problem.

We've compiled a separate guide to solve upload errors in Google Drive, and so check that out.

Do More With Google Drive

If the advice here hasn't solved your problem, visit the Google Drive help page for more than data. There is also a Google Drive help customs where you tin can ask others for back up.

With Google Bulldoze up and running, information technology'due south time to learn what else you lot can practice with it. At that place are enough of default settings you should arrange to brand the experience even ameliorate.

8 Google Drive Settings and Preferences You Should Change Now

Read Next

Well-nigh The Writer

Joe Keeley (883 Manufactures Published)

Joe was built-in with a keyboard in his hands and immediately started writing well-nigh technology. He has a BA (Hons) in Business and is now a full-time freelance writer who enjoys making tech elementary for everyone.

More From Joe Keeley