PSA: Regardless of the comfort and rising ubiquity of cloud storage providers, customers should not assume that information saved on the cloud are protected. Many Google Drive customers are actually discovering {that a} glitch within the service can put months of information in danger. Google is investigating the issue, and one person has discovered a attainable answer.
Google is investigating quite a few instances the place months’ price of person information have disappeared from Google Drive. Till it resolves the problem, the corporate warns customers to not take away information from vital folders, however it will be protected to create new backups.
A number of account holders have not too long ago complained that their Google Drive information from the previous few months have vanished. One reported shedding three months of labor. A person described the drive rolling again to Might 2023 in an much more excessive instance.
Sadly, Google Drive’s built-in file restoration system does not assist as a result of it solely restores information that customers deleted. Some discussion board commenters obtained messages from Google help saying they could not assist, however different indicators point out the info is perhaps recoverable.
At the very least one person found {that a} cache inside the Google Drive part of the AppData folder accommodates the most recent information however warns others in opposition to manipulating it. An official message from Google additionally says customers should not delete or transfer the AppData folder (the Mac equal is Software Assist) or disconnect the service from their accounts. The most secure measure is to make a neighborhood backup of the complete Google Drive folder till the corporate solves the issue.
One individual prepared to take the danger claims to have recovered the misplaced information from the cache by manipulating an older model of the Drive desktop app. Anybody making an attempt this answer needs to be extraordinarily cautious, because it goes in opposition to Google’s official instructions and will completely harm the file system. Disclaimer out of the best way, here is the answer described:
First, uninstall the desktop app, then set up an older version (model 82 or 83 is perhaps accessible, however guarantee it is from a trusted supply). Subsequent, deactivate the 2 Google Replace providers and the 2 scheduled duties. Whereas Google Drive is just not operating, navigate to a folder with a protracted quantity beneath Consumer Knowledge (they is perhaps referring to AppData) > Google > DriveFS. Discover a folder referred to as “backups,” transfer its contents into the first folder, and restart Google Drive. Lastly, again up the principle drive folder, re-enable the replace providers, look forward to the app to auto-update, and use the backup to overwrite the drive folder.
Nobody else has verified the unofficial answer, so it ought to in all probability be taken solely as a final resort, if in any respect. It is perhaps finest to attend till Google has official directions for recovering information.
