6 Tested Fixes to Google Drive Not Syncing in Windows 10, 11

The issue: Google Drive not syncing

Google Drive is a cloud storage service developed by Google. It offers apps available for Windows, macOS, and Android, as well as a website interface. Windows users sync local folders to Google Drive via the Google Drive for desktop app. They also sync files from Google Drive to their computer in turn.

However, things do not always go smooth. Some users find Google Drive does not sync their files. Here is a post from Sevenforums.com:

“Windows 7 has a shared folder for Google Drive under Favorites and it shows the contents of my Drive. If I add something to the Drive from my phone or desktop at work (thru the web app) and then look in this folder on my desktop at home it'll be there. But I dragged a file on my home computer into this Google drive folder and it does not appear on Google Drive's web app or on my phone. So it seems that it is not syncing. What can I do?”

Why is my Google Drive not syncing?

If you encounter Google Drive for desktop not syncing, the following reasons may account for it:

• An unknown error occurred. Go to Solution 1 >>

• Internet connection is poor. Go to Solution 2 >>

• Some files can’t be synced. Go to Solution 3 >>

• The Google Drive folder is missing. Go to Solution 4 >>

• Google storage is not enough. Go to Solution 5 >>

• Firewall or antivirus blocks the sync. Go to Solution 6 >>

If you are in none of the above cases, learn more solutions from here.

How to fix Google Drive not syncing in Windows 11/10/8/7 easily

Now I’ll show you how to resolve Google Drive does not sync files in detail:

Solution 1: Restart or reinstall Google Drive for desktop

If you are confronted with an unknown error, you can try to restart or reinstall Drive for desktop.

▶ To restart Drive for desktop

1. Click the Drive for desktop icon in the bottom right toolbar.

2. Click the Settings icon (a gear) and select Quit.

3. Reopen Drive for desktop.

▶ To reinstall Drive for desktop

1. Go to the Drive for desktop download page and download the most recent version of this tool.

2. Install Drive for desktop. Click Yes when you’re asked to replace your current version.

3. Choose a new Google Drive folder and sync your files. The sync process may take some time.

Solution 2: Check Internet connection

Check if your computer is connected to network properly. You may disable and then enable network connection from Network & Internet settings, or you can reconnect the Ethernet cable to your computer. After that, retry syncing your files.

Solution 3: Manually sync files

For those files that are not synced successfully, you can sync them manually:

1. Click the Drive for desktop icon in the bottom right toolbar.

2. Click View # unsyncable files > Retry all.

Solution 4: Relocate the Google Drive folder

▶ If you moved the Google Drive folder to a new place or you renamed the folder, you can follow the steps below to relocate it:

1. Click the Drive for desktop icon in the bottom right toolbar.

2. On the error message “Your Google Drive folder is missing”, click Locate.

3. Select your folder in its new location or select your renamed version, and click Open. Google Drive will reconnect.

▶ If you deleted your Google Drive folder, follow the steps below to choose a new location for the folder:

1. Click the Drive for desktop icon in the bottom right toolbar.

2. Click Error - Google Drive folder is missing > Disconnect account.

3. Sign in again and choose a new location for the Google Drive folder.

Solution 5: Buy a larger storage plan

Google Drive offers 15 GB storage for free. With the increasing number of files synced to Google Drive, there may be not enough space for syncing new files. What you can do is to upgrade your storage plan.

Solution 6: Change Firewall or antivirus settings

Firewall or antivirus may block Drive for desktop from functioning normally. You can disable antivirus temporarily and retry syncing your files. Or you can change Firewall settings to fix the Google Drive not syncing issue:

1. Go to Start > Settings.

2. Search for “Firewall” in the search bar and click on Allow an app through Windows Firewall.

3. Click Change settings. Then, find “googledrivesync” and enable it under both Private and Public column. Click OK to exit.

Tips: If you can’t find “googledrivesync” in the list, you can click Allow another app… to manually add it.

Sync files to Google Drive with a free alternative

If you don’t want to spend too much time and energy seeking solutions and trying them one by one, you can turn to the best free alternative to Google Drive for desktop – AOMEI Backupper Standard.

• It enables you to sync files on your computer to different cloud drives, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Cloudme, etc.
• It also enables you to sync files between two computers, such as sync a laptop and a desktop.
• In addition, you can choose to backup files to cloud drives like Google Drive, OneDrive, etc, or try the cloud backup feature, which comes along with a cloud drive called AOMEI Cloud and 1TB free cloud storage in 15 days. 

Now download free AOMEI Backupper and follow the instructions below to sync local files to Google Drive. All Windows PC operating systems are supported by AOMEI Backupper Standard. If you are running Windows Server, go for AOMEI Backupper Server.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Backupper. Click Sync and select Basic Sync.

Tips: To use more advanced sync modes - Mirror Sync, Real-Time Sync and Two-Way Sync, you need to upgrade to higher editions of AOMEI Backupper.

Step 2. Edit the task name based on your needs. Click Add Folder to select the folder(s) you want to sync.

Step 3. Expand the drop-down menu of the second bar and choose Select a cloud drive.

Step 4. Select Google Drive and click OK. If you cannot find Google Drive in the list, then manually navigate to the Google Drive folder by clicking the second bar.

Step 5. Confirm the operation and click Start Sync. 

>> Options: you can write a comment for your sync task, enable email notification, and choose to sync deletions or not.
>> Schedule Sync: you can set the sync task to run on a regular basis, such as daily, weekly, or monthly.

Summary

There are 6 solutions offered in this article to help you resolve Google Drive not syncing in Windows 11/10/8/7. If you want a more powerful file sync tool, you can pick AOMEI Backupper. It enables you to sync files to various cloud drives, such as Google Drive and OneDrive.

Actually, it is not only a professional file sync tool but also hard drive transfer software. You can use it to easily transfer Windows 10 from HDD to SSD. Don’t hesitate to give it a try!