Google Drive Not Syncing? 7 Ways to Fix It on Windows & Mac

Introduction

Google Drive is one of the most widely used cloud storage platforms, allowing users to back up files, sync data across devices, and collaborate in real time. Whether you’re a student saving assignments, a professional sharing documents with clients, or a remote worker accessing company files, Google Drive plays a critical role in modern productivity. When everything works properly, changes made on one device instantly appear everywhere else — on smartphones, desktops, laptops, and tablets.

But when Google Drive stops syncing, the entire workflow falls apart. You may upload a file on your computer and never see it appear on Drive. Or Google Drive for desktop may show errors like:

• “Syncing paused”

• “Unable to connect”

• “Can’t find folder”

• “Waiting to upload”

• “Error syncing file”

Some users find that syncing works only halfway — photos upload but documents do not, or desktop folders never appear online. Others experience stalled uploads, missing files, duplicate copies, or Drive stuck at 0% progress forever.

Sync problems can happen on both Windows and Mac, and often occur after system updates, browser changes, storage shifts, account conflicts, or corrupted file paths. Slow internet connections, invalid file names, device permission failures, and outdated Drive apps are also common root causes.

The good news is that syncing issues are almost always fixable — and most do not require reinstalling Drive or losing stored files. You simply need to identify what’s blocking communication between your device and the Drive cloud.

In this guide, you’ll learn 7 proven methods to fix Google Drive sync problems on both Windows and Mac. These solutions are arranged from simplest to most advanced, helping you resolve the issue efficiently without disrupting stored data.

Let’s begin with the first and most essential fix: verifying that Google Drive for Desktop is running and signed in.

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Method 1: Check Google Drive for Desktop Status and Sign-In

Before trying advanced troubleshooting, the first step is to confirm that Google Drive for desktop is running properly and logged into the correct Google account. Syncing will not work if Drive is paused, disconnected, or signed out — even if the app was working yesterday.

Step-by-Step Check

1️⃣ Look for the Drive Icon

On Windows, check the system tray (bottom-right corner).
On Mac, check the menu bar (top-right corner).

You should see the Google Drive triangular icon.

If it’s missing, the app is not running — and syncing cannot occur.

2️⃣ Relaunch Google Drive

On Windows:
Press Start → Search → Google Drive → Open

On Mac:
Open Finder → Applications → Google Drive → Launch

Once Drive opens, the icon should appear.

3️⃣ Confirm You Are Signed In

Click the Drive icon → Check email account shown.

If you see:
“Sign in required”
then syncing is paused.

Enter your Google account credentials.

If you mistakenly signed into the wrong Google account, files won’t sync. Switch accounts if needed.

4️⃣ Check Sync Status Message

Hover over the Drive icon and look for status:

• Syncing

• Up to date

• Preparing

• Error

If you see:
“Syncing paused”
click resume.

If you see:
“Unable to connect”
internet access or firewall settings may be blocking Drive.

5️⃣ Restart Google Drive Completely

Close the app → Wait 10 seconds → Relaunch.

On Windows:
Right-click the Drive icon → Quit
Then reopen.

On Mac:
Google Drive menu → Quit
Then reopen.

Restarting forces Drive to reinitialize sync service.

Why This Fix Works

Many sync failures are simple status issues. Drive may pause automatically when:

• Laptop enters sleep mode

• Battery saver activates

• Account credentials expire

• Computer crashes

• Network drops

Simply restarting and confirming sign-in restores the sync connection.

When to Move to Method 2

If Drive is running normally and signed in, but files still aren’t syncing — the next most common cause is unstable or limited internet access.

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Method 2: Verify Internet Connection and Reset Network Access

Google Drive cannot sync without a stable internet connection. Even if your browser loads websites, the network may be blocking upload channels, interrupting file transfers, or limiting cloud communication.

Step 1: Test Connection Speed

Visit: speedtest.net

If upload speed is too weak (under 1 Mbps), Drive uploads may stall or fail entirely.

Step 2: Switch Networks

Drive may sync on:
✔ Wi-Fi instead of Ethernet
✔ Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi
✔ Mobile hotspot instead of home router

Switching networks refreshes routing pathways.

Step 3: Disable VPN or Proxy Tools

VPN encryption sometimes blocks cloud sync channels.

Turn VPN off → restart Drive → test sync.

Step 4: Restart Router and Device

Unplug router → wait 10 seconds → reconnect.

Restart your computer afterward.

Refreshing network hardware clears routing conflicts and resets local IP addresses.

Step 5: Check Firewall Permissions (Windows/Mac)

Drive must be whitelisted in firewall settings.

On Windows:
Control Panel → Windows Defender Firewall → Allow an app → Ensure Drive is allowed

On Mac:
System Settings → Network → Firewall → Options → Allow Drive

Step 6: Check Metered Network Settings (Windows Only)

Windows may pause cloud sync on metered networks.

Go to:
Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → Network → toggle off “Metered connection”

Step 7: Check Date & Time Settings

Incorrect device time can break Google authentication tokens.

Enable automatic time zone settings.

Why This Fix Works

Google Drive sync requires continuous upload communication. If internet access is unstable, Drive may:

• Upload partially

• Pause indefinitely

• Fail silently

• Duplicate files

• Reject updates

Improving network access restores Drive’s real-time sync path.

Method 3: Check Google Drive Folder Locations and Sync Preferences

Even when Google Drive is running and logged in, syncing will fail if the folder locations are incorrect, missing, moved, or disconnected. This is one of the most common causes of sync problems on both Windows and Mac — especially if users recently changed directory structures, renamed folders, replaced hard drives, or modified file paths.

Google Drive for Desktop relies on precise folder mapping. If the application cannot locate the target folders, syncing may stall permanently.

Step 1: Confirm Folder Paths in Drive Settings

1️⃣ Click the Google Drive icon (taskbar on Windows, menu bar on Mac).
2️⃣ Select Preferences.
3️⃣ Check your synced folders under:

• My Computer

• Google Drive

Look for symbols like:
⚠️ exclamation marks
⛔ stop icons
🔄 perpetual spinning icons

These indicate folder sync errors.

If a folder path shows “missing” or “not found,” click Locate to point Drive to the correct folder again.

Step 2: Check External Drives, Network Drives, or USB Syncing

Many users sync folders stored on removable media. If:

• external drives are disconnected

• drive letters changed on Windows

• network drives lost authentication

• folders were moved

… Drive cannot sync those files.

Reconnect the storage source, then reopen Google Drive.

Step 3: Make Sure the Folder Is Not Locked or Restricted

Folder permissions must allow:

• Read access

• Write access

• Modify access

On Windows, right-click folder → Properties → Security.
On Mac, right-click → Get Info → Sharing & Permissions.

If Drive does not have full access, syncing stops instantly.

Step 4: Confirm “Sync Everything” vs “Sync Selected Folders”

Some users switch to selective sync without realizing it.

Navigate to:
Preferences → Google Drive

If Sync everything is disabled, verify that the missing folders are actually selected.

If not, syncing will appear broken — when it is simply filtered out.

Step 5: Check for Synced Files Hidden in Finder/Explorer

On Mac, Drive appears under Locations:
Google Drive

On Windows, Drive appears in File Explorer:
Google Drive (My Drive)

If you moved files manually inside these locations, Drive may not detect updates depending on sync rules.

Why This Fix Works

Drive sync depends entirely on directory structure. When that structure breaks, Drive cannot detect changes, uploads files to the wrong places, or becomes stuck searching for folders that no longer exist.

Correct folder mapping instantly restores sync logic and prevents future data mismatch issues.

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Method 4: Fix File Type, Size, Version, and Naming Conflicts

Sometimes Google Drive cannot sync files because the files themselves are invalid. In these cases, it’s not the app or the network — it’s individual file restrictions.

Drive will refuse to sync files that violate Google standards relating to:

• filename rules

• file sizes

• file locking

• temporary files

• corrupted formats

• duplicate versions

These problems commonly happen when working with Outlook PST archives, Photoshop PSD files, RAW images, video formats, or CAD data — especially when files are extremely large or frequently revised.

Step 1: Check Filename Restrictions

Google Drive does not allow the following characters in filenames:

If any file contains these characters, Drive will stop syncing that item and potentially pause the entire process.

Also avoid files ending with periods or trailing spaces.

Rename problematic files, then restart Drive sync.

Step 2: Check Maximum File Size Limits

Drive limits include:

• Uploaded documents: 50 MB when converting to Google Docs

• Individual file uploads: Up to 5 TB (storage must exist)

Most sync failures happen with media files over 50GB or folders containing hundreds of large files.

Try:
✔ splitting folders
✔ compressing files
✔ uploading in batches

Step 3: Check Locked or Open Files

If a file is:

• open in another app

• shared and locked

• being edited in Office

• being backed up

• being scanned by antivirus

… Google Drive may skip it.

Close the file → wait for sync → then reopen.

Step 4: Avoid Temporary, Cache, and System Files

Drive often skips these automatically:

• .tmp

• .part

• .lock

• .ini

• .db

• .lnk

These items are not designed for cloud sync.

Step 5: Fix Duplicate File Versions

If two files have the same name and exist in the same location, Drive may either:

• sync only one

• create duplicates

• drop both files

Rename one version to avoid overwriting or conflicts.

Step 6: Check File Ownership and Permissions

If a file is owned by another user and restricted to view-only access, you may not be able to sync updates.

Ask the file owner to grant:

• Editor access

• Transfer ownership

• Share permissions

Step 7: Check Unsupported Formats

Drive cannot open or preview all file types. If a format is unsupported, Drive may mark it as unsynced even if upload is successful.

This is normal — but confusing.

Step 8: Watch for Corrupted Files

Files that are partially downloaded, copied from damaged drives, or affected by power failures may be unreadable to Drive.

Copy the file → rename → upload again.

Why This Fix Works

Many users troubleshoot the app and the internet for hours, only to discover that Drive is failing because:

• one filename has a forbidden symbol

• one file is too large

• one file is open elsewhere

• one file is corrupted

Fixing file-level issues restores drive-wide syncing instantly — especially when the sync progress bar freezes or stalls.

Method 5: Check Storage Capacity on Google Drive and Local Device

One of the most overlooked reasons Google Drive stops syncing is insufficient storage — either on your Google cloud account or on your local device. Drive requires available space in both locations to complete uploads and downloads. If you run out of cloud space, Drive will reject uploads and display sync errors. If you run out of local disk space, Drive cannot download data or store cached files, which breaks sync operations.

This issue is especially common among students, professionals, and remote workers who frequently work with large files such as videos, compressed folders, backups, or design assets. Drive may appear to be syncing normally, but in reality, uploads silently fail when storage thresholds are crossed.

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Step 1: Check Google Cloud Storage Space

Visit:
https://one.google.com/storage

You will see how much of your 15GB free storage (or upgraded plan) is being used.

If you are near or at 100%, sync may:

• stall indefinitely

• skip larger files

• fail silently

• show “Not Enough Storage” errors

• stop future uploads completely

Uploads will not resume until space is cleared or storage capacity is increased.

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Ways to Free Up Google Drive Storage

✔ Delete large or unnecessary files

Sort Drive by size → remove unused items.

✔ Empty Google Drive trash

Trash still counts toward storage.

Steps:
Drive → Trash → Empty trash

✔ Remove Gmail attachments

Email attachments stored in Gmail count against Drive storage.

Search Gmail:

Delete unneeded emails.

✔ Clear Google Photos storage

High-resolution images take up significant cloud space.

Manage unnecessary media using:
https://photos.google.com

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Consider Upgrading Storage if Needed

If clearing space isn’t practical, upgrade storage. Google One offers affordable plans:

• 100GB

• 200GB

• 2TB

• 10TB+

For professional workloads, increased storage prevents future sync failures.

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Step 2: Check Local Storage on PC or Mac

Google Drive cannot sync if your local disk is low on free space.

On Windows:
Settings → System → Storage → Local Disk

On Mac:
Apple Menu → About This Mac → Storage

If space is nearly full, Drive may:

• refuse to sync

• stop downloading new files

• clear cache aggressively

• run extremely slow

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How to Free Local Space

✔ Delete temporary files
✔ Remove unused apps
✔ Clear browser data
✔ Archive older folders
✔ Move large files to external drives

Windows users can use “Storage Sense”; Mac users can use “Optimize Storage” recommendations.

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Disable Offline Sync for Large Folders

If Drive is syncing large directories offline, it may consume too much disk space.

To disable offline sync:

Windows & Mac:
Drive icon → Preferences → Google Drive → Uncheck “Mirror files” or offline options

Switch to streaming mode if possible.

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Why This Fix Works

Drive storage capacity issues are extremely common and often hidden. Even if just one large upload hits a storage limit, the entire sync chain can fail. Ensuring adequate cloud and local storage removes a major technical barrier and allows syncing to resume normally.

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Method 6: Update or Reinstall Google Drive for Desktop

If syncing still isn’t working after addressing connection, folder paths, file rules, and storage limits, the problem may lie within the Google Drive application itself. Over time, Drive can develop corrupted binaries, broken cache layers, missing system links, or version conflicts — especially after Windows or macOS updates.

An outdated or damaged Drive application may:

• hang during sync

• produce version mismatch errors

• crash silently

• misread folders

• duplicate data

• ignore updates

• refuse login

Updating or reinstalling the application rebuilds core functions and eliminates corrupted internal data.

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Step 1: Check Current Version of Google Drive

Open the Drive menu → Settings → About

If your version is several releases behind, sync may fail due to API or security incompatibilities.

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Step 2: Update Google Drive Manually

Visit:
https://www.google.com/drive/download/

Download the newest installer and run it.

The installer will upgrade your version and replace damaged components.

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Step 3: If Updating Fails → Reinstall Completely

Windows Reinstallation

1️⃣ Quit Google Drive
Right-click Drive icon → Quit

2️⃣ Open Programs & Features
Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program

3️⃣ Remove Google Drive

4️⃣ Delete leftover Drive folders
File Explorer → remove:

5️⃣ Restart computer

6️⃣ Download fresh Drive installer

7️⃣ Sign in and resume sync

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Mac Reinstallation

1️⃣ Quit Drive
2️⃣ Open Finder → Applications
3️⃣ Move Google Drive to Trash
4️⃣ Delete support folders:

5️⃣ Empty Trash → Restart
6️⃣ Download new installer
7️⃣ Sign in and reconfigure sync

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Step 4: Verify Sync After Reinstall

Once installed, check:
✔ Drive icon status
✔ Folder sync activity
✔ Cloud uploads
✔ Local downloads

Reinstallation resets cloud mapping and object indexing — solving deep sync corruption.

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Why This Fix Works

If Google Drive’s core engine is corrupted, nothing else will fix sync failures. Reinstalling ensures that:

• binaries are fresh

• background services restart

• file system links rebuild

• internal cache resets

• metadata cleans up

• configuration updates

• permission failures clear

This is especially important after major OS upgrades like Windows 11 builds or macOS Ventura/Sonoma releases.

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Method 7: Check Account Conflicts, Permissions, and Security Blocks

If Drive still isn’t syncing, it may not be a technical issue — it may be an account or permission conflict. Google Drive has layered authentication rules to protect data. If anything interrupts the trust chain, Drive stops syncing to prevent data exposure.

Common security-based sync blockers include:

• Incorrect Google login

• Expired authentication keys

• Organization admin restrictions

• Lost file ownership

• Disabled API access

• Account suspension

• Device removal

• Two-factor authentication mismatch

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Step 1: Confirm You Are Logged into the Correct Account

Many users have multiple Google accounts. If you are syncing files from Account A but Drive is logged into Account B, files will not appear.

Switch accounts and retry sync.

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Step 2: Check Google Workspace Admin Settings

If you are using a work or school account, your administrator may restrict:

• personal device syncing

• external Drive connections

• desktop app usage

• folder sharing

• offline access

Contact IT support to confirm policy status.

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Step 3: Check Shared File Ownership

If you are syncing shared folders, sync may stall if:

• ownership transferred

• access was revoked

• file permissions downgraded

Ask the owner to re-share with:
✔ Editor access
✔ Download rights
✔ Sync permission

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Step 4: Check Encryption and Security Software

Antivirus, endpoint security, VPN, and firewall products can block Drive sync packets.

Products known to block Drive include:

• McAfee

• Bitdefender

• Kaspersky

• CrowdStrike

• SentinelOne

• Norton

Whitelist Google Drive processes.

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Step 5: Remove and Reconnect Google Account Sync

On Windows and Mac:

1️⃣ Open Google Drive preferences
2️⃣ Disconnect account
3️⃣ Sign back in

This refreshes authentication tokens.

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Step 6: Reset Browser Google Login Sessions

If you sync using browser-based Drive uploads:

1️⃣ Open Chrome settings
2️⃣ Reset sync state
3️⃣ Clear Drive-related cookies

Drive will re-authenticate automatically.

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Step 7: Check Two-Factor Authentication Settings

If 2FA codes are not completing authentication, sync will break.

Refresh your verification method:

• Google Prompt

• SMS code

• Backup key

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Why This Fix Works

Drive sync relies on authentication. If Google does not trust your device identity, it will not share files through DriveFS or cloud backup. Refreshing permissions and identities restores sync access.

Conclusion

Google Drive syncing issues can be extremely disruptive — especially for professionals, students, remote workers, and businesses that rely on seamless file access. But the good news is that sync problems are almost always fixable, and most don’t require reinstalling your operating system or replacing hardware.

The seven methods in this guide cover the full range of likely causes:

1️⃣ App not running or signed in
2️⃣ Network or internet failure
3️⃣ Folder path conflicts
4️⃣ Invalid file rules
5️⃣ Storage limits on cloud or device
6️⃣ Outdated or corrupt Drive installation
7️⃣ Account or permission errors

By working through these steps in order, users can identify and eliminate the specific barrier preventing files from syncing. Many people find that the issue resolves after Method 1 or Method 2 — especially if Google Drive was paused, disconnected, or offline. Others discover that folder path corrections or file rule fixes solve the problem quickly. For users experiencing deeper software or account-level issues, reinstalling Drive or refreshing authentication settings usually restores full functionality.

It’s also helpful to remember that Google Drive sync may behave differently depending on your environment. Managed work accounts follow IT policies that can restrict Drive features. Users who work with large or complex files may see slower sync speeds or occasional upload pauses. Local storage shortages can cause unexpected errors. And external drives or network folders may behave differently than internal storage.

Once Drive is syncing properly again, you can prevent future disruptions by setting up good habits:

✔ Keep Drive updated
✔ Monitor storage usage
✔ Avoid unsupported file names
✔ Maintain account consistency
✔ Use reliable, high-speed internet
✔ Regularly review shared folder permissions

If syncing stops again in the future, returning to this guide will make troubleshooting much faster and easier.

Google Drive remains one of the most dependable cloud platforms available today. With the right fixes and system setup, syncing will continue to operate smoothly across all your devices — helping you stay organized, productive, and in control of your digital work.

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Disclaimer (Bazaronweb.com)

The information provided in this article is for educational and troubleshooting purposes only. Results may vary depending on operating system versions, device settings, file formats, Google account policies, and network environments. Bazaronweb.com is not responsible for data loss, account changes, software damage, misconfiguration, or cloud storage issues that may occur while following this guide.

Google Drive, Google One, and Google Workspace are trademarks of Google LLC. All referenced names and products remain the property of their respective owners. Bazaronweb.com is not affiliated with Google.