Common Google Drive Errors And Solutions

Although G Suite is a well-rounded productivity suite, it’s possible to run into errors now and then. In today’s post we will look at the most common Google Drive error codes and suggest a solution for each one.

General G Suite Errors

These are general application errors (referenced from this Google support page); see later in this article for errors specific to file syncing.

• Error: ‘An unknown issue occurred and Google Drive needs to quit’
• Solution: sign in/out and then try accessing your files again.          

• Error: ‘Temporary Error (502)’: a long way to say try accessing your files again in a few minutes;
• Solution: After that time, click on a different section of Google Drive to refresh the files (e.g. “All Items”).

• Error: ‘Your Google Drive folder is missing’: the Google Drive app uses a specific folder on your computer; this error occurs when you move, rename or delete that folder.
• Solution: Click ‘Locate Folder’ when prompted if you moved/renamed the folder; if you deleted the folder, disconnect from Google Drive; you’ll be prompted to choose a new folder when you sign in again.

• Error: ‘The Google Drive server encountered an error’: this means the app is unable to connect to Google’s servers
• Solution: Click to retry connecting when prompted.

• Error: Google Drive quits without warning. 
• Solution: You’ll want to update your version of Google Drive if this happens more than once; download it from drive.google.com.

File And File Synchronization Errors

All of the general Google Apps errors listed above could occur while synchronizing files; here are some specific to accessing and synchronizing files (referenced from this Google support page):

• Error: ‘This file points to an invalid online Google document’
• Solution: Hopefully you still have a copy of that file because it’s no longer available in Google Drive. If you still have it, put it in your Google Drive folder and restart the app.

• Error: ‘The file on your computer is missing’: this means the file is missing from the Google Drive folder on your computer; hopefully you still have the file.
• Solution: Try restarting the Google Drive app.

• Error: Some files fail to sync: the Google Drive app will tell you if it can’t sync files if you click the Google Drive icon and then “View # unsyncable files”
• Solution: Click retry. If that doesn’t work, close and restart the Google Drive app.

Tips to Avoid Errors and Data Loss

The suggested remedies for Google Drive errors are for fixing the errors but not recovering your lost data; the unfortunate truth is that it’s often impossible. This is especially true if you were working on something and Google Drive unexpectedly quit. Worse, if you deleted a file or saved unwanted changes, Google Drive synchronizes those changes – that’s why it’s not a substitute for a real cloud to cloud backup. Follow these tips to help keep your data safe:

• Save your data frequently
• If you open up a file to make changes, first make a copy so you can go back to the original if need be
• Always keep a secure backup of your data in a separate location