Google says it recognized and stuck a bug inflicting buyer information added to Google Drive after April-Could 2023 to vanish. Nonetheless, the repair is not working for all affected customers.
The Google Drive staff linked the customers’ information loss issues to a synchronization difficulty and mentioned it solely affected “a restricted subset” utilizing the desktop Drive app variations v84.0.0.0 – 84.0.4.0.
“We’ve got recognized the problem impacting a small subset of Drive for desktop customers on model 84, which solely affected native file adjustments that had but to be synced to Drive,” Google mentioned on November 29, two days after confirming the bug.
“This difficulty didn’t impression any file adjustments that had already synced and have been seen on the Drive cellular app or inside the Drive UI on the net.”
Though it describes it as a synchronization difficulty impacting its cloud-based storage service, the corporate says that affected clients can use the desktop app to “recuperate” native information that have not but synced to Drive.
To try this, you should obtain Drive for desktop 85.0.13.0 or greater, click on settings whereas urgent and holding the Shift key, after which click on the ‘Recuperate from backups” possibility that might be displayed beneath a brand new hidden dialog.
If the restoration course of begins, you will note a “Restoration has began” notification and a “Restoration is full” as soon as all misplaced information are restored. As soon as restoration is full, you will see a brand new folder in your desktop with the unsynced information named Google Drive Restoration.
In the event you get a “Not sufficient disk house” message,” you will should release some disk house and undergo the process once more.
Google advises these encountering points recovering their misplaced information to submit suggestions utilizing the #DFD84 hashtag whereas guaranteeing that the diagnostic logs possibility is checked.
They’ll additionally strive restoring their information from a Drive desktop account backup utilizing the command line device bundled with Drive for desktop model 85.0.13.0 or later utilizing the directions obtainable right here. The corporate additionally suggests recovering the information from Home windows or macOS Time Machine backups.
Restoration isn’t working for everybody
Sadly, Google’s resolution didn’t work for all affected clients, leaving some unable to retrieve misplaced information.
Whereas some customers accomplished the Google-recommended process, they did get a warning that some information could not be recovered.
”The answer despatched by e-mail, to recuperate from backup, says no backup was discovered,” one consumer mentioned. “Now I’ve no perspective of an answer and after I despatched an e-mail to the assist staff, I received an computerized reply of the best way to discover a file on the trash bin.”
One buyer added, “It isn’t attainable to contact an precise human at Google Drive which is essentially the most infuriating factor I’ve ever skilled! All of the Hassle Capturing options recommend ‘consumer fault’ however from simply studying this thread, that’s clearly not the case.”
Moreover being unable to achieve out to a Google assist worker, clients on the corporate’s assist boards are being helped by volunteers who seemingly have restricted Google Drive perception or aren’t within the loop concerning ongoing points beneath investigation and potential mitigations or fixes.
“Google Drive DELETED my information so they don’t seem to be obtainable for restoration. This ‘repair’ isn’t a repair,” another person mentioned, whereas one other requested earlier at present, “This repair isn’t working for anybody?”
Google Drive customers are cautioned to chorus from accessing their cloud storage till a repair is offered for all affected individuals to keep away from interfering with future restoration makes an attempt.
It is beneficial to contact Google Assist, open a brand new assist ticket, and preserve observe of official bulletins concerning this difficulty.
Google has but to answer to BleepingComputer’s request for touch upon whether or not the misplaced information are recoverable or irreversibly misplaced.
