Google Drive users are expressing frustration as recent files stored in the cloud have seemingly vanished, with the service reverting to a storage snapshot from around April-May 2023. Google Drive, a widely utilized cloud-based storage service, enables users to store and retrieve files across various devices through their Google accounts.
Complaints emerged on Google’s support forums last week, detailing the loss of recent data and alterations to folder structures. Users emphasized the severity of the issue, with one stating, “I pay extra each month to store folders in the cloud so that it is safe, so it is devastating that all my work appears to have been lost.”
Despite affected users reporting no recent changes in activity logs, ruling out accidental deletion, the problem seems to lie within the service’s system. There are no known methods to restore missing data from offline caches, adding to user frustration.
Google’s volunteer support agents shared a response from the company’s support engineers, acknowledging the ongoing investigation. However, no estimated timeline for a resolution has been provided.
In the absence of effective assistance from Google’s support forums, users are cautioned against modifying the root/data folder until the situation is clarified and the root cause identified. This recommendation aims to avoid complicating the recovery process.
The loss of critical data entrusted to the cloud has understandably agitated users, particularly those who paid for file hosting — Google’s support forums, managed by volunteers with limited insight into the cloud service, exacerbate the lack of effective assistance for critical issues.
Efforts to obtain an update from Google on the internal investigation and the recoverability of lost files have not yielded a response at the time of publication. In the interim, affected users are advised to refrain from altering their cloud storage, consider local file backups, or explore alternative cloud services until the issue is resolved.
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