Dec 08, 2023 16:00:00

Google claims that the Google Drive data loss problem has been ``fixed'', and closes a forum thread that argues that it has not been fixed.

by

blankswife

In November 2023, an issue occurred in which about half a year's worth of data suddenly disappeared on the desktop version of Google Drive, and Google released recovery procedures on December 7th. Google's official forums have been filled with posts from users complaining that the problem has not been resolved yet, but it has been reported that the thread has been locked by Google.

Google calls Drive data loss “fixed,” locks forum threads saying otherwise | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/12/google-calls-drive-data-loss-fixed-locks-forum-threads-saying-otherwise/

Google describes the mysterious file disappearance that occurred in versions 84.0.0.0 to 84.0.4.0 of the Google Drive desktop app as a ``sync issue,'' and the help document published after the investigation states, ``Some files are not synced to Drive. If you encounter problems accessing local files that are missing, please follow the steps in one of the solutions below to recover your files.'

However, IT news site Ars Technica said, ``If it's just a sync issue, it just means the files aren't syncing properly to and from the cloud, so that doesn't explain why some people lost their files completely.'' No,” he pointed out.

According to Ars Technica, there are multiple people on

forums reporting this issue who are complaining that data in spreadsheets and documents has disappeared. The impact of the desktop app is unknown, as all of the missing files were created and saved through the web interface, i.e. the browser, rather than the desktop app. Many users said ``May 2023'' was when their files were no longer saved, and some said they had never even used the desktop app.

Google hasn't revealed the details of the problem or what exactly it fixed, but Ars Technica speculates that the file streaming mode, which is the default sync method, is the culprit.

This mode allows you to save on storage usage as your data is stored in the cloud and only a web link to the file is provided. According to Ars Technica, it is believed that this problem was caused by a synchronization problem and the file was deleted from the PC before being uploaded. However, there is no explanation for the complaint that web documents can no longer be found, so there may be other issues involved.

Google locked the forum to prevent replies and also locked another thread as a 'duplicate' before a solution to the problem was revealed. Ars Technica says, ``Taking away space to diagnose problems and tell people how to fix them doesn't mean Google is more interested in keeping its reputation intact than helping users.'' Additionally, you can no longer reply to posts with solutions, and since Google has cut off the easiest way to get user feedback and support, it's hard to evaluate the effectiveness of the fix. It's also difficult to do.'

Most of the few replies to the thread before it was locked indicate that Google's fix isn't working. One user called the fix a 'complete save failure (BS) ' and said that 'the solution didn't work for most people.' Another user commented, ``My Google Drive files have been deleted and cannot be restored. This 'fix' is not a fix at all,'' and declared that he will no longer use Google Drive as he will be moving to Dropbox. There were also people.