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Do you use Google Drive to store your files in the cloud? You are not alone. Many people have chosen Google’s cloud, which has been considered one of the most reliable cloud services for many years.
But in recent days, this reputation has been called into question. In fact, users are starting to report file losses.
Unrecoverable files?
The first report appears to date back to a post on Google’s official support forum a little less than a week ago. The person who wrote it indicates that many files have disappeared from his drive, and that it has returned to what it was last May. She specifies that she did not delete any files manually, and that the missing files did not appear anywhere – not even in the recycle bin. A search of audit logs otherwise revealed no activity. The files simply disappeared.
Even the recovery procedure recommended by Google’s support service was of no use, writes the person concerned, who refers to a “horrible problem” to which there is no answer.
Quickly, other Google Drive users reported similar stories. In some cases, six months of files have disappeared. “I am completely panicked,” wrote one of the people concerned, while another added: “This is a serious problem that needs to be raised urgently. » One says she received this scary response from Google: “If the recovery tool didn’t restore your files, I’m afraid we won’t be able to recover them.” »
How to protect your files?
About a week later, a Google community manager responded to the original complaint, saying the company was investigating the issue “which affects a limited number of users of the desktop version of Google Drive,” adding that more information would be communicated as soon as a solution was found.
In the meantime, Google suggests not deleting or moving the app folder containing your data and not logging out your account. If the community manager specifically mentioned the desktop version, there is no guarantee that the problem does not affect other versions of the application.
So, if you have space on your hard drive, Google also recommends making a copy of your data hosted in the application. This is still the best way to ensure you don’t lose files.
An unofficial workaround
Among the responses to the first complaint, a workaround was proposed by a member of the Google community. But, while this solution worked for its files, it involves diving into the folder containing the account data – something Google specifically recommends not doing.
For the moment, Google has not indicated whether it will be possible to recover the missing files. However, the fact that there appears to be an unofficial solution gives reason for hope.
Source: ZDNet.com