Reports suggest that Google Drive might have lost user data spanning several months.
Many users went to the Google Support forum to complain about files disappearing, as reported by Android Police. Google is currently investigating the issue but hasn’t identified the root cause or resolved it as of now.
Users Report Losing Several Months’ Worth of Data On Google Drive
A user named Yeonjoong initially raised the problem, observing the disappearance of files dating back to May 2023. Yeonjoong noticed that their Google Drive had reverted to its state from last May, despite no intentional changes on their part. The post mentioned, “No files were deleted manually, so no files in Trash. I never synced or shared my files and drive with anyone; I used the drive locally.” Despite collaboration with the Google support team, Yeonjoong has not yet recovered the files.
Following Yeonjoong’s initial post, at least ten users joined in, stating that they also experienced the loss of several months’ worth of data. Additional users have independently shared their concerns about the problem. Despite efforts to troubleshoot with the support team, they have not succeeded in recovering their files. Many users emphasized that the missing data includes crucial work-related files.
A user received a message from Google acknowledging that the issue has impacted multiple customers. The message stated, “This is now under investigation by our Product Engineers, and we are also awaiting a root cause analysis on how we can fix it.” Since it is still under investigation, the engineers don’t have an estimated time for resolution.
Meanwhile, the message advises users to refrain from making any changes to the Drive root folder until engineers offer additional instructions.
Users across various forums and platforms have been expressing their frustration and concern regarding a significant issue with Google Drive. Reports are flooding in, indicating that users have experienced the distressing loss of several months’ worth of data stored on Google Drive.
The problem was initially highlighted by a user named Yeonjoong, who noticed files disappearing dating back to May 2023. What’s particularly alarming is that these losses occurred without any intentional actions on the users’ part. Yeonjoong mentioned that their Google Drive seemed to have reverted to its status from last May, despite no manual deletions, syncs, or file sharing activities.
The impact of this issue has rippled across the user community, with at least ten others chiming in to share similar tales of data loss spanning several months. Separate posts have emerged from users facing this distressing situation, and despite their efforts to troubleshoot with the Google support team, a resolution has remained elusive.
In response to these concerns, Google has acknowledged the widespread nature of the problem. A user received a message from Google stating, “This is now being investigated by our Product Engineers, and we are also waiting for a root cause analysis on how we can fix it.” Unfortunately, due to the ongoing investigation, there is no estimated time for a resolution.
As a precautionary measure, users have been advised not to make any changes to the Drive root folder until further instructions are provided by the engineering team. The gravity of the situation is underscored by the fact that many affected users stress the critical nature of the missing data, which often includes work-related files.
This ongoing incident has raised concerns about the reliability and safety of data stored on Google Drive, prompting users to seek reassurance and swift action from Google to address and rectify this unsettling loss of data.
