[A Full Guide] Fix Google Backup and Sync Not Working

Simon Marcus

2023-11-01 14:35:35

4631 views, 5 min read

Google Backup and Sync is a free application from Google which is used to sync your local files to Google Drive. This is very useful since unexpected events can occur that may damage our devices. The most essential item to retrieve, however, are your files. You can sync your files to Google Drive with Google Backup and Sync to ensure that they are protected. But sometimes, this syncing process is interrupted by an error. In this guide, we compiled a list of methods to try when Google Backup and Sync is not working.

If you aren't sure if you are having a Google Backup and Sync error, you will need to analyze your error message. The most common errors below are some that indicating the Google Backup and Sync not working issue.

• Sorry, Google Drive needs to quit.



• Sorry, Backup & Sync needs to quit.

• Backup and Sync has encountered a fatal error, and will now terminate.



• Something went wrong. There was a problem signing in.

Once you determine that you have a Google Backup and Sync issue, it's time to go to work on fixing it.

In this section, you will learn how to fix the Google Backup and Sync issue with the most common solutions. To get the best results, follow the methods in the order. If these methods don't work, we have other solutions to try as well, so don’t worry. Let's get started.

8 Common Solutions to Google Backup and Sync Not Working Problem

Solution 1: Pause and Resume Client

• On the bottom right of your computer, click on the system tray icon and select the three-dots to open the Settings menu.



• This will open a tray of options. Select Pause.

• Wait for a few seconds and select Resume.

Solution 2: Restart Backup and Sync

The most common solution is to simply restart Google Backup and Sync in hopes of giving it a fresh start. To do this, follow these steps:

• On the bottom right of your computer, click on the system tray icon and select Backup and Sync.

• Select Pause from the settings menu, then Quit Backup and Sync.



• Then you can relaunch Google Backup and Sync through the start menu or a desktop shortcut.

Solution 3: Re-connect Your Account

This method will log you out and into your Google Backup and Sync account. To do this, follow these steps:

• On the bottom right of your computer, click on the system tray icon and select Backup and Sync, then select Preferences.

• Navigate to your Settings tab and locate the Disconnect Account link and click it. This will now log you out of your Google Backup and Sync account.



• Reboot your Windows 11/10 PC.

• Sign back in to your Backup and Sync and pick the files/folders you want to backup and sync.

• Select Continue on any prompts during this process.

Solution 4: Check Network Settings

Sometimes your network settings can bottleneck Google Backup and Sync's ability to sync your account. To check your network settings, follow these steps:

• On the bottom right of your computer, click on the system tray icon and select Backup and Sync, then select Preferences.

• Select Network settings.

• You will now see a couple of different sections. Navigate over to Bandwidth Settings.

• Under the Bandwidth Settings, you will see a section called Download Rate and Upload Rate.

• There will be 2 options for each section. Make sure to select the Don't limit option.

Solution 5: Restart Router

Google's Backup and Sync requires a good steady internet connection which means that your router needs to have good speeds without interruptions. To test your network speed, follow these steps:

• Run multiple videos and applications that use bandwidth.

• Run a speed test by simply searching "Speed Test" on Google.

• You should see a speed test by Google. If not, using any website that returns the first result is also acceptable.

• If your Internet speed is slow, then simply restart your router. If this doesn't fix the slow speeds, then you need to upgrade to a higher speed to enable your Google Backup and Sync to work.

Solution 6: Restart the Computer

If you haven't rebooted your computer in a while, this can cause your system to develop issues that can interfere with Google's Backup and Sync. To reboot your Windows computer, follow these steps:

• Locate your windows 10 panel which is located on the bottom left side of your desktop. (Windows 11 panel is situated at the bottom center.)

• Press the Windows icon.

• You will see a panel of options.

• Select the Power button.

• Select Restart.

Solution 7: Add Google Backup & Sync as a Firewall Exception

When you have a firewall enabled, sometimes, it sees Google Drive Backup & Sync as a threat. Hence why it might block it from access. To check if this is true, follow these steps:

• Open the start menu search and type Windows Security. Then choose Open.

• There will be a menu of options on the left-hand side. Select Firewall & network protection.

• On the right panel. There will be links to different options. Select Allow an app through firewall.

• This will open another window. click Change settings option.



• Once you have opened Change settings, proceed to select the Allow an app… option located on the bottom right side of the window.

• On the Add an app window. Select Browse.

• Navigate to your Local Disk (C:) > Program Files > Google > Drive. Then there will be a file named googledrivesync, select Open.

• Another tab will open, select Network Types, then check the Private box, and select OK to apply all changes.



• After applying all changes, simply select add.

• You can now close any remaining windows. Check if Google Backup and Sync is now working.

Solution 8: Reinstall Backup and Sync

If nothing else works, it's time to completely reinstall Google Backup and Sync. Don't worry, locally synced files will not be lost. To reinstall, follow these steps:

• Right-click your Windows start menu and select Apps and Features.



• This will open your Settings tab where you will see all the applications you have installed on your computer. Locate Backup and Sync from Google.

• Once located, select it and click Uninstall. This might take a while so we suggest not closing the window.

• After the uninstallation. Install Backup and Sync from Google again.

4 Other Solutions to Google Backup and Sync Not Working Problem

If the most common methods don't work for you. Take it easy, since we have compiled other solutions that might help you out.

Solution 1: Delete Desktop.ini File

The desktop.ini file is a hidden file that can be found in any folder. It's used to keep track of how a Windows folder is organised and configured. Every time a backup and sync error is made, it will record that error in the desktop.ini file and it will not backup and sync any files until you have resolved this error or have deleted it. To delete the desktop.ini file, follow these steps:

• Press the Windows + R keys.

• This will open the run tab. Type in cmd and press OK.

• This will open the command prompt. Type in del/s/ah desktop.ini.

Solution 2: Delete Backup and Sync Configuration Files

The backup and sync application may have developed corrupted configuration files preventing you from syncing your files to Google. To delete and reset these configuration files, follow these steps:

• Press the Windows + R keys.

• This will open the run tab. Type in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\Drive and press OK.



• A file explorer will pop up. Delete the file labeled user_default.

Solution 3: Check Folder Preferences Settings

If you are trying to backup and sync multiple folders, one of those folders might not be configured properly to allow Google backup and Sync to work. To fix this, follow these steps:

• On the bottom right of your computer, click on the system tray icon and select the three-dots to open the Settings menu.

• This will open a tray of options. Select Preferences.

• Check the My Laptop tab and Google Drive tab and check if you have all the folders checked in both tabs. If not, check it.

Solution 4: Check Google Drive Status

Once in a blue moon, there is a chance that Google's servers are down. This prevents you from having a place to sync your files. To check if Google's servers are down, follow these steps:

• Head over to Google Workspace Status Dashboard.

• Check Google Drive.

• If it shows any color other than green, then you are looking at a Google Drive server issue.

• The best solution is to wait it out and keep up with any Google News update.

After fixing your Google Backup and Sync not working, you may wonder that why this issue happens. In this way, you could prevent it in the future. Here are the most common reasons why Google Backup and Sync is not working:

• Outdated Google Drive.
• Network access issues.
• Firewall issues.
• Third-party application interference.
• Network speeds.
• Google Drive servers being down.
• The app data may get corrupted or lost.
• Corrupted installation of Google Backup and Sync.

Google Backup and Sync is a fantastic application for keeping our files safe. It protects our local files by synchronising them with Google Drive, which we can access from any device. An error, however, may cause the synchronisation operation to be halted. This guide, on the other hand, has taught you how to correct this problem of Google Backup and Sync not working with 12 fixes.

Finally, in cases where you don't back up and sync your files while unknown error happen and cause them lost, you could still find your deleted and lost files with professional data recovery software like AnyRecover.