Google Drive is so useful that you can share your files with anyone and even get back files you accidentally deleted. Your files and folders are easily accessible on various platforms and supported devices including your Windows computer as well as mobile devices. But like any other tech products, Google Drive has its share of bugs and problems.
For instance, if you press a random key, Google Drive files and folders will sometimes disappear from view. This simple guide explains why your Google Drive folder or file might not show up or might have gone missing on your Windows 10 or 11 PC file explorer window and how to fix the problem.
Reasons Why you Can’t Locate Google Drive Files & Folders on Windows PC
Most of the time, uploaded Google Drive folders and files don’t appear in Windows 10 PC when you look through them on Windows or Microsoft File Explorer app. There are many reasons for this, such as the file being moved to another folder without your knowledge, being blocked or deleted by antivirus software, or having temporary technical issues caused by bugs and glitches affecting the Google Drive service.Â
How do you locate and find folders and files on Google Drive that are missing? In what comes next, you’ll find answers. Let’s look at them carefully and take the solutions one at a time.
Solutions on How to Troubleshoot & Fix Google Drive Files or Folders Missing & Not Showing up on Windows File Explorer on PC
After you have come across the issue with files from your Google Drive cloud storage account that are not appearing, showing up or have gone completely missing on your Windows 10 or 11 computer, you can try the following methods to make those uploaded, shared, and synced files in Google Drive appear again.
Solution #1 – View your Google Drive Account Activity Panel
The Activity Panel is a powerful tool in Google Drive that records your actions within the service. Consequently, checking the Activity Panel should be the first step if an issue with Google Drive files does not appear.
- Access your Google Drive account by going to the Google Drive website.
- Click the “info” icon in the My Drive section, then scroll down until you find the folder you believe has vanished from Google Drive.
Solution #2 –Â Use Incognito Mode
The missing Google Drive files issue is likely to manifest itself automatically in Incognito Mode. Try the following steps:
- Open Google and select the New Incognito window by clicking the three dots in the top right corner of the page.
- Visit the official Google Drive website while logged into your Google account. In this mode, you’ll observe that your missing files are appearing.
- After opening any file or folder, close it, go back to the Standard Browser window and then shut all other windows.
- Reopen Google Drive to check if the issue with files missing from Google Drive has been resolved.
Solution #3 –Â Inspect your Windows PC Trash Folder
You have the option to retrieve your inadvertently deleted download files and folders from the trash folder. It is very useful for files removed within 30 days. However, this remedy is ineffective for files deleted for longer than 30 days.
- Open your Google Drive account and log in.
- Scroll down in the Trash tab to find your missing files.
- To restore your downloaded files, right-click the file you want and select the Restore option.
Try using third-party software tools to scan and recover files on your Google Drive if files are still not appearing on your Windows 10/11 computer.
