4 Ways to Fix Google Drive Not Syncing on Windows 11

Common Fixes

• Check your internet connection: Ensure your device is connected to a stable internet connection. For better internet speed, connect to the 5GHz Wi-Fi frequency band.
• Inspect your Google Drive storage: Open Google Drive in your browser and look at the Storage bar in the sidebar to check the free space.
• Check the Google Drive error list: Click the Up arrow icon at the right end of the Windows 11 taskbar and select the Google Drive icon. Click its Gear icon (at the top right) and select Error list to view sync errors.
• Reopen the Google Drive app: Select the Up arrow in the taskbar, click the Google Drive icon, and open Settings via the Gear button. Click Quit to close its running instance and relaunch the app.
• Update or reinstall the Google Drive app: Download the latest Google Drive app installer to update or reinstall the Google Drive app.

Fix 1: Resume the Google Drive Sync Manually

If Google Drive isn’t syncing automatically on Windows 11, trigger it manually by resuming the sync service.

Step 1: Click the Up arrow at the right end of the taskbar and select the Google Drive icon.

Step 2: Select the Gear icon at the top right and click Resume syncing.

Fix 2: Remove Bandwidth Restriction

If you’ve capped Google Drive’s download and upload speed to limit your data usage, its file sync might fail. Adjust the bandwidth settings to resume Google Drive sync on Windows 11.

Step 1: Click the Google Drive icon in the taskbar (check the above steps), select the Gear icon at the top right, and open Preferences.

Step 2: Open Google Drive settings via the Gear icon at the top right.

Step 3: Scroll down to locate Bandwidth settings > uncheck Download rate and Upload rate to remove speed restrictions > click Save to apply changes.

Fix 3: Disconnect and Reconnect Your Google Account

Existing issues with your Google account can often halt the Google Drive sync service. To resume sync, disconnect and reconnect your account manually in the Drive app.

Step 1: Open Google Drive preferences (check the above steps) and click the Gear icon at the top right.

Step 2: Select Disconnect account next to your connected Google account and click Disconnect to confirm it.

Step 3: Reopen the Google Drive app and sign in with your Google account credentials to resume sync.

Fix 4: Launch Google Drive at Startup

If you manually resume Google Drive sync each time your PC reboots, adjust its startup settings to launch the Google Drive app when the system starts. This way, the app will automatically sync files and the latest changes at system startup.

Step 1: Open Google Drive preferences and click the Gear icon at the top right.

Step 2: Scroll down and enable Launch Google Drive when you login to your computer.