I purchased 2TB of Google Drive storage and installed the desktop app on my PC. I wanted to sync files between my desktop and laptop, so I tried syncing my Documents folder and parts of AppData (Local and Roaming folders worked, but LocalLow wouldn’t sync for some reason).
After the sync started, everything went wrong. My taskbar icons turned blank and stopped working when clicked. Quick access shortcuts vanished completely. All browser logins got wiped out along with saved passwords. Programs like Discord and Steam wouldn’t launch at startup anymore. Even after reinstalling Steam, it kept saying my game files were corrupted.
I used a system restore point from a week ago which fixed the taskbar and startup programs. Steam can see my games again, but several titles just show black screens and won’t load properly. These games worked perfectly before this mess happened. My browser still hasn’t recovered any of the saved login credentials.
This is really frustrating since I expected a backup service to protect my data, not destroy it. Has anyone else experienced similar issues with Google Drive sync?
Been there - had the exact same disaster three years ago. Google Drive syncs every file change, but Windows system files and app data change constantly while programs run. When Drive tries uploading a file that’s actively being used, you get corruption and conflicts. Your games are black screening because their config files or shader caches got corrupted during sync. Browser credentials are stored in encrypted databases that break when they’re partially synced or modified. Try running disk cleanup and clearing temp files - might fix some lingering issues. Going forward, make a dedicated sync folder and stay away from system directories. The desktop app handles regular documents fine, but it wasn’t built for active system files.
Same thing happened to me last year - made the exact same mistake. Google Drive’s desktop sync doesn’t play nice with system folders. When you sync AppData, it basically corrupts your user profile since apps are constantly writing to those files. Those blank taskbar icons? That’s the sync messing with Windows shell cache files. Your browser lost all its saved logins because syncing browser profiles while the browser’s running creates conflicts with the database files. Pro tip: never sync system folders like AppData, ProgramData, or anything in Windows. These contain app states and system configs that shouldn’t be shared between different machines. Just stick to Documents, Pictures, and your personal stuff. You’ll probably need to reinstall some programs to get everything working again - system restore won’t always fix corrupted app data.
ugh, i feel you! syncing appdata is a nightmare - it breaks everything. skip those folders and just back up your actual documents and files. hope you get it sorted out!
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