Google Drive “Error Accessing Folder Contents”: How to Fix It

Error accessing folder contents, often with “not uploaded” next to it, means Drive for desktop couldn’t read or sync a folder on your Windows PC or Mac. The fix that works most often is simple: quit Drive for desktop, open it again, and let it retry.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to tell where the Google Drive error accessing folder contents comes from, then walk through the fixes Google documents, in the order I’d try them.

See if the folder opens on the web

Before you change anything, open drive.google.com in your browser and go to the same folder. This one test tells you where the problem lives.

If the folder and its files show up, your data is fine and the problem is the desktop app. If you get a permission message instead, my guide on being unable to access a document in Google Drive explains what’s going on.

When I tested this with my Bluebird Landscaping folder, every file loaded fine, so a desktop fix was the next step.

Restart Drive for desktop first

A fresh start clears most temporary sync hiccups. I always try this first, and it’s the first step on Google’s own troubleshooting list too.

1. Click the Drive for desktop icon (bottom right of the taskbar on Windows, top menu bar on a Mac).
2. Click Settings > Quit.
3. Open Drive for desktop again and give it a few minutes to catch up.
4. Still stuck? Restart your computer too.

If the app won’t open at all after quitting, my guide on what to do when you can’t launch Drive for desktop picks up from there.

Check your connection, firewall, and proxy

Drive for desktop needs a stable connection. Google also warns that some firewall, proxy, and other network settings can interfere with it, so a VPN or office network is a common suspect.

• Switch to another network, like your phone’s hotspot, and watch whether the folder syncs.
• If you use antivirus with web protection, allow Google Drive instead of switching your protection off.
• On a work laptop, ask your IT team to check the firewall rather than changing it yourself.

If Drive drops off even on good Wi-Fi, read why Google Drive keeps going offline.

Make sure your storage isn’t full

Two kinds of space matter here. Your Google storage must have room for new files, and your computer’s disk needs room too, because Drive for desktop syncs through local storage.

To check Google storage, open drive.google.com and click Storage in the left menu.

A free account gets 15 GB shared across Drive, Gmail, and Photos, and files in Trash still count. If the meter says full but you can’t find the files, see storage full but no files.

For a low disk space warning on your computer, free up space on the drive it names, then quit and reopen the app.

Shared folders: Google says this error can also show up when you sync changes to a file you don’t own and the owner is out of storage. Only the owner can fix that one.

Confirm you have permission to the folder

Drive for desktop needs two kinds of permission: edit access in Google Drive, and read and write access on your computer.

• In Drive: if someone shared the folder with you as a viewer, ask them for edit access. For a shared drive, ask its manager.
• On Windows: right-click the folder, click Properties, and check the Security tab.
• On a Mac: right-click the folder, choose Get Info, and check Sharing & Permissions.

Asking takes a minute, and my post on how to request access in Google Drive shows the exact steps.

Disconnect and reconnect your account

This rebuilds the link between the app and your Google Account. Copy your Lost & Found folder somewhere safe first, because Google says it’s deleted when you disconnect. On Windows it lives here:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS\lost_and_found

1. In Drive for desktop, click Settings > Preferences > Advanced Settings.
2. Find your account and click Disconnect account.
3. Sign in again and choose a location for the Google Drive folder.

If you only want one folder to stop syncing rather than the whole account, here’s how to turn off Google Drive sync instead.

Update or reinstall Drive for desktop

An outdated app can trip over folders it should handle. Google’s fix is to download the most recent version and install it over the old one.

Run GoogleDriveSetup.exe on Windows or GoogleDrive.dmg on a Mac. Check that your operating system is supported first. On a work or school account, your admin may need to install it for you.

What about clearing the DriveFS cache?

You’ll see guides telling you to delete the DriveFS cache folder. Google doesn’t document that step. What it does say is that if the local cached files directory isn’t accessible, you should make sure that folder and its content_cache folders have read and write permissions.

Google also warns that system cleaner apps such as CCleaner and Advanced SystemCare can edit Drive for desktop’s settings, cause errors, and even lose data. If you run one, exclude Google Drive from it.

Still failing? Check Google’s status

Sometimes it isn’t you. Google’s help says to check the Google Workspace Status Dashboard and wait if Drive shows a problem.

If it’s all clear, try uploading the folder’s subfolders one at a time on drive.google.com. If the web upload fails too, my post on Google Drive upload failures covers browser-side fixes, and a Failed – Server error has its own steps.

Want to keep your Drive syncing smoothly? These help too:

• the Google Drive error list and Retry all
• Google Drive stuck waiting to upload
• shrink big files before you upload them
• empty the trash to free up space

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