Users have reported losing access to files created after May 2023
Google appears to have fixed an issue that caused Google Drive cloud storage users to experience file disappearance issues in November.
Google recommends updating the Drive desktop app to the latest version for Windows or macOS — version 85.0.13.0 or higher. A new tool has been added to the application to recover missing files.
However, Google notes that the new method does not guarantee the return of missing files – only if the recovery tool can find a backup copy.
Once the recovery process begins, you will see one of the following notifications — «Recovery has begun» or «No backups found». If a backup existed, after a while you should receive a “restore complete” message. If the process fails, you may need to free up disk space and run the recovery tool again.
Users can also recover missing files using the command line interface on the computer. The procedures for both options are described in detail on the Google Drive support site.