Solved: Google Drive File Stream Not Working on Windows 10

User Case

Google Dive File Stream is a desktop application provide by Google Drive, which stores data online, to allow synchronization with the file system to access the data offline. From October 2021, Google Drive File Stream will be replaced by Drive for desktop, and users will need to switch to Drive for desktop to continue using it.

Not every app works perfectly, and Google Drive File Stream is no exception. Some users have encountered the "Google Drive File Stream not working" issue and complained multiple times. Here are some of the common issues.

◉ Poor or no syncing of files between your computer and Google Drive.
◉ Sync process gets stuck and displays the "Preparing for sync" message for a long time.
◉ Getting sync failure error message like “Authorization failure: No longer permitted to view the file.”
◉ Sudden stoppage of file synchronization.

Why Does the “Google Drive File Stream Not Working” Issue Occur?

Before knowing the solutions to these “Google File Stream not working” issues, we need to know the possible causes of these issues. The main reasons are:

✡ Outdated,corrupted cached folder/files.
✡ No storage space on the drive.
✡ Poor internet connectivity.
✡ Blocking of features by the Firewall/Antivirus.
✡ Outdated operating system/File Stream application.
✡ Interference of other Google Cloud Services.

How to Fix “Google Drive File Stream Not Working” Problem

We have some manual methods that can help you with "Google Drive File Stream Not Working" related issues. You can try one by one until your problem is resolved.

Method 1. Check Your Internet Connection

For smooth file streaming, a stable and strong network connection is required. So first try to check your current internet connection and its settings.

1. Press Windows + I key for opening Settings and here head to Network & Internet option.
2. Now check your network status, you can also click on Network troubleshooter to resolve network related issues.

Method 2. Disable Firewall and Anti-virus Programs

Windows Firewall and antivirus applications may block Google Drive File Stream functionality. To check if this is the problem, just disable Windows Firewall and installed antivirus applications for a while and check if Google Drive file streaming is back to normal.

1.  In the Windows search box type firewall and choose the option Windows Defender Firewall.
2. Choose the Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall option in the left panel to disable the installed antivirus apps.

3. Next, disable the installed antivirus programs by unchecking the box to the left, which will prevent the program from accessing network resources. You can also check the box to the right of the name labeled "Private" or "Public" to allow and prevent the app from running on a private or public network, respectively.

✿ Tip: If the program you wish to block is not listed, you can click the Allow another app… button in the lower right corner to add it.

4. Then return to Windows Defender Firewall page and click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off on the left panel.

5. Select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) at Private network settings and Public network settings. Then click OK to confirm.

Method 3. Rename the Google Drive File Stream Folder

Outdated or corrupted caches can also cause problems such as Google Drive Stream not working or Drive for desktop not working. Therefore, you can try to delete or rename its folder to solve these problems. Here are the simple steps to rename the Google Drive File Stream Cached Folder.

1. First, close the running Google Drive File Stream application.
2. Type command prompt in the search box and run it as an administrator.
3. Type the following command in Command Prompt window and hit Enter:

● %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\

4. Now, look out for the Google Drive File Stream folder and rename it with any name (or delete it).
5. Then restart your system and launch Google File Stream app to see is the problem is solved.

Method 4. Reinstall the Lasted Version of Google Drive Stream App

Updates from Google are designed to improve security and fix any bugs from previous versions. Therefore, users should update the Google Drive File Stream application or Drive for desktop to the latest version if it has not been updated. And the old version may be incompatible with Windows OS causing Google Drive File Stream not working or any other issues.

1. Press Windows + I key together to open the Settings app. Navigate to Apps section.

2. In the Apps & features section, find Google Drive File Stream or Drive for desktop click click Uninstall.
3. Then restart your computer and install the latest version of Google Drive File Stream. And try to do file streaming with latest app version.

Method 5. Disable Other Interfaces of Google Cloud Services

In past versions, Google Cloud services include Google Backup & Sync (for home users) and Google Drive File Stream (for work/school users). Users used to tend to use both at the same time. However, due to software glitches, sometimes Google Backup & Sync interfered with the operation of Google Drive File Stream, which may cause the problem of Google Drive File Stream not working. In that case, you could choose to exit or uninstall Google Backup & Sync to fix this issue.

1.  Right-click on the taskbar and select the Task Manager.

2. Then in the Task Manager window, find and right-click on the Google Drive File Stream app and select End Process. Repeat the process for all other processes related to the Google File Stream app.
3. Then click the Backup and Sync icon on the desktop, select the More icon, and click Quit Backup and Sync to exit the program.

4. Restart Google Drive File Stream and check if the synchronization is going well or not.

Method 6. Save Google Drive File Stream Files Offline

Google Drive File Stream uses a separate virtual network volume from your corporate network and can download files on demand. This is especially useful when you have an intermittent internet connection, as you don't need an internet connection to access Google File Stream's virtual network volume (unlike Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides).

However, if there is a communication failure between Google Drive File Stream's virtual network volume and your system, you may encounter that Google Drive File Stream application not working issue. To resolve this issue, it is best to download the file offline.

1. In the File Explorer, open Google Drive File Stream drive.

2. Now select and right-click on any of the files or folders and then select Drive File Stream. Then in the sub-menu click on Available Offline.

3.  Now check if the problem “Google Drive File Stream not working” is solved.

The Easier Free Way to Sync Files to Google Drive on Windows 10

After you resolve program issues like "Google Drive File Stream not working" or "Drive for desktop not working", you can use free third-party software to help you sync files to Google Drive on Windows 10 more easily. AOMEI Backupper Standard is a free backup and sync software which supports all Windows operating systems such as Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP. You can use it to sync files to multiple cloud services such as Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox,etc. You can also use it to set up automatic syncing to save you a lot of repetitive actions. You can choose a daily, weekly, monthly time frequency.

The whole operation steps are very simple, just a few clicks. Let's take a look at how to use it to sync files to google drive, and you can learn more about this software from the tutorial below.

Step 1. Click the download button below to install this freeware on your computer.

Step 2. Launch AOMEI Backupper, on the main window, click Sync -> Basic Sync.

✿ Tip: This software also provides you with another 3 sync modes - Real-Time Sync, Mirror Sync and Two-Way Sync. These 3 modes are available in AOMEI Backupper Professional. You can click here to learn about the differences between Syncs before deciding whether to upgrade.

Step 3. Click Add Folder to choose files or folders to sync to Google Drive.

Step 4. Click the inverted triangle and choose Select a cloud drive. And then choose Google Drive as destination.

✿ Tip: You can also choose to sync files to external or internal hard drives, network location or NAS devices.

Step 5. To automatically sync files to Google Drive, tick Schedule Sync and Enable Schedule Sync. You can select daily, weekly, monthly, event triggers, or USB plug in. The last 2 modes are available in Professional version.

Step 6. After confirming all settings, click Start Sync to begin the operation.

✨ Bonus tip: backup files to AOMEI Cloud

As cloud storage is becoming more and more popular, AOMEI offers users its own cloud - AOMEI Cloud. After you sign up for an AOMEI account, you can use 1TB storage for free within 15 days. Just click Backup > Cloud Backup to backup files to AOMEI Cloud.

Conclusion

Hope you can solve the "Google Drive File Stream not working" problem with the methods provided in this article. Finding out exactly why your Google Drive isn't working can be time-consuming and laborious. To get rid of these annoyances, it is recommended that you use the free Google Drive sync software - AOMEI Backupper to sync your files.

AOMEI Backupper not only help you protect or transfer your files, but also your system. You can use it to back up your system ahead of time in case anything unexpected happens to your computer. You can also turn to it when Windows 10 File History is not working.