How to Fix Google Drive Error Accessing Folder Contents

Written by Tijana Google Workplace / Drive

- 4 min read

Google’s cloud service - Google Drive, is the primary means of storing all sorts of files, images, videos, and documents for many users.

The service is one of the best developed currently available on the market, which is why it counts over 800 million daily users.

However, considering the gravity of the cloud service, it’s natural for issues to pop out every now and then.

Reportedly, users are being prompted by an error ‘Google Drive: Error Accessing Folder Contents’, which surely makes using the platform a bit more complicated.

Since the solution doesn’t seem to be as apparent as needed, Google users are getting stuck trying to resolve this issue.

The good news is, that if you, too, are struggling with this error, we can help you with this. Check out the solution in the article below.

👉 Check out: Google Drive Window: How to Rename Drive.

Accessing folder contents not uploaded on Google Drive error

When errors such as this one surface, it’s difficult to determine a single cause of the issue. So, try out one of the five possible solutions listed below:

Solution 1: Check your Internet Connection

plug-in-and-out-on-internet-switch

Regardless of the device that you’re using - a laptop, computer, tablet, or smartphone, Google Drive needs a stable connection when accessing your cloud storage.

Make sure to double-check your Internet status. You can either check it on SpeedTest or switch from data to Wi-Fi.

Solution 2: Check your storage space

Insufficient storage might be what is causing this error. After you spend all your free storage in Google Workspace, all services will stop working properly, and all sorts of errors might surface.

  • Open the Google Drive app > Tap on ‘Buy Storage’ > In the new window, check the exact left storage for your Google account.

google drive storage

Solution 3: Update Google Drive to the latest version

If you’re experiencing this issue with the Google Drive Desktop app, or the Drive app on your smartphone/tablet, make sure the Drive app is up to date.

If the app is running on an older software release, you might bump into issues and errors such as this one.

Solution 4: Disconnect and reconnect the Drive app

It’s not uncommon for errors to occur due to some minor technical bugs and glitches. Disconnect your account from the Drive app temporarily, and reconnect it in a few minutes. This might help resolve the issue if the error occurred due to a bug.

Solution 5: Rename the folders in the Google Drive account

If the folder that is causing the issue has some special characters in the name, you might have pinpointed the root of the problem.

Make sure to remove any special characters, and rename the folder as simple as possible. This should ultimately solve your problem.

Bonus solutions:

  • Disabling antivirus/firewall apps: Windows laptops and computers usually have antivirus and firewall apps. Try disabling them, go back to Google Drive, and check if the issue persists. If the problem gets resolved, consider switching to a different antivirus.
  • Sign out and sign back into the Drive app: If nothing else seems to be fixing the error, sign out, and sign back in. Try uploading the file once again after doing so.

Conclusion

Using Google Drive on a daily basis surely helps in storing all your important data in a single place. This is why receiving errors of this sort is a real hassle until resolved.

Consider backing up your Drive data to other clouds for safety.

If you liked this article, check out: How to Change Language in Google Drive and How to Stop Link Sharing - Google Drive.