Although cloud storage is a convenient way of storing/sharing files, you might face some intermittent technical errors. For example, some files from your Google Drive account won’t download after zipping. Situations like this can occur for various technical reasons.
Fortunately, these errors can be resolved pretty easily by following a few methods. In this write-up, I have shortlisted 6 foolproof methods that should eliminate any errors when downloading from G-Drive.
So without wasting any more time, let’s get started.
How to Solve Google Drive Not Downloading Files
If your Google Drive is not downloading files after zipping, the first thing you need to do is clear the cache & cookies of the browser. Then head over to the browser’s Privacy and security settings & add Google Drive’s website as a site that can always use cookies.
Additionally, you should double-check that you’re using the correct account to download files from G-Drive. In case the issue persists, use a different browser or the Google Drive app to download contents from your account.
To know more about it, go through each of the following methods, and don’t skip over any crucial steps.
But before we begin troubleshooting, make sure your internet connection is stable. Restart the modem and router if necessary. Also, ensure that the Google servers are not offline or under maintenance. If the issue is occurring from Google’s end, all you can do is wait until they fix it.
Anyway, here’s how to fix Google Drive not downloading issue:
If too much browser cache and cookies accumulate over time, the web pages might have difficulty with loading necessary data and format. Cookies can also get corrupted when you don’t clear them for a long time.
As a result, you might not be able to download files from certain websites. To get rid of this issue, you need to clear the cached data and cookies of your browser ASAP.
Follow these steps to clear the cache and cookies of your browser:
For Google Chrome
- Launch Chrome and click on the three-dot icon from the top right corner of the app.
- Select Settings.
- Click on Privacy and security from the left side pane.
- Select Clear browsing data and go to the Advanced tab.
- Tick the boxes for the following options; Cookies and other site data, Cached images and files, and Site settings.
- Hit Clear data.
For Mozilla Firefox
- Run the Firefox app and click on the hamburger icon at the top right corner of the screen.
- Select Settings.
- Click on Privacy & Security from the left side pane.
- Select Clear Data… from the Cookies and Site Data section.
- Tick both boxes and hit Clear.
That’s it. Now re-open your browser and go to your Google Drive account to see if you can download your files. If not, move on to the next method.
Let’s try another basic solution. Manually allowing cookies for certain websites can often resolve download related issues when the site can’t issue another accept cookies prompt.
Here are the steps to allow cookies for Google Drive on Chrome:
- Go to Chrome’s Settings and click on Privacy and security from the left side pane.
- Select Cookies and other site data.
- Scroll down to the Customized behaviors section.
- Click on Add next to the Site that can always use cookies option.
- Type drive.google.com in the box and tick the box for Include third-party cookies on this site.
- Hit Add.
Now close your browser and launch it again.
3. Remove Unnecessary Extensions
There are some Chrome extensions(such as aggressive ad-blocker) that often restrict certain actions of websites that are necessary to download files, such as pop-ups or download prompts.
It’s a good thing when predatory web pages try to save malicious software on your PC, but it can also prevent you from downloading content from safe websites.
If any of the extensions that you’ve installed on your browser are blocking websites from saving files on your computer, you won’t be able to download from Google Drive. In such cases, remove those extensions from your browsers.
If you’re a Chrome user, select the extension icon from the top-left corner and click on the three-dot icon next to the extension that you want to remove. Then select Remove from Chrome. That should do it.
4. Use the Correct Google Account
People who use multiple Google account on their PC needs to choose the correct account with respect to Google Drive. The easiest way to do so is to log out of all sessions and only log in with the G-Drive account from where you want to download.
To do so, click on your Google account’s profile picture from your browser’s home page and select Sign out of all accounts. 
Then log in with your desired Gmail account and go to its google drive page to download files from it.
5. Reset/Reinstall Google Chrome
If none of the above solutions have worked for you, reset your browser to its default settings. That should eliminate any improper configuration that you might have done unknowingly.
Here’s how to reset Google Chrome:
- Click on the ellipsis(vertical three dots) icon from the top right corner.
- Select Settings.
- Click on Reset settings from the left side pane.
- Select Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Hit Reset settings.
You can also try uninstalling the browser from your PC and reinstalling it again to see if that fixes the problem. Click on the Windows search bar and search for Apps and features. From there, find and select Google Chrome and hit Uninstall.
Then open Microsoft Edge and download Google Chrome from there. Click on the installation file and complete the process.
6. Use a Different Browser
Last but not least, switch to another browser in case the issue persists no matter how much troubleshooting you perform. You can also use the Google Drive app on your smartphone to download files and then transfer the contents to your computer using a data cable.
There are many alternate methods that you can try when you can’t download contents from Google Drive, such as transferring files from one G-Drive account to another and try downloading files from that secondary account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download Google Drive’s contents from another account?
Yes. You can download one account’s G-Drive contents using another account if the first account has given access to said contents.
Why can’t I download files from Google Drive?
In case you can’t download Google Drive files, your browser might be having technical issues due to corrupted cache and cookies, or something was changed in the browser’s Privacy & Security settings.
Conclusion
I hope this article has resolved any download related issues you were facing with your Google Drive. That’s all for today. If you have any further questions on this topic, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Adios!
