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Google Drive refused to connect or is blocked: Quick Fix

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Google’s services are one of the most popular ones on the planet. Whether it’s Gmail, Calendar or its cloud storage solution, practically everyone has a Google account and by extension, access to Google services. 

That said, sheer popularity doesn’t guarantee seamless operation, which also stands true for Google. In this article, we’re talking about Google Drive refusing to connect or showing that it’s blocked, the reason behind it and what you can do to fix the problem.


What causes this?

More often than not the error is a result of conflicting permissions on your Google account. Other common reasons include:

  • Using a VPN or Proxy
  • Incorrect/corrupt DNS settings
  • Corrupt browser data

Also read: Top 7 VPNs for PC, Android, Mac, iOS and Chrome


How to fix this?

Here are six fixes you can try out. 

Use an incognito window

The incognito mode in your browser works in a sandboxed environment isolated from any logged-in accounts or settings in your browser. Try opening an incognito window and logging into Google Drive there to see if the issue is with your browser or Drive itself. 


Log out and log in again

A classic move, logging out and logging in again often fixes such problems on just about any site. If you can’t see previews on Google Drive, try logging out of your Google account and try logging back in again to see if that solves your problem. You can further extend this solution by logging out of all Google accounts that your browser has saved to see if that helps fix the problem.


Create a new browser profile

Another solution you should try is to create an entirely new browser profile, log in with your Google account and try accessing your drive again. A new profile will give you a fresh set of settings, browser data and caches to work with ensuring that your existing settings which might be conflicting with Drive don’t affect it anymore.


Disable extensions

Corrupt or malfunctioning extensions often cause many problems, including this one. 

How to fix the 'Google Chrome sound not working' error in Windows 10?

Head over to chrome://extensions and try disabling all your extensions to check if the browser starts functioning as normal again; if it does, enable them one by one until you have all the essential extensions working again.

Also read: How to fix unrecognised disc in PS4?


Clear your browser’s data

Corrupt files in your cache or otherwise can cause this error as well. Clear them out to see if you can get Chrome to work.

Step 1: Type in chrome://settings/clearBrowserData in your browser’s address bar and hit Enter.

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Step 2: Select the cache and cookies options and make sure the Time range is set to All time. Click on the Clear now button to clear out all the data. 

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Restart the browser and try opening Google Drive again now. 


Reset your browser

Resetting your browser can fix all sorts of random bugs and glitches with the browser itself and any sites you want to visit. 

Step 1: Head over to chrome://settings/reset. Click on Restore settings to their original defaults.

How to fix the 'Google Chrome sound not working' error in Windows 10?

Step 2: Chrome will show you a warning prompt. Click on Reset Settings, and your browser will reset to default settings. 

How to fix the 'Google Chrome sound not working' error in Windows 10?

This should get Drive up and running again. 

Also read: Google Drive waiting to upload: 7 Fixes

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Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

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