Windows Defender and Google Drive

Windows Defender and Google Drive (Backup and Sync) seem to be incompatible. When you get a new Windows computer Windows Defender is preinstalled. If you then install Google Backup and Sync it copies all the your Google Drive data onto the new computer but after that synchronisation does not work. You may not notice this! You will notice that there is a Windows Defender pop up menu in File Explorer, but no Google Drive pop up menu. New files and folders that you create in your Google Drive folder are not created in your Google cloud. Updates and deletions are not propagated.

I do not know why this is. Perhaps it's because Microsoft want you to use OneDrive which is their version of Google Drive.

The solution

The solution is very simple: Replace Windows Defender by Avira which is highly recommended free anti-virus software.  (Other anti-virus software may also work).

1. Stop Google Backup and Sync(see below under Read more)
2. Disable Windows Defender in Windows settings. Their are good instructions here.
3. Install Avira.
4. Restart Google Backup and Sync(see below under Read more)
Google Backup and Sync then resyncs your data (which might take a while) and the useful file / folder icons and the Google Drive pop up menu reappear in File Explorer.

I am not even sure that steps 1 and 4 are necessary.

I could not find this very important information about Google Drive and Windows Defender anywhere on the web nor did Google Drive email help (googleone-support@google.com) seem to be aware of it. Many solutions, including those from Google help, suggest deleting all the files in your Google drive folder(s), reinstalling Drive and resyncing from the web. This would be a huge waste of time. Google help suggested doing that twice!

https://windowsreport.com/google-drive-wont-sync-windows-10/ claims to answer the question: "How to fix broken sync with Google Drive in Windows 10". It gives seven solutions. The first suggests reinstalling Google Drive and recopying all your data. That might take days and why would it work at the end? The second invites you to turn off virus protection! Very stupid. Solution 3 is "Install the previous version of Google Drive". Why would that work? The drivel continues.

I was so pleased with Avira (I have used the free version before) that I decided to buy it. It seemed to be 9.95€ which was very fair. But then it turned out to be 9.95€ per month. I cancelled the subscription and will continue with the free version.

Stop Google Backup and Sync

On your computer, click Backup and Sync icon (1) from the status menu bar.
Click More (2) and then Quit Backup and Sync(3).

Restart Google Backup and Sync

1) Search for Backup and Sync 2) Click it