Google Drive Bug Blocks Shared Drive Edits on Desktop—Here’s How to Fix It Now

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Google has confirmed a bug affecting Google Drive for Desktop: users on Reddit and Google’s support forums trying to add new items—files, folders, or documents—at the root level of a Shared Drive receive a frustrating Windows error message stating that the item can’t be found. While existing content can still be accessed, edited, or deleted, anything new cannot be added via the desktop app. However, creating items in subfolders works normally.

The problem appears to have emerged following a recent update to Drive for Desktop. Google officially acknowledged the issue in a dedicated post and forum response, stating they are working on a fix. There’s no indication yet which specific version introduced the bug.

In the meantime, Google recommends two workarounds. The simplest: in File Explorer on Windows, right-click on the “Shared drives” entry (or use “Show more options” on Windows 11), then click “Refresh.” This forces Drive to rescan the mount point and often restores the ability to create items at the Shared Drive’s root. Many users have reported it lasts for the rest of the day after Refreshing. The second workaround: upload or create new folders and files via the Google Drive web interface, then switch back to the desktop app for everyday navigation and work.

Community-led troubleshooting threads on Reddit add further context. Some users successfully restored functionality by removing themselves from the Shared Drive and then having access re-added. Others reported that the absence of the cloud icon beside a Shared Drive entry signals trouble; restoring that icon requires re-adding members with the correct permissions. One user explained:

“If the cloud icon is missing … remove all members from the folder, add them back … the cloud icon should appear … and it should work as expected” (cbackup.com, Reddit).

Administrators experiencing the issue on multiple devices or accounts should consider these member-reset steps as a temporary fix.

Google Drive for Desktop remains stable for managing existing content and accessing deeper folders within Shared Drives, but the root-level creation bug poses a real inconvenience. Until the official patch is released, the mix of “Refresh” in File Explorer, the web interface for additions, and community-sourced fixes offers the best workaround options.

Let me know if you’d like help walking through any of the fix steps or working around the issue—for example, using mirrored mode versus streaming or managing Shared Drive membership.

How to Fix Google Drive Bug Blocks Shared Drive Edits on Desktop

Below is a practical, step-by-step playbook you can follow right now. I’ve ordered the steps from quickest win to deepest dive. Work through them in order and stop as soon as the bug disappears. If the problem re-surfaces later, jump back in at the last step that worked.

Check your Drive for Desktop version and update
• Click the Drive icon in the system tray ▶ Settings ▶ About → verify you’re on v112.0 (July 28 2025) or later. Anything older may still contain the root-creation bug. Download the current installer if needed and reboot once the update finishes.

Quick “refresh” that often fixes it for the day
• In File Explorer, right-click Shared drives (or the specific shared drive) and pick Refresh. This forces Drive to rescan the mount point; most users report root-level creation starts working again until the next reboot.

Try the web interface to rule out permission issues
• Open drive.google.com, switch to the same shared drive, and create a test folder at the root.
– If it works on the web but fails in Desktop, you’re still hitting the client bug.
– If it fails on the web too, you probably lack Manager/Contributor rights—ask a drive manager to upgrade your role.

Clear the Drive for Desktop cache
• From the Drive menu → PreferencesSettingsDisconnect account.
• Quit Drive, delete the %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\DriveFS folder (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS (macOS), then sign back in. This forces a fresh metadata sync and often eliminates “phantom” items that cause the “Could not find this item” error.

Remove yourself from the shared drive and be re-added
• In the Google Drive web UI, have another manager temporarily remove your account from the shared drive, wait a minute, then add you back with the correct role. Several admins on Reddit report that the cloud-icon returns in File Explorer and root-level writes start working immediately after re-joining.

Switch to Mirror mode (optional)
• Preferences ▶ Folders ▶ Switch from Stream to Mirror. Mirror keeps a local copy of everything, bypassing certain file-system calls that trigger the bug. It uses more disk space but is the most reliable short-term workaround while Google finishes its patch.

Submit logs to Google if none of the above helps
• Drive icon ▶ Settings ▶ Send feedback → check Include diagnostic logs. Mention that you’re hitting the “root-level Shared Drive creation” error and list the steps you’ve already tried. Google engineering is actively collecting samples for their fix, which they’ve said is in progress.

Watch for the final patch
• Keep an eye on Google’s Drive release-notes page and the Workspace Status Dashboard. A line item specifically calling out a “Shared drive root creation fix” will signal that you can revert any temporary workarounds.

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Adebayo Opeyemi
Adebayo Opeyemihttps://www.toptechguides.com
Adebayo Opeyemi is a passionate content writer with a knack for turning complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives. With a sharp eye for detail and a deep understanding of SEO, digital trends, and audience psychology, Adebayo doesn’t just write words—he crafts experiences that connect, inform, and inspire.

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