How to Fix Google Drive Error 500 Internal Server Error?

Google Drive allows the users to store all types of files including images, documents, spreadsheets, etc. You can use it on any device by just logging into your Google account. As it is managed by the server, it sometimes poses some problems.

The Google Drive Error 500 is an internal server error that hampers the working process of the users. It staggers the downloading and uploading process of the files on the drive. This error mostly pops up when the users are using the web version of Google Drive. Do not worry as we have the appropriate solutions to tackle this error and resolve it. But before that, let us look at the reasons that give rise to this error.

Reasons for the Google Drive Error 500

There is no specific reason for this error. Perhaps the most common ones are mentioned below.

• It arises due to the synchronization issues of the server and Google Drive.
• You will see this error if the Google server is down or facing some issues.
• There can be an issue on the user end due to which this issue is popping up.

As the reasons do not provide us enough data for speculating the core issue, we have directly provided the solutions that will help you to resolve the Google Drive error 500.

How to Fix Error 500 of Google Drive?

Various methods can help you to resolve Google Drive Internal Server Error. You can follow any of these methods as per your requirements.

Refresh Web Page

You can try to refresh the page to get rid of this error. In some scenarios, it has been noticed that refreshing the page has resolved this error as it reloads the account page. It especially works on the web version of Google Drive.

You can click on the reload button on the web page to refresh it. However, if you are using the Google Chrome application, then you can directly press the F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the webpage.

Change the Drive URL

The URL of the webpage of the Drive can be the reason for this error sometimes. You can change the URL to fix the Google Drive error 500.

If you open the Google Drive directly from your Gmail account, then it opens up on a different URL. You can change the URL and open Google Drive directly from the URL mentioned below.

https://drive.google.com/drive

You can copy and paste the above URL to open it directly and remove the Google Drive error.

Clear Browser Cache

The Cache memory of the browser also gets jammed when you do not clean it regularly. It leads to several errors including this one. To make sure the Google Drive error 500 does not rise, you should clear your browser cache consistently. You can do the same using the steps mentioned below.

1. On your Google Chrome Browser, click on the Customize Chrome (Three Dots) icon on the top right corner.
2. From the options, select History and again click on History.
3. A new tab will appear, select the Clear Browsing Data option from the left panel.
4. You can also directly open this screen by pressing the Ctrl, Shift, and Delete buttons on your keyboard simultaneously.
5. Now, from the Time Range drop-down options, choose All Time.
6. Check the Cached Images and Files option to clear the Cache memory.
7. Tick the other options as per your requirement.
8. Then, click on the Clear Data option to erase all the Cache history.

As you complete the above steps accurately, it will erase all your cache memory from the browser including your cached version of the Google Drive page. It will resolve your Google Drive error 500.

Change the Internet Browser

It is recommended for best use to utilize the Google Chrome application for browsing and opening the Google Drive. However, you can look for other options if you encounter any issues or errors while using it. Many other Internet browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, etc. support Google Drive.

Try other browsers and see if you get the same Google Drive Internal Server error. It can be possible that changing the internet browser can fix the issue.

Using Incognito Window

The Incognito Window feature of Google Chrome is used by many people nowadays. It is a safe and secure way of browsing as your activity is kept private and it also does not store the session History, Cookies, and Site data. It also deletes the temp files stored by the websites simultaneously.

Hence, you can avoid the Google Drive error 500 by using the Chrome application in Incognito mode. You can click on the Customize Chrome (Three Dots) icon on the top right corner of the screen and select the New Incognito Window option to start the Incognito mode. Additionally, you can directly press the Ctrl, Shift, and N keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open it.

Verify if the Google Drive is Working

There are some occasions when the Google server is facing some downtime and is not working properly. It affects all the applications of Google including Google Drive.  It can lead to some errors in the applications including the Google Drive error 500.

You can check the working status of the Google Apps G Suite Status Dashboard page. If there is a green color button in front of every service, then all is fine. Otherwise, if it shows the red icon, then there is an issue with that application. In that case, you can do nothing but wait for Google to fix it and make it work again. As the servers get fixed, you will not encounter the Google Drive 500 error again.

You will be able to fix the Drive error 500 using the above methods as per requirement. However, there is a possibility of data loss while fixing the issue.

To prevent that scenario, it is recommended to back up and save all your Google Drive data on a separate platform. The DRS Google Drive Migration Tool is the best method to undertake this task. It is an efficient tool to back up and save all the data like Google Drive, Calendar, Contacts, and Emails on your local storage.

Conclusion

Here, we have emphasized the solutions to fix the Google Drive error 500. It is an internal server error of Google Drive that can arise due to various mentioned reasons. You can test and utilize the provided methods one by one to see and implement whichever works best for you. To prevent future problems it is always recommended to keep an offline backup of your important data on Google Drive for safekeeping.

About The Author:

Andrew Tie

Andrew Tie is a vastly experienced tech journalist who enjoys taking apart complex technology for a broad audience. Over more than a decade in the technology sector, Tie is good at making complicated technical concepts lucidly clear; enabling readers through engaging content. During his writing career so far, Andrew has written for several tech publications, right from industry-leading journals to popular tech blogs. Clarity, precision, and the ability to bridge technical vocabularies with everyday understanding mark his work.