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How to Fix Google Drive Zip Failed Issue | 7 Ways

Amy Dennis
Amy Dennis Originally published Jan 14, 25, updated Jan 15, 25
"Google Drive folders say "zip failed" when trying to download, but it just started happening suddenly. In the bottom right corner, a notification pops up saying "zip failed." It only happens for folders or multiple files but works for single files. Does anyone have a solution?" - From Reddit
Fix Google Drive Zip Failed Error

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The "Google Drive zip failed" issue can be very frustrating, especially when you urgently need to access some files. It's a common problem. So, if it's happening to you for the first time, know that you're not alone.

There's not a one-fits-all solution for this problem. The exact fix depends on the cause. In this guide, we've put together the various possible fixes. Find out which works for you.

In this article
    1. Way 1. Put Your files in One Folder
    2. Way 2. Download One File at a Time
    3. Way 3. Go Incognito
    4. Way 4. Clear Your Web Browser Cache
    5. Way 5. Reset Your Web Browser
    6. Way 6. Use Google Drive Desktop
    7. Way 6. Repair Corrupted Google Drive Zip Files

Part 1. Why Google Drive Zip Failed?

The "Zip failed Google Drive" error can happen because of different reasons. Here are the most common:

  • Temporary glitch with the Google Drive server
  • Internet connection problem
  • Web browser's corrupted cache
  • Interference from your web browser's extensions
  • The browser itself could be to blame

Part 2. 7 Ways to Fix the "Google Drive Zip Failed" Error

The following are possible solutions for the "Zip failed" issue on Google Drive. Try them and discover which works for you. But before you begin, check your internet and ensure it's strong and stable and not the one causing the disruption.

Way 1. Put Your files in One Folder

One of the simplest workarounds that works for many is to put all your files in one folder. Then, instead of downloading individual files simultaneously, download the folder instead. The zip ought to contain the folder and its content.

Way 2. Download One File at a Time

Another easy workaround is to download your files one at a time. To do that, follow these steps:

Step 1: Locate the Google Drive folder that contains your files and open it. Then, right-click a file and select Download.

download google files one at a time

Step 2: Repeat Step 1 above for each file that you want to download to your device.

Once you've downloaded your files individually from Google Drive, you can then zip the files. To do that, you can use your computer's built-in compression (zipping) feature. For example, in Windows, do the following:

Step 1: Go to downloads in File Explorer to access your downloaded Google Drive files.

go to file explorer and select your downloaded google drive files

Step 2: Select all of them, then right-click and choose Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.

send your download google drive files to a zipped folder

You can also install and use a third-party compression tool like WinRAR or 7-Zip to create a zip folder.

Way 3. Go Incognito

As mentioned, browser extensions can cause the "Zip failed Google Drive" issue. But before removing any extension that you might have, verify if it's the one causing the issue. One of the best ways to do this is by going incognito.

Extensions don't open in incognito mode. So it's easy to know if they're the culprits. If you're able to download the Google files in the incognito mode, your extensions are to blame.

Here's how to open the incognito mode on Chrome: Click the three dots in the top-right section of the screen. Select the option "New incognito window."

choose the new incognito window option

To turn on the incognito mode on Microsoft Edge: Click the three small dots in the top-right section. Pick the "New inPrivate window" option from the menu.

select the new inprivate window option

On Mozilla Firefox: Click the Firefox menu in the top-right corner. Choose “New Private Window.

hit the menu button in firedox and choose new private window

Many users reported that the files don't zip when downloading in incognito mode. They proceed directly to download.

If this method works for you, you can enable one extension at a time in your particular browser. That will help you identify the problematic extension and remove it from your PC.

Way 4. Clear Your Web Browser Cache

Clear your browser's cache to remove potentially corrupted files that might be causing the problem. The straightforward process is below.

On Chrome:

Step 1: Go to Settings and choose Delete browsing data under Privacy and Security.

select the delete browsing data option in chrome

Step 2: Choose a timeline and ensure the various checkboxes are selected. Then, hit the Clear data button.

select a time range and then hit the delete data button

On Firefox:

Step 1: Click the menu button at the top-right section of the screen.

Step 2: Navigate to Preferences, then choose Privacy and Security on the left side. Hit the Clear History button.

hit the clear history button in firefox

Step 3: Select the time range and data you want to clear, then click the Clear Now button.

select the data types to clear then click the clear now button

On Microsoft Edge:

Step 1: Click the three dots at the top-right corner and choose History from the dropdown menu.

click the menu button and choose history

Step 2: In the History tab, click the Delete icon at the top.

click the delete icon in the history tab

That will launch the "Delete browsing data" tab.

Step 3: Select the items you want to delete, then hit the Clear Now button.

hit the clear now button to delete browsing data
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Way 5. Reset Your Web Browser

Your browser's settings might be at fault. If so, resetting the browser can help. The reset will clear all your saved settings and allow you to begin from scratch. The good thing is that you won't lose your synched content like bookmarks and passwords.

Here's how to go about it on your browser:

On Chrome:

Step 1: Go to Settings > Reset Settings.

Step 2: Click "Restore settings to their original defaults".

go to settings and select the reset settings option

Step 2: Click “Reset settings” on the dialog box.

reset settings to fix the google drive failed problem

On Firefox:

Step 1: Click Help at the top menu bar and select “Troubleshooting Information”.

click help then choose troubleshooting information

Step 2: Click “Refresh Firefox” in the top-right corner.

select the refresh firefox option

Step 3: Click Refresh Firefox again, then click Finish to confirm your action.

choose the finish option to reset firefox

On Microsoft Edge:

Step 1: Click the three dots in the upper right corner and choose Settings.

click the menu icon and choose settings

Step 2: Click the Settings menu on the top-left corner and select Reset Settings from the dropdown.

click the settings menu and choose reset settings

Step 3: Hit the "Restore settings to their default values." Choose Reset.

hit the reset button to reset microsoft edge

Way 6. Use Google Drive Desktop

Google Drive provides a desktop client called Google Drive for desktop. With it, you can quickly backup the files on your PC to Google Drive. You can even sync and access your Drive files on the computer.

If you've encountered the "Google Drive zip failed" issue, you'll find the Drive desktop app useful. Install it on your computer. The application creates a virtual folder on the PC where you can stream files or move them to your PC storage. You can also download the files without zipping issues.

install the google drive desktop app

Way 7. Repair Corrupted Google Drive Zip Files

You've applied the methods above and successfully downloaded your zip file. Unfortunately, you realize that the zip is corrupted and won't open. At this point, one option is to redownload the files from Google Drive. But this could take forever, especially if you're in a hurry or dealing with large files.

Your better option is to repair the damaged or corrupted zip using a reliable tool like Repairit File Repair. Repairit is an easy-to-use software that repairs all types of office documents with just a few clicks. It's more than a simple file repair tool because:

  • Repair damaged Zip files with all levels of corruption, including Zip files not opening, Zip folder is invalid, CRC error, etc.

  • Repair damaged or corrupted Zip files caused by any reason, such as system crash, file format change, virus attack, etc.

  • Perfectly repair corrupted Zip files with a very high success rate, without modifying the original file.

  • Automatically decompress, extract, and restore repaired files to their original states

  • Enable batch repair for ZIP files and files larger than 1G.

  • Repairit supports repairing damaged or corrupted PDF, Word, Excel, Zip, and PowerPoint files, support all file formats and versions.

Here are the steps to repair your zip files with Repairit:

Step 1: Open Repairit and go to More Types Repair, then choose File Repair to add your corrupted zip files.

choose the file repair option in the more types repair mode

Step 2: Hit the Repair button to start repairing your damaged zip files.

hit the repair button to begin repairing your corrupt files

Step 3: Once the process is complete, preview the repaired files, then save them to your desired location.

preview your repaired documents before saving them
Repair Corrupted Google Drive Zip Files

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Conclusion

After reading the guide above, you now know how to resolve the "Google Drive zip failed" problem. So, apply the methods and steps to fix the issue and download your files seamlessly!

FAQ

  • How else can you fix the "Google Drive zip failed" issue?
    You can fix the "Google Drive zip failed" issue by temporarily turning off third-party antivirus. Sometimes, this software can interfere with the proper functioning of the various apps. And that includes Google Drive. You can also download zip files from Google Drive using a different web browser.
  • How do I stop the "downloads failed" error in Google Drive?
    To stop the "download failed" error in Google Drive, ensure your internet connection is working normally. On rare occasions, the Google Drive server may be down. In such a case, you'd need to wait and download the file later.
  • How do I download Google Drive files without zipping?
    The easiest way to download Google Drive files without zipping is to download each file individually. Right-click a file, then hit the download button.
Amy Dennis
Amy Dennis Jan 15, 25
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Amy Dennis
Written by Amy Dennis
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