Resolving “Account disconnected: Please sign in again” Loops

The recurring banner “Account disconnected: Please sign in again” occurs when Google Drive for Desktop repeatedly invalidates its local OAuth 2.0 authentication token immediately after you complete the web sign-in flow. Instead of mounting the virtual drive and beginning file synchronization, the client drops back to an unauthenticated state, trapping you in a continuous login loop.

Fast Fix

Disconnect the account cleanly and flush the local authentication database. Quit Google Drive, open Windows Run (Win + R), type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google, and rename the DriveFS directory to DriveFS_Backup (or ~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS on macOS). Relaunch Google Drive, complete browser authentication, and allow the client to generate a fresh token store.

Diagnostic Snapshot

Parameter	Specification
Affected Application	Google Drive for Desktop (Windows & macOS)
Primary Symptom	Browser confirms “You are all set!”, but desktop client immediately throws “Account disconnected: Please sign in again”
Root Conflict	Corrupted local SQLite credentials database, OAuth refresh token revocation, session length timeouts, or loopback port communication blocks
Admin Access Required	No for client-side token resets; Yes if resolving Google Workspace session duration policies or device trust enforcement

What This Means: System Mechanics

Google Drive for Desktop authenticates using an OAuth 2.0 PKCE loopback flow:

1. When you click “Sign in with browser,” the client opens an ephemeral local web server listening on an open port on localhost (127.0.0.1).
2. Your default web browser loads Google’s authentication page, where you enter your credentials, complete 2-Step Verification, or pass SAML single sign-on (SSO).
3. Upon successful validation, Google’s identity servers send an authorization code back to the local localhost port.
4. Drive for Desktop trades this code for a long-lived Refresh Token and an Access Token, saving them to a protected SQLite database inside %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\DriveFS.

If the client cannot write to this database, if security software intercepts the localhost return callback, or if a Google Workspace admin policy revokes desktop tokens upon IP changes, the client fails to store the refresh token. It instantly returns to the unauthenticated “Disconnected” state. If the client simply says disconnected without a login prompt

Common Causes

• Corrupted Credential Database: The local SQLite storage file holding the OAuth token is corrupted, locked, or marked read-only, preventing Drive from saving the session token returned by the browser.
• Firewall / Antivirus Blocking Loopback: Endpoint security software blocks the browser from transmitting the authentication token back to the local 127.0.0.1 port opened by GoogleDriveFS.exe.
• Google Workspace Session Duration Limits: Enterprise administrators can enforce strict session lifetimes (e.g., 1 hour, 8 hours, or 24 hours) for desktop applications. When the session expires, the app drops connection and requires a re-login.
• Third-Party Security Revocation: Changing your Google account password, resetting a security key, or revoking “Google Drive for Desktop” in your Google Account Security settings invalidates active refresh tokens.
• Chrome Profile Account Mismatch: Logging in through a browser window whose primary active profile belongs to a different Google account can cause token exchange mismatches.

Common Misdiagnoses

• Misdiagnosis: “The user has lost access or the account is suspended.”
  • Distinction: If an account is suspended, the browser blocks login during the initial web flow and displays an administrative suspension banner. If the browser signs in successfully and only the desktop app disconnects, the account itself is active. If your account is locked out of 2FA entirely
• Misdiagnosis: “The network proxy is dropping internet traffic.”
  • Distinction: A general network or proxy block prevents reaching Google servers altogether, triggering a 407 Proxy error or network timeout. An account loop specifically completes the web request but fails the local handshake.

Resolution Steps

Step 1: Disconnect and Flush Local Application State

Resetting the local application cache clears corrupted database entries holding broken tokens:

1. Click the Google Drive icon in the system tray or menu bar.
2. Click the Settings gear > Preferences > inner Settings gear.
3. Next to your account, click Disconnect account and confirm.
4. Quit Google Drive completely (Settings gear > Quit).
5. Open your local application directory:
   • Windows: Press Win + R, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google, and press Enter.
   • macOS: In Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, paste ~/Library/Application Support/Google, and press Enter.
6. Rename the DriveFS folder to DriveFS_Old.
7. Relaunch Google Drive and sign in. A new DriveFS directory with a fresh SQLite database will be created automatically.

Step 2: Use an Incognito/Private Browser Window for Authentication

Browser extensions, stale cookies, or conflicting Google accounts can disrupt the token callback:

1. Copy the authentication URL from Google Drive (or allow it to open your default browser).
2. Open an Incognito / InPrivate window.
3. Paste the URL, sign in with your target Google Workspace credentials, and confirm the authorization prompt.
4. Verify whether the browser successfully passes the token back to Drive for Desktop.

Step 3: Check Local Firewall Rules for Localhost Traffic

Ensure local security tools permit loopback socket connections:

1. Open your local firewall settings (e.g., Windows Defender Firewall).
2. Verify that GoogleDriveFS.exe (located in C:\Program Files\Google\Drive File Stream\[version]\) is permitted to establish local outbound and inbound connections.
3. Temporarily disable third-party web filtering extensions or VPN client split-tunneling to confirm whether they are intercepting 127.0.0.1 traffic.

Admin & Advanced Checks

• Google Admin Console Session Control:
  • Navigate to Security > Access and data control > Google Cloud session control and Security > Session length.
  • Check the Google Workspace services session duration. If set to an aggressive timeframe (such as “1 hour” or “Re-authenticate on IP change”), endpoints on dynamic DHCP or fluctuating VPN connections will repeatedly disconnect.
• Verify Context-Aware Access Policies:
  • Check Security > Access and data control > Context-Aware Access. If policies require devices to report compliance signals (e.g., OS version, disk encryption, or corporate-owned status) and the desktop client fails to transmit these attributes, Workspace identity servers will reject the refresh token.
• Audit Service Availability: Ensure that Drive for Desktop access has not been restricted by organizational policy.

Hard Stops

• Preserving Unsynced Offline Files: If the account is locked in a disconnect loop while the local virtual drive contains unsynced offline files, do not permanently delete the DriveFS directory. Renaming it to DriveFS_Old preserves your local files under DriveFS_Old\content_cache. Manually copy these files to an external folder or desktop before taking further escalation steps.