3 Ways to Fix if You Can’t Delete Files on Google Drive

Mehvish Mushtaq is a computer engineer by degree. Her love for Android and gadgets led her to develop the first Android app for Kashmir. Known as Dial Kashmir, she won the prestigious Nari Shakti award from the President of India. She has been writing about technology for 6+ years and her favorite categories include how-to guides, explainers, tips and tricks for Android, iOS/iPadOS, social media, and web apps.

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Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Confirm You Are the Owner or Have Editor Permissions

If you are not the owner of a file, you cannot delete it.File permissionis the foremost reason you cannot remove a file. In this case, you may seek Editor rights from the file owner. You can find the file owner by following the steps below.

Step 1:Open Google Drive and navigate to your file location.

Step 2:Right-clickthe file > hoverFile Information> clickDetails.

Step 3:Now, you may find the file owner on the right pane under theOwnersection.

Fix 2: Remove the File From Shared Drive and Delete It

Google Drive not deleting files mostly happens for the shared files. You can try alternative ways, like removing the files from the Shared drive. Follow the steps below.

Step 1:Open Google Drive and clickShared with meon the left pane.

Step 2:Click on thethree dotson the problematic file and selectRemove.

Fix 3: Delete Files From Trash

When you delete files that you own, they are taken to the Trash. You need to remove them from the Bin to delete them permanently. Follow the steps below:

Step 1:Navigate to your drive.

Step 2:ClickTrashon the left pane > clickEmpty Trashon the top right.

Step 3:Click onDelete Forever.

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Last updated on 28 May, 2024

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