Google will end Drive support for these Windows users in August: Details inside

“In August 2023, we’re ending support for Drive for desktop on Windows 8/8.1, Windows Server 2012, and all 32-bit versions of Windows. To avoid service interruption, Windows users should upgrade to Windows 10 (64 bit) or higher before August 2023. Users of a 32-bit version of Windows can still access Drive through a browser.”

Drive for Desktop app allows users to sync their files and folders on their computer with the cloud storage and back up on phones. But starting August, Windows 8 / 8.1 users or those who run the 32-bit version of Windows 10 will not be able to use the app to sync their files. This means that app developers and service providers will also pull up their app support for these windows versions.

Earlier this year, Google limited the number of files that a user can create and save in Google Drive. Users can not create more than 5 million files in Drive now. Google spokesperson Ross Richendrfer then said that the change aims to “maintain strong performance and reliability”. It will also help prevent “misuse” of the company’s systems, he added.

What should the impacted users do?

There are two things the impacted Windows users can do. They can either update their system to the latest version or they can access Google Drive via web.

In another news, Google Pay introduced the support for Aadhaar-based authentication for activating Unified Payments Interface (UPI). This means that users in India can now set up their UPI PIN on the popular payments app without the need for a debit card. To register for UPI on Google Pay using their Aadhaar number, users must ensure that the number they provide is the same one registered with both UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) and their bank. Google emphasizes that it does not retain users’ Aadhaar numbers during the validation process.

Updated: 09 Jun 2023, 04:54 PM IST