Disconnecting a Google Drive desktop account can remove offline files and the app’s recovery material for that account. Before doing it, verify cloud synchronization and preserve any unsynced edits in a safe independent location. Treat disconnection as a deliberate account change.
Inspect pending and failed files
Save documents and review Sync status, notifications, and errors. Compare important recent edits with the correct web account. If an error points to Lost and Found, inspect those files and preserve the required contents before proceeding.
Google warns that Lost and Found content is lost when the account disconnects. Do not assume every local edit already exists online merely because its filename is visible in Drive.
Preserve required local content
Copy necessary unsynced material to an approved location outside the active sync or cache structure, then verify that the copy opens correctly. Do not move or delete the only current original while trying to prepare for disconnection.
Google’s desktop guidance also warns that disconnecting a streaming account removes its offline files. Downloaded availability should not be treated as an independent backup.
Disconnect the intended account
Use the account’s supported Disconnect control in the current profile or advanced settings and read the confirmation. With multiple accounts, check the exact address carefully. Afterward, verify the intended remaining accounts and cloud access separately. If the goal was only a temporary transfer pause or app restart, use that narrower action instead. On a managed device, follow the administrator’s offboarding or troubleshooting process. Reconnecting later does not guarantee recovery of local-only content that was removed during disconnection.
References
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 3, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.