How to Uninstall Google Drive

Back in March 2018, Google discontinued the support for the Google Drive desktop application and replaced it with the Backup and Sync tool. Users who still have the old application version installed on their systems should remove it. The methods differ depending on whether you are using a Mac or Windows PC. 

Getting Rid of Google Drive on Mac

The first step in the process is to disconnect your account. Open the application, go to 'Preferences,' and then open the 'Account' tab. Click on the 'Disconnect account...' button and quit the application. 

Now, let's proceed with the actual removal of the application. Go to your Applications folder, locate Google Drive, and move it to the Trash. While this will uninstall the apploication itself, numerous support and service files might still be left on the system. Users will have to deal with them manually by going to the system Library folder and then the hidden ~/Library folder. 

To default location of the Library folder is 'Macintosh HD > Users > [current user].' Look for the Google Drive subfolder and move it to the Trash. 

To reach the hidden ~/Library, press the Command+Shift+G keys on your keyboard. The command should open the 'Go to Folder' window. In the search field, type or paste ~/Library and click on 'Go.' Remove all files associated with Google Drive. Start by checking the following locations:

~Library/Application Support/Google/Drive

~Library/Caches/com.google.GoogleDrive

~Library/Group Containers/google_drive

~Library/Preferences/com.google.GoogleDrive.plist

~Library/Cookies/com.google.GoogleDrive.binarycookies

Finally, empty the Trash to remove all of the junk files. 

Uninstalling Google Drive on Windows

The first step for Windows users is the same as on Mac - disconnecting your account from the application. To do this, start Google Drive and then right-click its icon on the Taskbar. From the available options choose 'Preferences.' In the new window, click on 'Disconnect Account' followed by 'Yes' to confirm your decision. Wait for a few seconds until you see a verification message popping up. Click 'OK.'

Now, you can proceed to uninstall the Google Drive application as normal. One of the fastest methods through the Control Panel. Type control panel in the Search box on the Taskbar and open the top result. Click on 'Uninstall a program' directly or open 'Programs' and then 'Programs and Features.' 

You will be presented with a list of all programs installed on the system. Scroll through the list until you have found Google Drive or take advantage of the Search box. Select Google Drive, right-click it, and choose 'Uninstall.' Follow the on-screen instruction to complete the uninstallation process.