Share information about file types that are not supported on Drive

Driver is one of the most used utility tools today. Unfortunately one day, when you upload a file, Google Drive says the file type is not supported. Don't worry , TipsMake will help you answer unsupported file types on Drive as well as handle errors quickly right in this article. Do not miss!

What file types are not supported on Drive?

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Google Drive is a tool that supports many file formats (about more than 30 types). From text, images, video, audio to many other file formats. However, there are still some file formats that are not supported by Google Drive such as:

1. Format .rar (WinRAR), .7z (7-Zip) [Depending on version].
2. Format .exe (executable file), .app (macOS application), .iso (disk image), .bak (backup file).
3. Malicious, dangerous formats: .bat (batch command file), .cmd (Windows command line command file).
4. Some other formats.

These are also some file types that are not supported on Drive on regular phones.

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If your file belongs to the above file types, it is likely that Google Drive will reject the file or cannot preview its content directly in the web interface.

The same goes for unsupported file types on iPhone. iPhone will not support some file formats for direct viewing or opening on mobile devices.

To handle this problem is to convert the file to a supported format. Or else you can completely use another hosting service that suits your file format.

Fix file not supported error on Drive

First you need to determine which part the error belongs to. Because file not supported error messages are often quite generic. We will divide it into the following cases:

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This case is related to 4 common causes:

1. The file updater does not grant access or download capabilities.
2. The data file is too large and there is not enough memory on the Drive.
3. Cache and cookies and user terms.
4. Exceeded file upload and download limit.

The solution is to check if the file, Drive memory, and account are restricted. In addition, you need to make sure there is an application that can open the type of file you want to download. Otherwise, there will be an error message about the unsupported file type.

3 Ways to open unsupported file types on Drive

These solutions will help you overcome your Google Drive compatibility and experience well.

Solution 1: Convert file formats

If you frequently encounter unsupported file errors, you can follow these steps:

1. Find an unsupported file location on Drive.
2. Right-click select '' from the compatible Google Workspace apps menu .
3. Convert files after opening Google Workspace according to the path: File/ 'Save as' or 'Download as' / select a supported format. 

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1. Save the converted file to Google Drive.

Solution 2: Compress files

Unsupported file compression can be used into another compressed file (for example, .zip). Then upload to Drive. If you want to use it, download it to your computer and unzip the files. Sometimes a file is corrupted and you may need to use some additional applications that specialize in that type of file.

Solution 3: Use another hosting service

Google Drive is offering many compatible apps and extensions to help you fix the unsupported file type error on Drive.

For example, if you have a file in Adobe Illustrator (.ai) format, you can search for a conversion application or Illustrator viewer.

If you don't want to download and install cumbersome applications, add an extension application. Just 'Add to Chrome'.

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Encountering an unsupported file type on Drive can be frustrating. So hopefully the methods that TipsMake shares can help you somewhat.

Samuel Daniel

Update 08 December 2023