Troubleshooting

Running into a problem? Find your issue below for a quick fix.

Account & Login

1. I forgot my password

Use your 12-word recovery phrase to regain access:

1. Go to the login page
2. Click Forgot Password
3. Enter your 12-word recovery phrase
4. Set a new password

If you also lost your recovery phrase, unfortunately your account cannot be recovered. This isn’t a limitation we chose lightly — it’s a direct consequence of how GolemDrive’s encryption works. Your files are encrypted with a key derived from your credentials. Without the recovery phrase, that key cannot be reconstructed, and neither we nor anyone else can decrypt your data.

This is why we strongly encourage you to write down your recovery phrase and store it somewhere safe.

2. I can’t log in

Try these steps in order:

1. Double-check your email and password. Passwords are case-sensitive.
2. Try a different browser. This rules out browser-specific issues.
3. Clear your cookies. Old session data can sometimes cause login problems.
4. Check your authenticator app. If you have two-factor authentication enabled, make sure you’re entering the correct code from your authenticator app. Codes change every 30 seconds.
5. Reset your password. If nothing else works, use your recovery phrase to set a new password.

3. My account says “pending verification”

After creating your account, we send a verification email. Here’s what to do:

1. Check your inbox for an email from GolemDrive
2. Check your spam or junk folder — verification emails sometimes land there
3. Request a new verification email from the login page if you can’t find it
4. Make sure you’re checking the right email address — the one you signed up with

Uploads & Downloads

4. Upload is stuck

If your upload seems frozen or isn’t making progress:

1. Check your internet connection. Try loading another website to confirm you’re online.
2. Refresh the page and try the upload again.
3. Check your storage quota. Go to your Account page to see how much space you have left. If you’re at the limit, you’ll need to delete some files or upgrade your plan.
4. Try a smaller file first. This helps determine if the issue is specific to large files or a general problem.
5. Disable browser extensions. Ad blockers or privacy extensions can occasionally interfere with uploads.

5. Download fails

If a file won’t download or the download stops partway through:

1. Check your bandwidth quota. Go to your Account page — if you’ve hit your monthly transfer limit, downloads will be blocked until it resets.
2. Try a different browser. Some browser extensions (especially download managers or ad blockers) can interfere.
3. Disable browser extensions temporarily and try again.
4. Make sure your passphrase is entered correctly. Files are decrypted in your browser during download. An incorrect passphrase will cause the download to fail.
5. Check your available disk space. Your device needs enough free space to save the downloaded file.

6. File won’t preview

Not all file types can be previewed in the browser. Currently supported preview types include:

• Documents: PDF, Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx)
• Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG
• Video: MP4, WebM
• Audio: MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC
• Archives: ZIP, RAR, 7Z (contents list only)
• Code & text: .txt, .json, .csv, .html, .css, .js, and many more

If your file type isn’t on this list, try downloading it and opening it with the appropriate app on your device.

7. “Storage limit reached”

This means you’ve used all the storage included in your plan. To free up space:

1. Delete files you no longer need. Right-click a file and choose Delete.
2. Empty the trash. Deleted files still count toward your quota until the trash is emptied. Go to Trash and click Empty Trash.
3. Check file versions. Old versions of files take up space too. You can delete old versions from the file’s version history.
4. Upgrade your plan. If you need more room, check out the plan comparison page.

8. “Bandwidth limit reached”

Your monthly transfer limit has been reached. This limit covers both uploads and downloads.

• Your bandwidth resets on your billing date each month.
• Upgrade your plan for a higher monthly transfer allowance.
• Wait until next month if you’d rather not upgrade — your limit will reset automatically.

You can check your current usage and reset date on the Account page.

Sharing

9. Share link doesn’t work

If someone reports that your share link isn’t working:

1. Check the expiry date. Share links can be set to expire. If it’s past the expiry date, create a new link.
2. Check the download limit. If you set a maximum number of downloads and it’s been reached, the link will stop working. Create a new link with a higher limit or no limit.
3. Check if it’s password-protected. The recipient needs to enter the password to access the file. Make sure they have it.
4. Verify the link is still active. Go to your Share Links page in the dashboard and confirm the link hasn’t been revoked.

10. Recipient says “access denied”

There are a few reasons this can happen:

• Email restriction: You may have limited the link to specific email addresses. The recipient needs to use the exact email you specified.
• Password protection: The link requires a password that the recipient hasn’t entered or entered incorrectly.
• Link expired: The link’s expiry date has passed.
• Link revoked: You (or a team admin) may have revoked the link.

The simplest fix is usually to create a fresh share link and send it to the recipient.

Encryption & Recovery

11. I lost my recovery phrase

If you’re still logged in: Go to Account Settings to view your recovery phrase. Write it down immediately and store it somewhere safe — a piece of paper in a drawer, a password manager, or anywhere that’s secure but accessible to you.

If you’re locked out AND lost your recovery phrase: Unfortunately, we cannot recover your account. GolemDrive uses end-to-end encryption, which means your encryption keys are derived from your credentials and recovery phrase. We never have access to these keys. Without the recovery phrase, the keys cannot be reconstructed, and your encrypted data becomes permanently inaccessible.

This is the trade-off that comes with true privacy — your data is protected even from us, but that also means we can’t help if you lose your recovery phrase.

12. File appears corrupted after download

If a downloaded file seems broken or won’t open:

1. Try downloading again. A network interruption during download can cause incomplete files.
2. Check your internet connection. An unstable connection can corrupt the download.
3. Try in a different browser. Some browser configurations can interfere with the decryption process.
4. If the issue persists, the file may have been corrupted before it was uploaded. Check if you still have the original on your device.

Performance

13. GolemDrive is slow

Because GolemDrive encrypts and decrypts files in your browser, performance depends partly on your device and connection:

1. Try a different browser. Chrome generally offers the best performance for encryption operations.
2. Disable your VPN if you’re using one. VPNs add latency.
3. Clear your browser cache. A full cache can slow things down.
4. Close other tabs. Encryption uses your device’s processing power. Freeing up resources can help.
5. Large files naturally take longer. Encrypting and decrypting big files requires more processing time — this is normal.

14. Page won’t load

If GolemDrive pages aren’t loading at all:

1. Check your internet connection. Try loading another website.
2. Try incognito/private mode. This rules out extension or cache issues.
3. Clear your cache and cookies for GolemDrive.
4. Try a different browser or device.
5. Check for service outages. Occasionally, GolemDrive may be undergoing maintenance. Try again in a few minutes.

AI Assistant

15. AI isn’t responding

If the AI assistant in the Chat page isn’t giving you replies:

1. Check your token balance. Go to Account and look at your AI Usage section. If your tokens are depleted, you’ll need to buy a token pack to continue using the AI.
2. Refresh the Chat page. Sometimes a simple page refresh resolves connection issues.
3. Wait a moment. Complex requests can take a few seconds to process — the AI may be working on your question.
4. Start a new conversation. If a conversation seems stuck, try starting a fresh one.
5. Check your internet connection. The AI requires an active connection to respond.

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Still need help?

If none of the above solved your problem, submit a support ticket and our team will help you. You’ll get a tracking number and email updates so you can follow the progress.

You can also contact our support team or ask the AI assistant in your dashboard.