The 4GB ZIP File Problem
Many users recently reported persistent issues when trying to download large Google Photos archives through the Google One storage manager on their computers. If the downloaded ZIP file was larger than 4GB (about 4.29 GB), the file often ended up corrupted—no decompression software could open it, leaving users with bulky, unusable files taking up space on their PCs.
Who Was Impacted?
According to Google, this bug only affected users exporting their data from Google Photos using the Google One storage manager on a computer. As soon as the generated archive exceeded 4GB, the ZIP files were improperly created, making extraction impossible.
The Solution Is Live
Google's team has announced that the issue causing corrupted large ZIP files has been fixed. From now on, any new downloads from Google Photos via the storage manager will generate ZIP files correctly, no matter the size. This fix is live for all users as of now.
Already Have a Corrupt Archive? Your Options
If you previously downloaded a faulty archive, you have two ways to resolve it:
First, if you have a fast internet connection, simply re-download your Google Photos archive. The new ZIP file should open without any problems.
Alternatively, if you want to avoid re-downloading gigabytes of data, Google has released a dedicated repair tool online. This tool can fix and restructure previously corrupted ZIP archives, making them extractable again. However, Google states this repair tool will be available only until June 1, 2027. After that date, you’ll need to re-download your files to recover your data.
If this fix comes as a relief, you're not alone—many have been eagerly awaiting a solution. Enjoy your photos, and may your future downloads go smoothly.
