[Updated] Backup and Sync's new version (3.36) is out, fixes 'macOS High Sierra compatibility' and 'folder duplication' issues

Update (January 06):

Google has officially confirmed that with the client’s latest version 3.39 it’s now possible to exclude Apple Photos Library metadata from syncing. Here’s how you can do it:

In the “My Computer” section of the Backup and Sync Preferences, click Change. Select Back up photos and videos, and uncheck Back up Apple Photos Library metadata. When unchecked, only photo files from your library are backed up. When checked, your entire Apple Photos Library is synced to Google Drive

Original story:

Backup and Sync, an app which was expected to be a blessing in disguise for the helpless Drive and Photos users, turned out to be a mess in itself. The client is so buggy that instead of being appreciated for what all it offers, it’s being downgraded by users for being a mind-boggling piece of software.

Looking at the multiplicity of issues plaguing the client, sometime back, Google promised to bring an updated version of the app to fix up the weak links. Living by its words, today the company has started rolling version 3.36. There has been no official announcement about this as of yet, but we managed to dig this information out form within the company’s official Product Forums.

You can either download the updated application manually (by heading here) or wait till the already installed one auto-upgrades, which may take a week’s time, according to the company.

“3.36 is now available. You can elect to download now or wait for your client to be auto-upgraded over the next week”

From what we could find out, Google has confirmed that the updated version has fixed at least two issues. Firstly, Drive users who earlier complained of its incompatibility with macOS High Sierra should be at peace, as the update has brought APFS support along-with it.

Secondly, the app earlier failed to recognize already uploaded folders, re-uploading them all over again instead, resulting in multiple copies in Google Drive. With version 3.36, the aforementioned problem has also been taken care of.

Other issues that version 3.36 was supposed to fix

While acknowledging some of the reported problems on its official Google Product Forums over the past couple of months, the company pacified users by announcing that version 3.36 of Backup and Sync would address their complaints. While – as already mentioned in the beginning – a couple of issues have indeed been taken care of, there is no confirmation on the rest.

Here is the list of the remaining problems that Google had said Backup and Sync version 3.36 is expected to fix:

Issue 1
To users who complained about the app crashing while handling large number of files (error message D414D8CD9), the company said they are trying to improve the situation. Google addressed it’s users with the following message:

Issue 2
The app inhibits Windows from shutting down. Affected users put forward that when the app is active in the background, it doesn’t let them shutdown their system. Rather, a message stating ‘Backup and Sync is shutting down. Please wait‘ pops up. Google’s employee addressed the issue in question stating

While there’s no official confirmation yet, we are expecting the updated Backup and Sync includes fixes for these problems as well.

What about several other existing issues?

Here is the list of some more Backup and Sync related problems that Google has already acknowledged, but there is no word so far on when their fixes will arrive.

Issue 1
Backup and Sync crashes on Windows 10 while syncing Google Drive with computer. An error code stating ‘Backup & Sync needs to quit’ pops up. Take a look at what Google said while addressing the issue in question:

Issue 2
Mac users have been complaining that the application backs up up unwanted stuff like thumbnails, facetiles, and other garbage on the cloud (Google Photos library), an issue that wasn’t reported with the older Google Photos client application. An expert on the official Photos forum said:

Issue 3
There is also a ‘crash on login’ problem with Backup and Sync on macOS High Sierra. Google is blaming Apple for the issue, claiming that the root cause is a bug in the Cupertino-based company’s OS. Take a look at the Google employee’s comment:

While its good to see Google confirming fixes for at-least a couple of issues with the updated Backup and Sync application, multiple are still unconfirmed. Worse, there’s a long list for which users are still waiting for a cure. We are hopeful that the company will address all the remaining problems soon.