Tuesday 22 November 2011

What to do if your Google account is Disabled {it just happened to me!} and how to avoid your blog being deleted.





Yesterday, whilst blog-hopping I was asked to
"sign in"to my Google account (very unusual as it's 
usually automatic) and when I tried I was told
my account had been disabled.

When I read what was written on the pop-up 
{about whyGoogle would choose to deactivate it }
none of the explanations applied to me. 
{sexual content/bad language/hate speech etc} 
then there was a clickable link right at the end of the
pop-up, where you could fill in an online form and send it 
to Google if you thought you were 
wrongly disabled.  So I filled that in.

I couldn't comment on blogs easily after that as I needed 
to keep inputting my name & URL {blog address} each 
& every time or comment as "Anonymous" - then I kept 
forgetting to say who I was...

I then refreshed my private blog (which I use as my
"launching pad" to access all the sites I follow & as my 
schedule diary for my DT commitments, etc) & it also
disappeared!  Instead I got a blank page with some
writing on the top saying the blog no longer existed.
(or something to that effect...)

 I tried to report my blog as "missing" but I couldn't 
- because, to do that, I had to sign in with my 
Google account!  So there was nothing I could do 
but wait to be contacted about my Google account first.

I then went to post a message on my blog 
(you know like you go toflick the light switch on
duringa power outtage??) but of course I couldn't 
"get in" to it (but amazingly enough it was still there...)
but I could only view it as an outsider, there was no way
I could sign in to access my dashboard.  

Then I remembered that my blog designer still had access 
{she is waiting to attempt to reinstall the fonts I originally 
chose but needs me to first clean up my sidebar} so I 
e mailed her to see if she still had access, and YES, she did!

She suggested sending me admin rights but to do that I 
would need an alternative e mail address.  To avoid any
"cookie-confusion" I registered with MSN & got a 
Hotmail address, only for us to then realise that I would 
need a blog, and to get that I would need a Google account!

I received an e mail from Google first thing this morning 
{which would have been the middle of the night in the US} 
apologising for the inconvenience & telling me the issue should
now be resolved.  No explanations but everything is back to 
normal! Except me!!  I am totally exhausted. Physically 
from being up half the night trying to "fix it"
and mentally from my concern about it all.

I had to be out all day & couldn't resolve the issue on
my BlackBerry as it still wasn't letting me sign in, so 
although everything was back to normal this morning I had to
wait until 10pm to find out.  When I got back onto my 
computer my Google account was restored, as was my 
private blog, and I could access "Scrap Addict".

What did I learn? 

INVITE SOMEONE ELSE {obviously someone you 
trust}as an author on your blog.  Send them admin 
rights. IT'S FAR MORE UNLIKELY THAT A BLOG
WITH MULTIPLE AUTHORS WILL BE DELETED.

Just doing that now so that I can go to bed!!





22 comments:

Bellaidea said...

Just relax now my friend! I`m happy all is solved!

Kerryn said...

What a mess! Glad it is now fixed :).

Rachael Funnell said...

GEE! WIZ!
I beat you are Exhausted...
I'm Exhausted reading this.....
LOL!
Glad to hear that it's Fixed!!!
♥♥

Heather Jacob said...

HOORAY for Helen !!!!!!Miss organisation YAY !!!! so thrilled you have it back .... hugz x

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

You know I feel bad about it disappearing on you... glad everything is back :):):):):):):):):):)

Lynnda said...

What a debacle !!! I'm so glad and happy that its back for you now... Now...rest...well...and will see you soon... hugs...xoxo

Bente Fagerberg said...

Congrats on all being back to normal again!!Such an awful thing to have happen on you!!!!
Trust you to be so organozed and efficient in getting all back to normal. Well done!
Glad everything was resolved for the best,...But they should have appologized to you.... Hope you get some nice rest now!

dstandard said...

What the?????What a pain!

Pearl said...

o my ! that was EPIC to say the least , hun ! well , it's all good now ! so water under the bridge ....

Alanna said...

So glad you got it back and it was only a temporary "glitch". I saw on once upon a sketch that you'd lost control of you blog and I was thinking of you!! I'd hate to lose my blog!!

Thanks for the tip Helen!!

Blossom inch said...

glad everything is now ok for you and relax, good advise on inviting someone as an author. I will do that and thanks for sharing.

Sabrina Scrapbook said...

Helen, I know that's painful but thank God you get everything back now! I got your email but was too busy, and wanted to reply last night but my internet was super slow! Now am in the office, will reply you before I go back. Take care and have a GOOD rest :)

Kirsty Vittetoe said...

Glad you got it solved, that is a scared.
I am not sure if my case was same as yours, but I was once told that my blog wasn't active since like 2-3 years ago so that chose to delete it, oh well, they just want your personal info, I have to put in a phone number (a real one), so they could text me for the code to get my blog back, what a scammer blogger/google is!

yyam said...

Well I'm glad it's been resolved.

Take care!

Stefanie said...

Welcome back!
Glad to have you around again.

Chantal Vandenberg said...

Well done for getting it sorted out! What a pain!!! xo

Marelize said...

Thank goodness it got resolved in the end Helen! I can imagine the stress you must have gone through. Welcome back! xx

Vicky Varvadouka said...

Thank God everything is back on track! How frustrating!!!!!!!!!
Hugs and thanks for the tips!!

Alison said...

glad you got it sorted out Helen...I wouldn't even have known where to start!
Alison xx

Lynette Jacobs said...

Glad you're back after that nightmare.

Eila Sandberg said...

B-R-E-A-T-H-E!!! oxoxox

Jessy Christopher said...

Wow, that is super scary!! Glad that you have your blog back now :) Thanks for the useful tips!