[BUG] .docx file corruption on download/re-upload from Google Drive on Kubuntu when saving with .docx extension in Brave.
Hello Brave Community,
I’m encountering a peculiar issue with Brave browser on Kubuntu when handling .docx files from Google Drive. This issue started after a recent Brave reinstallation.
Problem Description:
When I download a .docx file from Google Drive to my Kubuntu system using Brave, and then re-upload that same downloaded file back to Google Drive, the re-uploaded file becomes corrupted and cannot be opened by Google Docs (it prompts to open with third-party apps, or shows an error). This only happens if I save the file with the .docx
extension during the download process.
Crucial Observation (and Workaround):
If I perform the exact same download process, but remove the .docx
extension from the filename when saving it on Kubuntu (e.g., saving “document.docx” as “document”), then when I re-upload this extension-less file to Google Drive, Google Docs is able to open it normally. Kubuntu might show this extension-less file as “unidentified” locally, but Google Drive correctly recognizes its internal .docx format.
Comparison with other browsers:
I have tested this same workflow (downloading the .docx file and then re-uploading it to Google Drive) using Firefox on Kubuntu, and the issue DOES NOT occur. Files downloaded with the .docx
extension in Firefox, and then re-uploaded, open perfectly fine in Google Docs. This strongly suggests the problem is specific to Brave on Linux.
Steps to Reproduce:
-
Create a new
.docx
file on a Windows machine (using MS Word) or use any existing, known-good.docx
file. -
Upload this
.docx
file to your Google Drive account. -
On Kubuntu, open Brave browser and navigate to Google Drive.
-
Locate the
.docx
file uploaded in step 2. -
Attempt 1 (Problematic): Download the
.docx
file. In the Brave save dialog, ensure the file is saved with the.docx
extension (e.g.,my_document.docx
). -
Upload this newly downloaded
my_document.docx
from Kubuntu back to Google Drive (you can rename it, e.g.,my_document_uploaded_problem.docx
). -
Try to open
my_document_uploaded_problem.docx
in Google Docs. Expected: It should open. Actual: It fails to open, offering third-party apps instead. -
Attempt 2 (Working Workaround): Repeat step 5, but this time, in the Brave save dialog, remove the
.docx
extension from the filename (e.g., save asmy_document_no_ext
). -
Upload this
my_document_no_ext
from Kubuntu back to Google Drive (e.g.,my_document_uploaded_ok.docx
). -
Try to open
my_document_uploaded_ok.docx
in Google Docs. Expected: It should open. Actual: It opens correctly.
Expected Behavior:
A .docx
file downloaded with its correct extension from Google Drive should be able to be re-uploaded and opened correctly by Google Docs, just like it does when using Firefox or performing the download/re-upload on Windows.
Current Behavior:
Brave on Kubuntu seems to subtly corrupt .docx
files during the download/save process if the .docx
extension is present in the filename, rendering them unreadable by Google Docs upon re-upload.
My System Information:
- Brave Version: 1.80.120 Chromium: 138.0.7204.101 (Official Build) (64-bit)
- Operating System: 22.04 LTS
- Linux Kernel: 6.11.0-29-generic
- KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.12
Thank you for your assistance.