OneDrive not syncing? How to fix it

When OneDrive stops syncing, work through it in this order. Check that OneDrive is running, signed in, not paused, and not out of storage. Restart it. Then reset it with onedrive.exe /reset, which reconnects sync without deleting any files. If one particular file won't sync, the cause is usually its name, path length, or size. If sync keeps failing for many people across an organisation, the cause is usually the sync client's design rather than a glitch, and we cover that at the end.

What is OneDrive telling you?

The OneDrive icon in the taskbar, and the icons next to your files in File Explorer, tell you which fix you need:

What should you check first?

Five things cause most sync failures, and each takes seconds to check:

1. Is OneDrive running? If there's no cloud icon in the taskbar, including the overflow area, select Start, type OneDrive and open the app.
2. Are you signed in? A grey icon with a line through it means you aren't. Select it and sign in with your work or school account.
3. Is sync paused? Select the OneDrive icon. If syncing is paused, select the settings gear and choose Resume syncing.
4. Is your storage full? When you go over your storage limit, OneDrive can't upload, edit, or sync new files. Check your usage in OneDrive's settings or at onedrive.com.
5. Are you online? Open a website to check. On company networks, a proxy or firewall can also block OneDrive.

How do you force OneDrive to sync?

Pause and resume it. OneDrive has no "sync now" button, but resuming makes it check everything again. Select the OneDrive icon, select the settings gear, choose Pause syncing and pick any duration, then open the same menu and choose Resume syncing.

If that doesn't get it moving, quit OneDrive completely (settings gear, then Quit OneDrive) and start it again from the Start menu. Restarting the PC does the same, and also releases any file another program was holding open.

How do you reset OneDrive?

Run onedrive.exe /reset. A reset rebuilds OneDrive's sync database and reconnects your sync, and it's the fix Microsoft recommends for most stuck syncs. You won't lose any files. To reset OneDrive in Windows:

1. Press Windows key + R to open Run.
2. Paste this command and select OK:
   %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
3. If Windows says it can't find it, try C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset, then C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset.
4. The OneDrive icon disappears and comes back after a minute or two. If it doesn't, select Start, type OneDrive and open the app.

If OneDrive came from the Microsoft Store, you can also reset it from Start: type apps:onedrive, open App settings and select Reset.

What does a reset change?

• Your files stay where they are, on your PC and in Microsoft 365.
• Every sync connection is disconnected and set up again, for work or school and personal accounts.
• If you chose to sync only some folders, you'll need to choose them again. Synced SharePoint and Teams libraries may need adding again too.
• OneDrive then rechecks your files, which takes a while if you sync a lot of them.

Microsoft's own instructions are in Reset OneDrive.

A reset fixes one PC. If people across your organisation keep losing time to OneDrive sync, there's a different way to work. Cloud Drive Mapper gives everyone their OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams files as a drive letter, with no sync client to break. Your IT team might like to know.

Tired of fixing OneDrive? Send this guide to your IT team →

Why does OneDrive say "sync pending"?

Because a file or folder is waiting its turn to sync. It normally clears on its own. When it doesn't, Microsoft's guidance points to three causes:

• A hidden file. If a folder shows sync pending but nothing inside it does, turn on hidden items in File Explorer (View, then Show, then Hidden items) and look for the file that's stuck. If you can't find one, move the folder's contents into a new folder and delete the old one.
• A temporary file. Files ending in .tmp can sit in the queue indefinitely. Move them out of your OneDrive folder, or delete them if you're sure you don't need them.
• The Office document cache. If the OneDrive icon itself says sync pending, Microsoft recommends deleting the Office document cache.

Very large files and slow connections also keep files pending for longer. If none of these apply, reset OneDrive.

What does "The cloud file provider is not running" (0x8007016a) mean?

It means Windows tried to open or copy an online-only file while OneDrive couldn't fetch it. Microsoft puts it down to OneDrive being misconfigured, and its fix is:

1. Make sure OneDrive is running and signed in.
2. Select the OneDrive icon, the settings gear, then Settings. Under Sync and back up, open Advanced settings and select Download all OneDrive files now. On older versions, clear Save space and download files as you use them instead. This downloads every file, so check you have the disk space first.
3. Reset OneDrive.
4. Turn Files On-Demand back on afterwards if you need it.
5. If the error comes back, install any waiting Windows updates.

What do other OneDrive error codes mean?

Most OneDrive error codes point to a sign-in or connection problem. The common ones:

Why won't a particular file sync?

Because OneDrive can't handle that file as it is. Select the OneDrive icon: files it can't sync are listed at the top, with the reason. The usual causes:

• A character OneDrive doesn't allow in the name: " * : < > ? / \ |, or a space at the start or end.
• A reserved name, such as CON, PRN, AUX, NUL or desktop.ini, or a name starting with ~$.
• A path that's too long. The full path, including the file name, has to stay under 400 characters. Deeply nested folders copied from old file shares often break this.
• A file over 250 GB.
• A file that's open or locked by another program. Close it and sync usually catches up.
• No permission to edit it, for example in a shared library where you can only read.

Our guide to OneDrive's sync limits lists every limit, including the 300,000-item ceiling.

When should you unlink and relink OneDrive?

When a reset hasn't worked, or OneDrive is signed in to the wrong account. Unlinking disconnects this PC from your OneDrive without deleting anything: files stored on the PC stay put, and online-only files remain in OneDrive online.

1. Select the OneDrive icon, the settings gear, then Settings.
2. Open Account and select Unlink this PC, then Unlink account.
3. When the OneDrive setup screen appears, sign in with the right account and keep your existing OneDrive folder location.

What if OneDrive sync keeps failing across your organisation?

Then the problem is probably the sync model, not individual PCs. The OneDrive sync client keeps a local copy of everything each user syncs and reconciles it in the background. That works well for personal files on one laptop. It strains when:

• people sync large shared SharePoint libraries and Teams channels, especially past 300,000 items in total;
• many people work in the same files, so changes queue up and appear late;
• users sign in to shared, virtual, or non-persistent desktops, where the local copy has to be rebuilt or carried in a growing profile;
• IT spends its time resetting and relinking clients one PC at a time.

Cloud Drive Mapper (CDM) takes a different approach. Instead of syncing, it maps OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams as network drive letters and reads files from Microsoft 365 when people open them. There's no full local copy to reconcile and no 300,000-item ceiling. IT deploys it once, with Intune, Group Policy, or any software deployment tool, and it works on physical PCs and virtual desktops alike.

The sync client is still the right tool for personal files on a single, well-provisioned laptop that's often offline. CDM fits shared business data, shared and virtual desktops, and organisations that want everyone to see the same files at the same time.

Start a 30-day free trial How Cloud Drive Mapper works →

Frequently asked questions

Does resetting OneDrive delete my files?

No. Microsoft confirms you won't lose files or data by resetting OneDrive. It disconnects and reconnects your sync, so you may need to choose your synced folders and SharePoint libraries again.

How long does a OneDrive reset take?

The app restarts within a couple of minutes. OneDrive then rechecks your files, which can take much longer if you sync a lot of them.

Is there a "sync now" button in OneDrive?

No. Pausing and resuming sync, or quitting and restarting OneDrive, makes it check everything again.

Why does OneDrive keep stopping syncing?

Usually because the same cause keeps coming back: a file it can't sync, a full storage quota, a sign-in problem, or more files than the sync client handles reliably. If it's happening to many people, see what to do across an organisation.

How do you reset OneDrive on a Mac?

Quit OneDrive, open Applications, right-click OneDrive and select Show Package Contents. Then open Contents, then Resources, and double-click ResetOneDriveApp.command. Cloud Drive Mapper itself is Windows software.

Related solutions

• Experiencing delays with the OneDrive sync client?
• OneDrive sync limits: the 300,000 file limit explained
• How to map OneDrive as a network drive in Windows
• The OneDrive sync cache cost in VDI
• Cloud Drive Mapper product overview

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