OneDrive not syncing in Windows 11: how to fix it

Applies to: the OneDrive app on Windows 11 with a personal Microsoft account, and mostly to work or school accounts too (differences are noted near the end). The steps are close to identical on Windows 10.

If you came here because you want OneDrive to stop syncing on purpose, that is a different job; see how to stop OneDrive from syncing.

Start with the OneDrive icon

The cloud icon in the notification area, at the right end of the taskbar, is the fastest way to find out why sync has stopped. If you can’t see it, select the small up arrow (Show hidden icons). Microsoft’s OneDrive icons page explains each overlay; the ones that matter for sync are:

What the icon shows	What it means	Where to go
Pause symbol on the cloud	Sync is paused	Fix 1
Gray line through the cloud	You’re not signed in, or setup isn’t finished	Fix 2
Red circle with a white X	At least one file or folder can’t sync	Fixes 4 to 7
Yellow triangle or brown exclamation mark	Your account needs attention, often storage	Fix 3
Red no-entry circle	The account is blocked or frozen	Fix 3
No cloud icon at all	The OneDrive app isn’t running	Fix 2

Select the icon to open the activity center. It lists recent uploads and, if something is wrong, a message naming the file or the problem. Read that message before trying fixes at random; it often points to one specific file.

1. Resume paused sync

Sync can be paused by hand for 2, 8 or 24 hours, and it’s easy to forget. Select the OneDrive icon, select the gear (Help and Settings) and choose Resume syncing.

OneDrive may also pause on its own, for example when the laptop is in battery saver mode or connected to a metered network, and the activity center usually says so. Plug in, or switch to an unmetered connection, and sync should pick up again. If you deliberately set a network as metered to save data, expect OneDrive to wait until you’re back on a normal connection.

2. Make sure OneDrive is running and signed in

If there’s no cloud icon, OneDrive isn’t running. Press Win, type OneDrive and open the app. If the icon has a gray line through it, sign in when prompted and finish setup.

Next, check that the service itself is working. Select the OneDrive icon, open the gear menu and choose View online. If your files open in the browser, the account and service are fine and the problem is on the PC. If you can’t sign in online either, Microsoft suggests checking its service status before changing anything on your PC.

If sign-in fails with a code, look it up first. Error 0x8004de40 is a connection problem covered in our 0x8004de40 guide, usually network, proxy or VPN related.

3. Check your storage

When your Microsoft storage is full, OneDrive stops uploading. Microsoft’s sync troubleshooting page says you can’t upload, edit or sync new files once you’re over the limit, and that includes the phone camera roll. Remember that the quota is shared with Outlook.com mail and attachments, so a full mailbox can block OneDrive sync too.

To check, select the OneDrive icon and look at the storage bar in the settings, or sign in online. Empty the OneDrive recycle bin online (deleted files still count until it’s emptied), delete or move large files you don’t need, or add storage. If the account shows as frozen or you see error 0x8004def7, follow our 0x8004def7 guide, which covers both full storage and frozen accounts.

Space on the PC matters as well. If the drive that holds your OneDrive folder is nearly full, OneDrive can’t download files you open. Free up local disk space or use Files On-Demand (Fix 6) so that less is stored on the PC.

4. Fix file names, paths and sizes OneDrive rejects

A single file OneDrive can’t accept puts the red X on the icon, while everything else keeps syncing. Microsoft’s restrictions and limitations page lists what is not allowed:

• Characters: names can’t contain " * : < > ? / \ |, and can’t start or end with a space. Files that came from a Mac or an older backup often break this rule.
• Reserved names: .lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0 to COM9, LPT0 to LPT9 and desktop.ini aren’t allowed, nor is _vti_ anywhere in a name or any name beginning with ~$.
• File size: individual files can be up to 250 GB. Larger files won’t sync.
• Temporary files: TMP files and some system files are skipped on purpose, so they never show up online. That is expected.

Long paths are another common cause. A deep folder structure with long names can push a file’s full path past what OneDrive or Office will handle. Microsoft says the exact limit depends on the app and Office version, so rather than aiming for a number, shorten folder names or move the folder closer to the top of OneDrive. Renaming a top-level folder shortens every path below it.

Rename the file in File Explorer, inside the OneDrive folder, and OneDrive retries on its own. If File Explorer freezes while you browse a large OneDrive folder, see File Explorer not responding in Windows 11.

5. Close files that are in use

A file that’s open in another app may wait until it’s closed before OneDrive uploads the latest version. Save and close the file, and close the app if it keeps a lock on files (database apps, some editors and Outlook data files are the usual ones). The restrictions page notes that Outlook PST files sync less often than other types, so storing an active PST in OneDrive is a poor fit; keep it outside OneDrive and back it up another way.

For Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, the Office apps work with OneDrive to upload changes, and a sign-in problem in Office can hold up a save. If an Office file shows an upload error, open it and check for a yellow message bar asking you to sign in or resolve a conflict.

6. Online-only files are not a sync failure

With Files On-Demand, which is on by default, OneDrive shows every file in File Explorer but only downloads it when you open it. In the Status column, a plain blue cloud usually means the file is online only, a green tick means a copy is on this PC, and circling arrows mean sync is in progress. A blue cloud is normal, not a problem, and the file opens as long as you’re online.

If you need a file or folder offline, right-click it and choose Always keep on this device. To give space back, choose Free up space. If the Status column is missing, right-click a column header in File Explorer and add it.

7. Move the stuck file out and back

When one file stays stuck with no clear reason, Microsoft’s sync troubleshooting page suggests moving it out of OneDrive and back again:

1. Select the OneDrive icon, open the gear menu and pause syncing.
2. Move the stuck file from the OneDrive folder to a folder outside OneDrive, such as a new folder on the desktop that isn’t backed up.
3. Resume syncing and wait until OneDrive says it’s up to date.
4. Move the file back into the OneDrive folder and let it upload.

This forces OneDrive to treat it as a new file. Don’t do it with a file that only exists online, because moving an online-only file out of OneDrive first downloads it; make sure it has a green tick before you move it.

8. Update OneDrive and Windows

Old OneDrive builds can fail against the current service. Install pending updates in Settings > Windows Update, then download the latest OneDrive from Microsoft and run the installer. If you already have the current version, Microsoft says the installer simply closes. Open OneDrive and sign in again if asked.

9. Unlink and link the PC again

Unlinking disconnects this PC from your OneDrive without touching your files, either on the PC or online. Changes made while unlinked sync after you link the PC again.

1. Select the OneDrive icon, then the gear, then Settings.
2. On the Account tab, select Unlink this PC and confirm with Unlink account.
3. To clear the saved sign-in data, press Win + R, enter %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\settings and delete PreSignInSettingsConfig.json.
4. Open OneDrive from Start and sign in.
5. When asked about the existing folder, choose Use this folder so OneDrive reuses your files instead of downloading everything into a new location.

After relinking, OneDrive checks every file, which takes a while with large libraries. If you previously synced only some folders, choose them again in the settings.

10. Reset OneDrive

A reset disconnects every sync connection on the PC, including work or school accounts, and rebuilds OneDrive’s local database. Microsoft’s reset page says you won’t lose files or data by doing it. Expect a full sync afterward, and if you only synced selected folders, you’ll need to pick them again.

1. Press Win + R, paste the line below and select OK.
2. If Windows says it can’t find the file, try the second line, then the third. Which one works depends on how OneDrive was installed.
3. Wait a minute or two. If the cloud icon doesn’t come back, open Start, type OneDrive and open the app.

%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

If none of the three paths work, the OneDrive desktop app isn’t installed, and installing it from Microsoft is the fix. Microsoft also suggests running wsreset.exe first, which resets the Microsoft Store cache and opens the Store; you can close it.

Work or school accounts

Most steps above apply to work accounts, with a few differences worth knowing:

• Your IT department can block certain file types, so a file may refuse to sync by policy rather than because of an error. The message in the activity center normally says so.
• OneDrive on Windows can sync one personal account and up to nine work or school accounts at once. A reset disconnects all of them.
• Shared libraries from SharePoint or Teams have their own permissions. If you can open a file but not save it, you may only have view access; ask the owner.
• Your organization’s network may use a proxy or firewall that blocks OneDrive. If OneDrive works at home but not on the office network, that points to the network, not the PC.

If files seem to have disappeared

A file that vanished from the OneDrive folder was often deleted on another device and the deletion synced. Sign in to OneDrive online and open the Recycle bin; deleted files stay there for a limited time before they’re removed for good. If it isn’t there, see our free file recovery guide for local options.

Before trying any risky cleanup, such as deleting the OneDrive folder to start fresh, make sure every file you care about is visible online first. Deleting files inside the OneDrive folder while sync is running deletes them online too.

Related guides

• OneDrive error 0x8004def7: storage full or account frozen (how to fix it)
• OneDrive error code 0x8004de40: how to fix it
• How to stop OneDrive from syncing (without losing files)
• File Explorer not responding in Windows 11: how to fix it
• Free file recovery on Windows 11 and 10: 4 ways to get deleted files back
• OneNote not syncing: how to fix it on Windows 11

Official sources

• Microsoft Support: Fix OneDrive sync problems
• Microsoft Support: Reset OneDrive
• Microsoft Support: Restrictions and limitations in OneDrive and SharePoint