“The source and destination file names are the same”: how to fix it

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10 with the OneDrive app. The same message can appear without OneDrive on network shares or synced folders from other services; the checks below still apply.

Which situation are you in?

The message wording is the same in every case, so start with two quick checks:

• Where does the destination really live? Right-click the destination folder (for example Documents) in File Explorer, choose Properties and open the Location tab. If the path is inside your OneDrive folder, you’re probably copying the folder onto itself (Fix 1). The Location tab only appears for the special folders such as Documents, Desktop, Pictures and Downloads.
• What do the status icons show? Look at the Status column of the source files. A blue cloud means the file is online-only. A green check or a solid green circle means it is on the PC. If you see clouds, go to Fix 2.

If neither applies, the cause is usually a very long path (Fix 3) or two names that differ only in a hidden detail (Fix 4).

Fix 1: You are copying a folder onto itself

When OneDrive backs up your PC folders, Windows points Documents, Desktop and Pictures at folders inside OneDrive. The old path and the OneDrive path are then two names for one place. Copying from one to the other means copying every file onto itself, and Explorer stops with this message.

1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar, then the gear icon, and choose Settings.
2. Open Sync and back up and click Manage back up. Folders that are switched on are already in OneDrive.
3. If the folder you are copying from or to is listed as backed up, you don’t need to copy at all: the files are already there. To keep a separate copy, paste into a folder outside OneDrive, such as a folder on another drive.

If you stop backing up a folder, the files already in OneDrive generally stay there rather than moving back to the PC folder, so don’t turn backup off just to fix this message. If you want OneDrive to stop syncing altogether, follow how to stop OneDrive from syncing instead.

Fix 2: The files are online-only

With Files On-Demand, OneDrive shows every file but only downloads it when you open it. Copying an online-only file makes OneDrive download it first. If the PC is offline, syncing is paused, or the OneDrive app isn’t signed in, the download fails and Explorer can report the same-name error.

1. Check that the PC is online and that OneDrive isn’t paused: click the OneDrive icon, then the gear, and choose Resume syncing if it’s listed.
2. Right-click the source folder and choose Always keep on this device.
3. Wait until the files show a green circle with a white check mark, then copy again.

If the OneDrive icon shows an error or a red X instead, fix the sign-in first; OneDrive error 0x8004de40 covers the common connection problem. Later, you can right-click the folder and choose Free up space to make the files online-only again.

Fix 3: The path is too long

File Explorer still has trouble with full paths longer than about 260 characters, and OneDrive folder names add to the length (C:\Users\name\OneDrive - Company Name\...). A file deep in nested folders can fail to copy with misleading messages, including this one. Shorten the path by renaming long folder names or moving the folder closer to the top of OneDrive, then copy again. If Windows reports that a folder isn’t empty when you clean up afterwards, see error 0x80070091.

Fix 4: Two files only look different

Windows treats Report.docx and report.docx as the same name, and hides extensions by default, so two files can collide without looking alike. In File Explorer, open View > Show and turn on File name extensions and Hidden items (Windows 10: the View tab). Then check the destination for a file with the same name in different capitals, or a leftover hidden copy, and rename one of them.

If the copy fails with an access error instead, see You don’t currently have permission to access this folder.

Related guides

• How to stop OneDrive from syncing
• OneDrive error code 0x8004de40: how to fix it
• Error 0x80070091: the directory is not empty
• You don’t currently have permission to access this folder

Official sources:

• Microsoft Support: Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows