What are some of the things I can do when OneDrive is not syncing?

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This guide will walk you through a few things you can try when your OneDrive is not syncing.

Method 1: Restart the OneDrive App on your PC

Step 1:

Click Show hidden icons on the bottom right of your screen, then the OneDrive icon

Step 2:

When the OneDrive menu pops up, click the Settings Icon, then Quit OneDrive to exit

Step 3:

To start OneDrive again, click on the Search Icon, type OneDrive in the search box and select OneDrive to launch the app

Step 4:

Give it a few moments and then check to see if it is syncing now.

Method 2: Check if the file path is too long

According to Microsoft, the file path, including the file name, should not exceed 255 characters. So if the path of your file is too long, it can cause OneDrive not syncing.

An example of long file path:
C:\Users\shight\OneDrive\Documents\OfficeWork\2018\September\Deadline\ThisWeek\Wednesday\This_is_an_example_of_long_file_path.txt 

You can try renaming the file with fewer characters, and also avoid having too many sub folders, inside of sub folders, to make the file path shorter.

Method 3: Check if there is any ~$ files in the directories

Your OneDrive not syncing issue might also be due to cache files (beginning with ~$ ) and the icon is faded in the OneDrive folder (see an example below).

If there is any, delete it and OneDrive should sync normally. 

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Article ID: 154206
Created
Mon 3/6/23 4:34 PM
Modified
Tue 3/19/24 2:16 PM