OneDrive Not Syncing? What Each Icon Means and How to Fix It

OneDrive usually tells you exactly what’s wrong; the message is just hidden behind an icon. Click the OneDrive cloud in the Windows notification area (or the Mac menu bar) to open the activity panel. It lists the files that are stuck and why.

Most OneDrive sync issues fall into three groups: one file or folder that can’t sync because of its name, path length or because it’s open; the account itself, such as being signed out or out of storage; or the sync app’s own database, which a reset rebuilds without touching your files.

A quick check tells you which side is behind. Open the file on onedrive.com, or in SharePoint for a team library. If the web copy is current, the cloud is fine and only the PC needs fixing.

What the OneDrive icons mean

The icon tells you which kind of problem you have. Microsoft’s meanings:

White circles with green ticks and solid green circles are normal: the file is on your PC. Storage Sense can turn unused files back into online-only ones, which isn’t a sync failure either.

Fix the file, not the whole OneDrive

When one item has a red X, fix that item. Resetting OneDrive won’t help a file it can’t sync by design.

Names OneDrive won’t accept

• These characters aren’t allowed in file or folder names: " * : < > ? / \ |. Windows blocks them anyway, and OneDrive for Mac has supported them since January 2025, so other name rules are likelier culprits.
• Names can’t start or end with a space, which is easy to miss because you can’t see it. Some organizations also don’t yet support # or % in names.
• These names aren’t allowed at all: .lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0 to COM9, LPT0 to LPT9, desktop.ini, anything containing _vti_, and names starting with ~$.

OneDrive file path too long

OneDrive and SharePoint allow paths up to 400 characters in the cloud, but Windows File Explorer and the Office desktop apps stop at 260. Work accounts lose extra characters to the folder name, because it includes your organization’s name, for example C:\Users\Name\OneDrive - Company Name\. Deep folder trees copied from a server often break this limit. Shorten folder names near the top of the tree or move the folder up a level.

Files that are open, huge or temporary

• Open files: close the file once you finish editing. A file that’s open, very large, or one of many new files keeps OneDrive on “Processing changes.”
• Outlook data files: .pst and .ost files are large and slow to sync, and admins can block .pst uploads. Microsoft recommends moving .pst files out of OneDrive, but not by dragging them: close Outlook, copy the .pst to a folder outside OneDrive, reopen Outlook and, under File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files, add the copy, set it as default if the old file was, then remove the OneDrive copy, or Outlook keeps looking in the old place. If Outlook then refuses to open, see our Outlook won’t open guide.
• “Sync pending” with nothing visible: a hidden or temporary .tmp file is usually the cause. In File Explorer choose View > Show > Hidden items (on Windows 10, tick Hidden items on the View tab). A .tmp file can hold unsaved work, so close the program that made it before you move or delete it. Only if nothing is hidden, copy all the files into a new folder and delete the stuck one. In a shared folder, check with your team first: the deletion reaches everyone, and the new folder won’t keep the old sharing links.
• Files OneDrive skips on purpose: .tmp files don’t sync, and neither, normally, do local system files such as desktop.ini on Windows or .DS_Store on a Mac; that’s by design.
• OneNote notebooks: they sync through OneNote, not the OneDrive app, so check sync inside OneNote instead of resetting OneDrive.
• Size and count: single files can be up to 250 GB. For best performance Microsoft recommends syncing no more than 300,000 items in total.

Conflicts and duplicate copies

If two people edit the same non-Office file, OneDrive keeps both: the cloud version keeps the name and your copy gets your computer’s name added, such as Report-OFFICEPC.pdf. Compare them, merge the changes and delete the extra copy. If someone overwrote a file, version history can bring the older one back.

A folder is online but missing from the PC

Check which folders this PC syncs: click the OneDrive cloud, select the Help & Settings gear, then Settings > Account > Choose folders and tick the missing one. The choice is stored per computer and per account, so a new or reset PC can leave folders out.

For a SharePoint or Teams library, use Sync or Add shortcut to My files, not both. If OneDrive says you’re already syncing a shortcut to a folder from this shared library, remove the shortcut first: right-click it in File Explorer and choose OneDrive > Remove shortcut. Don’t delete the folder itself; Microsoft warns that deleting an expanded shortcut deletes the folder and its contents for everyone.

Account problems: sign-in, storage and old sync apps

• Signed out after a password change. OneDrive stops and waits; the gray icon or a stuck “Processing changes” is the clue. Sign in again.
• Storage full. Microsoft says that when you exceed your storage you can’t upload, edit or sync new files. Free space or add storage, and check for large videos or backups someone dropped into OneDrive.
• Too many accounts. A PC can sync one personal OneDrive and up to nine work or school accounts. A Mac can only sync one business account from the same organization at a time.
• The old sync app. Support for the old OneDrive for Business sync app with SharePoint Online has ended; if you still see its icon, remove it and use the current OneDrive app.
• Network drives. OneDrive can’t use a network or mapped drive as its sync location, and it doesn’t follow symbolic links or junction points.

Restart, reset or relink OneDrive

Restart OneDrive first

Click the OneDrive cloud, select the Help & Settings gear and choose Quit OneDrive, then type OneDrive in the Start menu and open the app. A restart can clear a stall without the full re-sync a reset triggers.

No cloud icon at all? Check the Show hidden icons arrow next to the clock; if it isn’t there, OneDrive isn’t running, so start it from the Start menu.

What a reset does

A reset disconnects every sync connection and rebuilds OneDrive’s database, then does a full sync, which can take a long time on a large library. Microsoft states you won’t lose files or data by resetting. If you’d chosen to sync only some folders, you’ll pick them again afterward, for each account.

Reset on Windows

1. Press Windows key + R, paste %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset and click OK.
2. If Windows says it can’t find the file, try "C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe" /reset instead.
3. If that also fails, try "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe" /reset.
4. Then start OneDrive from the Start menu if it doesn’t reopen on its own.

If none of the three paths work, the desktop sync app isn’t installed, or you have the Microsoft Store version of OneDrive, which you reset from its app settings page instead.

Reset on a Mac

1. Click the OneDrive icon in the menu bar, open its settings menu and choose Quit OneDrive.
2. In Applications, Control-click OneDrive and choose Show Package Contents.
3. Open Contents > Resources and double-click ResetOneDriveApp.command (or ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command for the standalone app).
4. Start OneDrive and, when asked, choose the same folder location as before so unchanged files don’t download again.

Unlink and relink (Windows)

If a reset doesn’t help, unlink the account: click the OneDrive cloud, open Settings > Account > Unlink this PC > Unlink account. Microsoft also suggests deleting PreSignInSettingsConfig.json from %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\settings to clear the saved sign-in. Sign in again and choose Use this folder when told the folder already exists.

Don’t delete the local OneDrive folder as a shortcut. If a file only exists on this PC because it never synced, that would be the only copy. Our guide to business file backup and restore explains why sync on its own isn’t a backup.

For Microsoft 365 admins

When sync fails for several people, or only on certain PCs, check the tenant settings before resetting machines one by one.

• Sync restrictions. In the SharePoint admin center, go to Settings > Sync. Allow syncing only on computers joined to specific domains blocks sync on any PC that isn’t joined to one of the Active Directory domains whose GUIDs you enter. It doesn’t apply to Microsoft Entra ID, so PCs joined only to Microsoft Entra ID are blocked; Microsoft suggests Conditional Access for those. Block upload of specific file types explains gray “blocked” icons; Microsoft notes changes take about eight hours to reach the sync app.
• Library sync turned off. If the Sync button is missing on a SharePoint library, a site or library setting may block offline availability for that site.
• Find every PC with sync errors. The OneDrive sync health dashboard in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center (Health > OneDrive Sync) shows which devices have sync errors and what they are. Set it up there, then turn on Enable sync health reporting for OneDrive for your PCs in Intune or Group Policy; reports take up to three days.
• Long paths on every PC. The Set a custom name for the OneDrive folder policy replaces OneDrive - Company Name with something shorter, leaving more of the 260 characters for files. People already syncing must unlink and relink for it to apply.
• Laptops that keep pausing. The Continue syncing on metered networks and Continue syncing when devices have battery saver mode turned on policies stop OneDrive pausing itself.
• Known Folder Move and .pst files. Microsoft notes that turning on Known Folder Move through Group Policy migrates .pst files too, and Outlook may then show errors because it still looks in the old location. Move them out and repoint Outlook, as above, before you deploy.
• Service health. Check Health > Service health in the Microsoft 365 admin center for OneDrive or SharePoint incidents.

Planning folder structure, sharing and sync settings before people pile files in is what our cloud file sharing and access setup covers. Our Microsoft 365 management covers the account work around it: new and departing users, password resets and security setup.

When it isn’t really OneDrive

• The PC’s drive is full or struggling. OneDrive needs free disk space to download files, and a drive stuck at 100% activity in Task Manager makes everything crawl. See 100% disk usage in Windows 11.
• The connection is slow or throttled. Microsoft suggests a speed test when uploads drag on; a large first sync over a weak line can take days. Also check Help & Settings > Settings > Sync and back up > Advanced settings for an upload or download rate cap someone set. If the whole office is slow, fix the internet connection first.
• Windows paused it for you. A laptop in battery saver mode or on a metered network shows the pause icon though nobody paused it. Plug in, or choose Sync Anyway in the notification. If the office Wi-Fi was marked metered by mistake, turn off Metered connection in Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > your network.

If you’d rather not untangle it yourself, one stuck PC is a typical $59 remote fix; nothing happens until you approve the connection, and you can close it anytime.

Common questions

Will resetting OneDrive delete my files?

No. Microsoft states that you won’t lose files or data by resetting OneDrive on your computer. A reset disconnects your sync connections, rebuilds the sync database and then runs a full sync, which can take a while for large libraries. If you had chosen to sync only certain folders, you’ll need to choose them again afterward.

What does the red X on a OneDrive folder mean?

A red circle with a white cross means that file or folder can’t sync. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area to see the reason. The usual causes are a name OneDrive doesn’t accept, such as one that starts or ends with a space, a path that’s too long, a file that’s open, or missing permission to a shared folder. A file type your admin blocked shows a gray circle with a bar instead.

Why is OneDrive stuck on "Processing changes"?

Microsoft lists a few causes: a OneDrive file is open, you’ve added a lot of files, you’ve added a very large file such as a video or Outlook data file, you’ve been signed out, or you’ve just signed in or updated the PC. Close open files, move .pst files out of OneDrive and point Outlook at the new copy, and sign in if asked. If it never finishes, unlink and relink OneDrive.

What is the maximum path length for OneDrive?

OneDrive and SharePoint accept full paths of up to 400 characters in the cloud. On Windows, though, File Explorer and the Office desktop apps are limited to 260 characters, and work accounts use extra characters for the "OneDrive – Company Name" folder. Keeping paths under 260 characters on the PC avoids most open and sync errors.

Why does OneDrive show "Sync pending" on a folder with no files?

Usually a hidden or temporary file inside it is waiting to sync. In File Explorer, choose View > Show > Hidden items to find it. Temporary .tmp files don’t sync by design. If nothing is hidden, Microsoft suggests creating a new folder, copying the files into it and deleting the stuck folder. In a shared folder, check with your team first, because deleting it removes it for everyone. Empty folders can also show pending until a file is added.

How do I force OneDrive to sync?

There’s no Sync now button. Click the OneDrive cloud icon, open the Help & Settings gear and choose Pause syncing, then Resume syncing, or choose Quit OneDrive and reopen it from the Start menu. To keep an online-only file on the PC, right-click it and choose Always keep on this device. If items still don’t move, the activity panel lists the error blocking them.