Why Is OneDrive Not Syncing on Windows PC? Answers and Fixes Are Here!

OneDrive, a professional cloud storage service provider, owns a huge number of users, including personal and business users, around the world.

While enjoying the convenient storage services provided by OneDrive, many users also come across many problems. One of the issues is OneDrive not syncing. If you are having the same issue, follow the respective guide and fix the OneDrive not syncing error on Windows computers now.

PAGE CONTENT:

Causes - Why Is OneDrive Not Syncing
How Do I Fix OneDrive Not Syncing on Windows 10/8/7
Extended: OneDrive Sync vs OneDrive Backup, Which Is Better?
Bonus Tip: How Do I Backup Files to OneDrive Instead of Syncing?

Causes - Why Is OneDrive Not Syncing

Accordingly, many reasons may block your OneDrive from syncing files between your device and the cloud. Here is a list of common causes that'll explain why is OneDrive not syncing your files:

OneDrive Sync Error
OneDrive displaying with Red "X" sync error
OneDrive processing changes
OneDrive paused
OneDrive account nearly full
OneDrive account full, blocked, or frozen
OneDrive not signed in

If the OneDrive syncing error that you are having is not included in the list, check the specific OneDrive sync error and get official help from Microsoft here.

Let's get started to fix OneDrive syncing error on your own now.

How Do I Fix OneDrive Not Syncing on Windows 10/8/7 [8 Fixes Available]

In this part, you'll learn some tips that will make sure that OneDrive is running correctly so that you can access and sync files. Also, remember to try the quick fixes first.

Quick Fixes for OneDrive Not Syncing	Detailed Steps
1. Check if You Can Access OneDrive Online	Check: Click OneDrive icon on PC > Help & Settings > Settings > View online. If not, check the status of Microsoft Office OnlineServices at the Service Health portal.
2. Update OneDrive to the Latest Version	Download the latest version of OneDrive and install it. Press Windows + S to search for OneDrive, click to open the OneDrive desktop app. Sign in with your Microsoft account email address and set up the account.
3. Upgrade OneDrive Account Storage	Buy more storage. Download files to backup, and delete them from the OneDrive account. Reduce files to sync.
4. Unlink OneDrive & Run OneDrive Setup Again	Click OneDrive icon, select "Help & Settings > Settings". Click "Unlink this PC". Set up OneDrive with the steps in the Welcome to OneDrive wizard.

After trying the fixes above, if OneDrive works in syncing files again, stop here. If nothing worked, move to follow the tutorial guide below and let it help.

Fix 1. Move Files Out of the Sync Folder

Step 1. Click OneDrive icon and select "Help & Settings" > "Settings".

Step 2. Click "Pause syncing..." and select "2 hours".

Step 3. Select a file from the sync folder and move it to another folder, such as C:\users\.

Step 4. Select "Help & Settings" > "Resume syncing...".

When the syncing process completes, move the file back to its original location again.

Fix 2. Check & Make Sure Filenames and file types are supported

Note that OneDrive won't work when the target file exceeds its constraints in file size and file names. So check if the files that you need to sync don't contain one of the following features:

File is larger than 20GB.
File name and its entire path are more than 400 characters.
File contains illegal or characters, like <, >, :, ", |, ?, *, /, \.

So how to fix this error? Here are the steps:

Step 1. Reduce the size of the file that you need to sync by zipping or compressing it.

Step 2. Shorten the file name or save the file in a subfolder that is closer to the top-level folder.

Step 3. Rename the file and remove illegal characters, set the file in a normal file extension.

Fix 3. Turn Off Necessary Components - Office Upload, Proxy Settings, Antivirus, and Firewall

#1. Turn Off Office Upload

Step 1. Click OneDrive icon, select "Help & Settings" > "Settings".

Step 2. Go to the Office tab, uncheck "Use Office applications to sync Office files that I open" or "Use Office 2016 to sync Office files that I open".

Step 3. Click "OK" to confirm.

#2. Turn Off Proxy Settings - Temporarily

In Microsoft Edge:

Click the Windows icon and select the Settings icon.
Click "Network & Internet" > "Proxy".
At the Automatic proxy setup section, slide "Automatically detect settings" and "Use setup script" to its opposite side: On to Off, or Off to On.
At the Manual proxy setup section, slide "Use a proxy server" to its opposite side: On to Off, or Off to On.

In Internet Explorer 11/10/9/8/7:

In IE, click "Tools" > "Internet Options" > "Connections" > "LAN settings" > Uncheck or clear "Use a proxy server for your LAN" > "Apply" and "OK".

#3. Turn Off Antivirus or Firewall - Temporarily

Step 1. Click the Windows Start icon > "Settings" > "Update & Security".

Step 2. Select Update Security > Open Windows Defender Security Center.

Step 3. Select to disable or turn off "Virus & threat protection" and "Firewall & network protection".

Fix 4. Reset OneDrive

Press Windows + R keys, and type this path in the Run dialog, and hit Enter:
%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
If you see the "Windows cannot find..." message, type this path in the Run dialog instead: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
If this doesn't work, you can reinstall or update Office to fix OneDrive not syncing error.

Extended: OneDrive Sync vs OneDrive Backup, Which Is Better?

As you know that OneDrive is a cloud storage service that makes sharing and editing files anytime and anywhere. Besides file syncing, OneDrive also works as a terminal for local computer file backup.

So what's the difference between OneDrive Sync and OneDrive Backup? Which is better? When to use file syncing and when to use file backup? Check the answers here.

Which Is Better	OneDrive Sync	OneDrive Backup
Pros	Sync files and folders immediately across different devices. Free up local hard drive space. Sharing files, work with colleagues anytime and anywhere. Real-time collaboration with Office applications.	Free up local hard drive space Back up all types of files to OneDrive, including Documents, Downloads, Desktop, everything on the computer, even include the OS. File deletion on a local disk won't remove the backup. File backup takes smaller space than file syncing with professional file backup software. More secure than file syncing.
Cons	File syncing takes huge space on OneDrive, the account gets full easily. Deleting a file or folder inside the OneDrive folder on PC will also delete it online. OneDrive only sync files that were saved inside the OneDrive folder. OneDrive cannot sync Documents, Pictures, or Desktop folders.	Slower than file syncing.

So which is better, and when to use OneDrive sync or OneDrive backup? According to the comparison, as shown above, you may have answers. And here is Editor's suggestions, hopefully, it will be helpful to you:

To quickly share files with your colleagues, friends, or families, OneDrive Sync is better.
To free up space on your local computer disk, back up all valuable files, use OneDrive backup.

So how to securely back up files to OneDrive? Check this out.

Bonus Tip: How Do I Backup Files to OneDrive Instead of Syncing? Your Reliable Tool Is Here

When it comes to backup files to OneDrive, you have two options:

1. Manually upload files to OneDrive one by one.

2. Back up all files to OneDrive at one time.

If you prefer the manual way, follow Microsoft to upload and save files to OneDrive. But if you prefer an all-in-one backup tool, Qiling file backup software - Qiling Backup is here to help.

Free Download

With it, you can back up anything on your computer drive to OneDrive. If you ever feel like backup your current OS to OneDrive, the workstation version of Qiling Backup can help.

Let's see how to fully backup all data on your computer to OneDrive one time:

Step 1. Launch Qiling cloud backup software and choose the "File backup" option in the "Backup and recovery" page.

Step 2. Choose the target files you want to backup by either "User Defined" mode or "File Filter" mode.

"User Defined" allows you to choose files according to their file directory, while "File Filter" is much simpler if you only backup files with specific file formats of pictures, documents, videos, and so on.

Step 3. In order to backup files to the Cloud storage, click the "Browse" button in the "Destination" area. The new mini window pops out. Select "Cloud Device" path.

Step 4. Click "Proceed" to start backing up files to your Cloud drive at once.

Don't Worry When OneDrive Is Not Syncing Files, Follow to Fix It Now

On this page, we collected all possible reasons that may block OneDrive from syncing files on your computer. And we also collected 8 fixes to help you resolve this issue, making OneDrive sync files again.

However, there is one thing that you cannot ignore that OneDrive sync has its constraints that you can't expect using this feature to backup and protect your local computer data. If you need a OneDrive file backup solution, it's wise that you turn to reliable backup software. Here, Qiling Backup with its file backup to OneDrive feature is countable.

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