How to fix can't find onedrive SPO folder

Question

How to fix can't find onedrive SPO folder

Grimble 10

OneDrive works okay for a few days then fails to find the OneDrive on SPO folder. Try again does not work and set up OneDrive often fails and I go round in circles. How do I fix this and stop it happening again?

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Aaron Mathias 90 Reputation points

2026-09-28T07:31:54.5333333+00:00

Note : I am not a Microsoft employee and the responses are based on experiences and best effort.

You have mentioned OneDrive on the SPO Folder, so this is likely to mean OneDrive for Business. You may need local admin access before you can do some of the steps.
While there are multiple ways of dealing with this by going into the registry, etc, they need a realtive intricate knowledge and understanding. This can be risky if you don't already know. The easier option is as below.

Step1 - Unisntall OneDrive. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive

Step 2 - Download and Install OneDrive and then login again.https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/onedrive/download

The consumer version is fine as the moment you try to use it with a work account, it will switch to the Business version.

If this works for you, please Mark is as an Accepted/Resolved, so that it can aid others as well

If some part has worked, please add additional notes, so that I(Community) can provide additional support based on additional information.
Grimble 10 Reputation points

2026-09-28T09:24:55.1933333+00:00

Aaron,

Appreciate the effort. Unfortunately it didn't help. When I Sign In to OneDrive (depressingly often), I get a message that says 'This email address is used for both OneDrive and OneDrive for Business. Which would you like to sign in to first?' That concerns me as I'm not aware of having the latter anywhere on my PC (never responded with anything but Personal anywhere, even when first setting up Windows), nor do I have any other account. I always select 'Personal' then use the OneDrive folder it finds. I have searched for a 'OneDrive on SPO' folder in my OneDrive folder but never found one even when it appears to be working.

Bizarrely, when I try to Uninstall OneDrive, it asks to allow changes, seems to do something for a while, but doesn't remove the app at all!

The only thing that seems to work is to 'Unlink this PC', restart and go from there (which takes a couple of hours for OneDrive to process thousands of changes). Getting to settings to 'Unlink this PC' can be difficult as I keep getting the message about the missing folder and while that is showing, nothing else can be done with it. 'Try again' goes off for a bit then redisplays the message. 'Set up OneDrive' takes me through the usual (where I choose Personal etc.) and OneDrive reports 'Loading' or 'Signing in' depending where I look. It will keep on like this until I give up and Restart the computer again. Eventually, I can find OneDrive's settings to 'Unlink this PC'. A bit of a farrago and I haven't yet found the shortest way to do this. If you, or anybody else, has any advice, I'd much appreciate it. It might help to find out about 'this other account' while I'm at it. Thanks.
Thomas4-N 23,060 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-02T10:11:38.0066667+00:00

Hello Grimble,

Thanks for the update. Since reinstalling did not help and unlinking only works temporarily, I would not repeat those steps.

When OneDrive is working, could you open its cloud icon > Settings > Account and tell me whether it lists only your Personal account or also a work or school account? Please also check whether your files are still visible in your Personal OneDrive on the web. You do not need to post your email address or a screenshot showing it.

That should help narrow down why the folder error keeps returning without risking another setup cycle.
Grimble 10 Reputation points

2026-10-02T17:08:48.5+00:00

Thomas4-N,

I'm looking at the Account page. There is only one account listed, with my name and email address shown. There is no indication of what type of account it is. Next to it is an option to add another account. If I follow that link, it asks me to sign in to OneDrive. I don't want to go any further with that as I don't want another account - just hoped it might give more information than that! When I've had to sign in (again) before it then goes on to ask me which account I want to use and I choose Personal every time. Hope that helps. It does refer to a Personal Vault. Does that identify as Personal or do those exist for both types?

I must admit, viewing online is new to me but found out how to do it quite quickly. Yes, I can view and access my files on the web.

The only confirmation I can find that this is a Personal account is when I click on the cloud icon it shows 'OneDrive - Personal Backed up and synced'.

Fingers crossed, I haven't had any issues for the last 24 hours. One thought I had is that some time ago, I found some advice that said large files could cause this. I have a couple of database files that are between 70 and 75 MB. Access files can be up to 2GB and the storage space is 1TB so I never considered this large. It takes a few minutes for OneDrive to back them up, but that's not excessive (we have a slow link out here in copper land). Nevertheless, yesterday morning I moved those out of the OneDrive folder (I use alternative methods to back up anyway which is just as well because when my computer crashed at the beginning of last year, I was unable to reconnect OneDrive at all and would have lost access to all my data). OneDrive is just convenient for the few changes I make each day. I will advise if moving those files and OneDrive behaving itself coincide :-)

I'm new to this Q&A and kind of stumbled onto it so I'm a complete newbie. When I reply to something like your Answer, should I be using Answer or Comment?

Thanks, Grimble.
Thomas4-N 23,060 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-03T14:37:26.03+00:00

Hello Grimble, thanks for the follow-up, that helps clarify things. “OneDrive – Personal” and Personal Vault are consistent with a personal OneDrive account, and it’s good that you can still access your files on the web. I wouldn’t assume the “SPO folder” message means you have a second account.

Since things have been working for the past 24 hours, I’d leave the setup alone for now rather than put you through another unlink and resync. Moving the database files gives you something useful to observe, but we can’t yet say they caused the error. If it returns, please share the exact message and when it appears, without posting your email address.

For the Q&A question, normally you should reply under an existing answer (mine) so it's easier for me to keep track and keep helping you. Otherwise, for example you have new update to provide generally, you could post a new answer.
Grimble 10 Reputation points

2026-10-03T18:08:54.34+00:00

So use the comment unless there is more generally useful information on the problem. Thanks for the advice.

Certainly don't want to mess with OneDrive so I can see if it settles down, but interested to know if there are any settings or other factors that may be affecting it. Thanks again.
Grimble 10 Reputation points

2026-10-11T07:21:25.7333333+00:00

Thomas4-N,

It's been over a week now with no OneDrive problems. I think moving my 2 large databases out of OneDrive has solved the problem. Thanks for your input though.
gtavo 0 Reputation points

2026-10-31T12:05:08.3633333+00:00
I am experiencing the same recurring "OneDrive on SPO" / sync folder not found error with a personal Microsoft account.

Environment:

Windows Home, reported DisplayVersion 26H2, build 26300.9818 (the registry ProductName still reads "Windows 10 Home").

OneDrive 26.195.1006.0007, installed at C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\OneDrive.exe.

Sync folder: C:\OneDrive.

Windows updates KB5127936 and KB5132402 were installed on October 29, 2026.

Timeline and symptoms:

The problem first appeared after a Windows update completed on October 29. OneDrive reported that its location was unavailable and requested setup again. Selecting the original folder left setup spinning indefinitely, without a further error. Reinstalling OneDrive restored synchronization temporarily, but the same folder error returned on October 31.

Checks performed while investigating:

OneDrive /reset did not resolve the problem.

A WebView2 installation/repair attempt did not resolve it.

Reinstalling OneDrive helped only temporarily.

Test-Path confirms C:\OneDrive exists, and Get-ChildItem can enumerate it successfully (12 top-level items).

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\OneDrive\Accounts lists only Personal, whose UserFolder is C:\OneDrive.

Windows SyncRootManager also registers the personal sync root at C:\OneDrive.

CldFlt has Start=0x2 and reports RUNNING, with both exit codes 0. This confirms it is enabled and running, but does not rule out an internal driver problem.

fsutil reports reparse tag 0x9000701a (CLOUD_7). No folder attributes or reparse data were modified.

The inspected tail of SyncDiagnostics.log contained statistics without an obvious error explaining the failure; this was not a full log analysis.

Expected: OneDrive should continue recognizing its existing sync folder across restarts and updates.

Actual: It reports the folder missing even though the path remains accessible and the registry entries still point to it.

The timing of the Windows updates is a correlation only, not a confirmed cause. I have not tested uninstalling either update. The evidence does not yet establish whether the fault is in OneDrive, Windows cloud-file initialization, or another component.

Could Microsoft advise what targeted diagnostics would identify the cause, and investigate the recurring failure beyond another reset/reinstall cycle?

Answer recommended by moderator

Grimble 10

Moving my 2 largest files (Access databases - both about 73MB) out of the OneDrive folder appears to have solved the problem.

0 comments

2 additional answers

Aaron Mathias 90 Reputation points

2026-09-28T07:31:54.5333333+00:00

Note : I am not a Microsoft employee and the responses are based on experiences and best effort.

You have mentioned OneDrive on the SPO Folder, so this is likely to mean OneDrive for Business. You may need local admin access before you can do some of the steps.
While there are multiple ways of dealing with this by going into the registry, etc, they need a realtive intricate knowledge and understanding. This can be risky if you don't already know. The easier option is as below.

Step1 - Unisntall OneDrive. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive

Step 2 - Download and Install OneDrive and then login again.https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/onedrive/download

The consumer version is fine as the moment you try to use it with a work account, it will switch to the Business version.

If this works for you, please Mark is as an Accepted/Resolved, so that it can aid others as well

If some part has worked, please add additional notes, so that I(Community) can provide additional support based on additional information.
Grimble 10 Reputation points

2026-09-28T09:24:55.1933333+00:00

Aaron,

Appreciate the effort. Unfortunately it didn't help. When I Sign In to OneDrive (depressingly often), I get a message that says 'This email address is used for both OneDrive and OneDrive for Business. Which would you like to sign in to first?' That concerns me as I'm not aware of having the latter anywhere on my PC (never responded with anything but Personal anywhere, even when first setting up Windows), nor do I have any other account. I always select 'Personal' then use the OneDrive folder it finds. I have searched for a 'OneDrive on SPO' folder in my OneDrive folder but never found one even when it appears to be working.

Bizarrely, when I try to Uninstall OneDrive, it asks to allow changes, seems to do something for a while, but doesn't remove the app at all!

The only thing that seems to work is to 'Unlink this PC', restart and go from there (which takes a couple of hours for OneDrive to process thousands of changes). Getting to settings to 'Unlink this PC' can be difficult as I keep getting the message about the missing folder and while that is showing, nothing else can be done with it. 'Try again' goes off for a bit then redisplays the message. 'Set up OneDrive' takes me through the usual (where I choose Personal etc.) and OneDrive reports 'Loading' or 'Signing in' depending where I look. It will keep on like this until I give up and Restart the computer again. Eventually, I can find OneDrive's settings to 'Unlink this PC'. A bit of a farrago and I haven't yet found the shortest way to do this. If you, or anybody else, has any advice, I'd much appreciate it. It might help to find out about 'this other account' while I'm at it. Thanks.
Thomas4-N 23,060 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-02T10:11:38.0066667+00:00

Hello Grimble,

Thanks for the update. Since reinstalling did not help and unlinking only works temporarily, I would not repeat those steps.

When OneDrive is working, could you open its cloud icon > Settings > Account and tell me whether it lists only your Personal account or also a work or school account? Please also check whether your files are still visible in your Personal OneDrive on the web. You do not need to post your email address or a screenshot showing it.

That should help narrow down why the folder error keeps returning without risking another setup cycle.
Thomas4-N 23,060 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-03T14:37:26.03+00:00

Hello Grimble, thanks for the follow-up, that helps clarify things. “OneDrive – Personal” and Personal Vault are consistent with a personal OneDrive account, and it’s good that you can still access your files on the web. I wouldn’t assume the “SPO folder” message means you have a second account.

Since things have been working for the past 24 hours, I’d leave the setup alone for now rather than put you through another unlink and resync. Moving the database files gives you something useful to observe, but we can’t yet say they caused the error. If it returns, please share the exact message and when it appears, without posting your email address.

For the Q&A question, normally you should reply under an existing answer (mine) so it's easier for me to keep track and keep helping you. Otherwise, for example you have new update to provide generally, you could post a new answer.
Grimble 10 Reputation points

2026-10-03T18:08:54.34+00:00

So use the comment unless there is more generally useful information on the problem. Thanks for the advice.

Certainly don't want to mess with OneDrive so I can see if it settles down, but interested to know if there are any settings or other factors that may be affecting it. Thanks again.
Grimble 10 Reputation points

2026-10-11T07:21:25.7333333+00:00

Thomas4-N,

It's been over a week now with no OneDrive problems. I think moving my 2 large databases out of OneDrive has solved the problem. Thanks for your input though.

Answer 1

Workaround verified on my PC: start OneDrive with C:\ as its working directory

Update to my earlier comment: OneDrive is now working after a verified restart. This is a workaround tested on my machine, not a Microsoft-confirmed defect or a universal solution.

Symptoms and environment OneDrive repeatedly lost its sync folder after restarting Windows. It reported an unavailable location / "OneDrive on SPO" folder error, and on one occasion 0x8004e4f3. Resetting, unlinking and reinstalling did not provide a lasting fix. Uninstalling KB5127936 and restarting did not resolve it either.

Windows 11 Home build 26300.9818; OneDrive 26.195.1006.0007; personal Microsoft account. OneDrive is installed at C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\OneDrive.exe. The sync folder C:\OneDrive is on an accessible local NTFS volume.

Local diagnosis OneDrive logs showed this sequence:

FileSystemUtil::GetFileSystemTypeName FAILED: Unable to retrieve Volume Info for the path: path=C:

SyncTelemetryHelper::RecordRootFolderError SyncError::Error::UnSupportedFileSystem

The volume really was NTFS. The notable detail was C: without a trailing backslash. In local GetVolumeInformationW tests, querying C: succeeded with the process working directory set to C:\, but failed with error 123 from other tested directories. Querying C:\ succeeded.

This suggests a working-directory-dependent path interpretation or validation problem. It does not establish OneDrive's internal root cause, which Microsoft has not confirmed.

Workaround applied A single Windows scheduled task starts OneDrive at user logon with a 30-second delay, using normal user permissions and C:\ as the working directory. A launcher first checks whether OneDrive is already running and only starts it if no instance exists. The launch portion is equivalent to this PowerShell command:

Start-Process -FilePath 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\OneDrive.exe' -ArgumentList '/background' -WorkingDirectory 'C:\'

That command is only the launch portion; the existing-instance check is in the launcher.

To avoid duplicate starts, the original OneDrive startup task and autostart entry were disabled. Their previous values and the task XML were preserved for rollback. Update and diagnostic tasks were left unchanged.

Verification The first restart still required completing sign-in/setup, followed by processing approximately 60,000–80,000 files. On the next restart:

OneDrive started correctly and retained the account.
The configured sync folder remained C:\OneDrive.
There was one OneDrive process, with its actual working directory verified as C:\.
Logs dated November 1, 2026 showed "ConnectAll Success" at 08:29:50, linked through the connection events to the sync-root identifier for C:\OneDrive.
The previous unsupported-file-system error was absent from the reviewed startup logs.
Synchronization subsequently completed.

During this startup change, OneDrive was not reset, reinstalled or unlinked, and the synchronized files were not moved.

Limits The successful restart verifies that this workaround works on my PC. The working directory and startup timing were both changed, so this is not a controlled test isolating every factor. It does not show that all OneDrive errors, including 0x8004e4f3, share this cause. An earlier application-association dialog when opening OneDrive from Explorer was not retested and should not be considered resolved.

I hope these details help Microsoft investigate and help others with matching log evidence avoid repeated reinstall/resync cycles.

Answer 2

Aaron Mathias 90

Note : I am not a Microsoft employee and the responses are based on experiences and best effort.

Hi Grimble,

Thanks fo the updates.

This is going to need some understanding.

You have a personal Microsoft Account.
Personal Microsoft Accounts do not get Sharepoint.

Sharepoint is only available on Corporate tenants.

Personal Microsoft Accounts can be added as guests to a Corporate tenant.

What you are describing as OneDrive on the SPO Folder is likely a Folder sitting in someones Sharepoint, where you (your personal account) are added as a guest.

It is quite likely that you are able to access this over a browser with no issues at all. However when you are syncing, the sync can break from time to time.

The reasons for this are Conditional Access and Data Governance. (to keep things simple)

The is probably rules in place on the corporate tenant requiring guest accounts to verify themselves at particular intervals or in particular conditions. These are the times when the sync breaks and you are facing the issues.

As Thomas4-N has mentioned above, If you fidn that the problem is no there when you don't link, then you can choose to not link it if you are fine with uploading and downloading over a browser.

However if you need the convenience of using FIle Explorere instead of a browser, then Sync it when you need and when you know you are not going to use it for a while, then stop the sync (for the folders).

The way to identify the sync you want to stop is pretty simple.

Your Personal OneDrive will show as a White Cloud icon in your system tray.
Your sync to the Business FOlder will show as a Blue Cloud icon. To stop the sync temporarily, simply right-click on the blue cloud icon and select Stop/Pause Sync.

If this works for you, please Mark is as an Accepted/Resolved, so that it can aid others as well

If some part has worked, please add additional notes, so that I(Community) can provide additional support based on additional information.

Grimble 10 Reputation points

2026-10-03T18:58:40.0466667+00:00

Aaron, thanks again. Unfortunately, most of what you wrote went over my head - I know little of what goes on behind the scenes. You mention Sharepoint - I don't know what that is. As far as I am aware, I have never shared any files or folders with anybody, ever. If I check the properties/sharing of any folder, it says Not shared. For files, right clicking on them gives an option to Share (never used it), but there doesn't seem to be anything about sharing files in properties. On the rare occasion I need someone to have a copy of a document, I email it to them. I don't collaborate with anybody, and I don't sync my devices (I only have this computer where I do my serious (personal) work - I'm retired and just amuse myself) and an iPhone which is mostly used for texting friends. I'm not aware of how I could have become a guest on someone else's device.

I believe Thomas4-N is convinced I only have a Personal account (which I'd like to agree with, having never set up a work or school account). The fact I don't have a Blue cloud icon, only a white one, would seem to confirm that. though that hasn't stopped OneDrive sign in telling me I have two accounts for the entered email address and asking which one I want to sign in to. As stated before, I only ever answer Personal. This still puzzles me!

If had to guess (not having used it before), if I access my OneDrive documents on the web, that is connecting to my documents in the cloud and if I edit them, the updated document will then download to my PC (I always check the option to make my documents available on my computer). I only edit my documents on my computer.

With regard to syncing, I actually keep all my documents on drive D:, separate from Windows and all the programs (plus the browser and Outlook) on drive C:. Only when I've finished working on them on drive D: do I copy them to OneDrive so there is not a lot of syncing going on (sounds like a good title for a song!). It would be easy for me to switch syncing off nearly all the time and just enabling it so the updated documents I copy to OneDrive can upload. I would like to hold off on doing that for a little while so that I can see if moving my two 'large' databases out of OneDrive will stabilise the issue.
Grimble 10 Reputation points

2026-10-11T07:19:42.63+00:00

Aaron,

It's been over a week now with no OneDrive problems. I think moving my 2 large databases out of OneDrive has solved the problem. Thanks for your input though.