Problem with synchronization between macOS and OneDrive

marios kalyviotis 0 Reputation points
2026-09-22T16:57:16.1466667+00:00

My Office files are stored in OneDrive and synchronized to my Mac via the standard macOS File Provider.

When I open an Excel or Word or PowerPoint file by double-clicking it in Finder, the Office application opens the file, but it apparently does not recognize it correctly as a OneDrive/cloud file, leaving autosave off and showing that the files are saved on my Mac

When I open the files not using Finder but using the Office apps, there is no problem with autosaving.

Three weeks ago, everything was working perfect. My pc is MacBook Air M3 macOS Tahoe 26.5.2

Many people face the same problem...

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | MacOS
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-22T16:57:39.0766667+00:00

    This behavior matches a known macOS OneDrive path change issue and a recent macOS file-opening issue.

    On macOS 12.1 and later, OneDrive moved its local folder from the old user folder location to Library > Cloud Storage > OneDrive. Because of that move, files opened from old pinned locations, old Recents entries, or outdated aliases may open in Office without being recognized correctly for AutoSave.

    Try this in order:

    1. In Finder, browse directly to Library > Cloud Storage > OneDrive and open the same Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file from there.
      • Expected result: Office should recognize it as the OneDrive file in its current location.
    2. If the file was opened from Recents, stop using that entry for now.
      • Clear Recents if needed, because Recents can point to an undiscoverable or outdated file path.
    3. In the Office app, if AutoSave is off for that file, use File > Save As and save the document again into the current OneDrive folder under Library > Cloud Storage > OneDrive.
      • Expected result: this restores AutoSave for that file.
    4. Restart OneDrive, then test again by opening the file from Finder in the current OneDrive folder.
    5. If Finder-opened files still do not behave correctly, update macOS if possible.
      • A documented macOS issue caused apps to hang when opening or saving files stored in OneDrive, and that issue was resolved in macOS 15.2.
    6. If opening or saving from Finder causes freezes or abnormal behavior, use this workaround:
      • Open Activity Monitor.
      • Search for OpenAndSavePanelService.
      • Select it.
      • Click X and choose Force Quit.
      • Quit and restart OneDrive.
      • Then open or save the file again, or move the file temporarily to another folder location and open it from there.
    7. If the problem started after a OneDrive/macOS change and persists, re-link OneDrive:
      • Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar.
      • Open Help & Settings > Preferences.
      • Go to Account.
      • Select Unlink this Mac.
      • Open OneDrive again from Spotlight and sign in.
      • When prompted that the folder already exists, select Use this folder.
    8. If re-linking does not help, reset OneDrive.
      • Warning: one reset path documented for Files On-Demand migration issues can remove local content, and anything not synced to the cloud may be lost.
      • In Finder > Applications, right-click OneDrive > Show Package Contents > Contents > Resources.
      • Run ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command or ResetOneDriveApp.command.
      • Launch OneDrive and set it up again.

    The most relevant fix for the AutoSave symptom is to make sure the file is being opened from the current OneDrive location in Library > Cloud Storage > OneDrive, then re-save it there with Save As if Office still treats it as local.

    If this is a work or school account and the issue continues, the documented next step is to contact the organization’s IT helpdesk or admin.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. EmilyS726 270.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-22T17:34:12.5966667+00:00

    Hello,

    I've seen other Mac users reporting this same behavior recently.

    First, I would suggest that you update your macOS if you can, at least to Tahoe 26.6.2.

    If you are currently using the Mac App Store version of OneDrive, you can try uninstalling it and installing the standalone OneDrive directly from Microsoft instead. https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/onedrive/download

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  3. Eddy 30 Reputation points
    2026-10-01T04:20:21.87+00:00

    Sharing what fixed this for us (so far), in case it helps others.

    We had the exact same symptom on several Macs in our organization: Office files in synced SharePoint libraries, opened from Finder, showed "Saved to my Mac" with AutoSave off, while opening them via File > Open > Sites worked fine.

    We were already using the standalone OneDrive (not the App Store version). What resolved it was a complete removal and clean reinstall of OneDrive:

    1. Quit OneDrive.
    2. Ran the reset script from the app bundle (OneDrive.app > Show Package Contents > Contents > Resources > Reset...Standalone...command).
    3. Moved OneDrive.app to the Trash.
    4. Removed all remaining OneDrive-specific items in ~/Library (Application Support, Caches, Containers, Group Containers, FileProvider), the OneDrive LaunchAgents/LaunchDaemons and receipts, plus the OneDrive entries in Keychain. Careful: do NOT delete the UBF8T346G9.Office or UBF8T346G9.ms group containers, they are shared with Office.
    5. Restarted the Mac.
    6. Reinstalled the standalone OneDrive from Microsoft's download page (not the App Store) and re-synced the SharePoint libraries from the browser.

    After this, files opened from Finder are recognized as cloud documents again and AutoSave is on.

    Current setup: OneDrive standalone 26.168.0830.0006, macOS 27.0.1, Apple Silicon.

    Make sure everything is uploaded before unlinking or removing OneDrive, as files that haven't synced could be lost.

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