Help needed: Remove orphaned OneDrive data on Mac (144 GB) — OneDrive won't launch

Lorenza Ippolito 0 Reputation points
2026-10-24T09:36:50.5366667+00:00

I'm using a MacBook Pro and have an old university OneDrive folder occupying approximately 144 GB of storage. I no longer have access to the university Microsoft account, and the OneDrive application won't launch.

Most of the storage is taken up by folders from 2018 (104 GB) and 2019 (36 GB).

I now use a personal OneDrive account, and I want to remove the old university data without affecting my personal account or its files. Both accounts' data/configuration appear to be associated with the same OneDrive container, so I'm concerned about deleting the wrong files or damaging the macOS File Provider setup.

I've also found that some Word documents in the old folder won't open. A document copied to an external drive appears to contain zero-filled data, so I can't be certain that my backup is usable.

Has anyone experienced this on macOS?

I'm looking for advice on:

Why OneDrive won't launch and how to troubleshoot it.

How to safely remove an old, inaccessible university OneDrive account and its local data.

How to reclaim the 144 GB without damaging my personal OneDrive installation.

Whether there is a supported Microsoft procedure for removing an orphaned OneDrive File Provider folder.

I'd particularly appreciate safe, step-by-step instructions. I want to avoid deleting the entire OneDrive container or using destructive Terminal commands that could affect my personal files.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | MacOS
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  1. Thomas4-N 23,140 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-30T07:56:17.6133333+00:00

    Hello Lorenza Ippolito,

    I would not move that folder to the Bin yet. The folder containing only 1.3 MB and three metadata files is unlikely to explain the reported 144 GB by itself, and the unusable, zero-filled document may have been an online-only placeholder rather than a complete local file.

    First, try Microsoft’s supported OneDrive reset:

    1. Open Applications.
    2. Right-click OneDrive and select Show Package Contents.
    3. Open Contents > Resources.
    4. Run ResetOneDriveApp.command. If you installed the standalone version, run ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command instead.
    5. Start OneDrive again and sign in only to your current personal account.

    A reset disconnects the existing sync connections but should not delete the underlying files. If OneDrive opens afterward, check whether Finder offers the Delete banner for the old university folder.

    Before deleting anything, please also check System Settings > General > Storage and confirm where macOS attributes the 144 GB. If resetting does not help, share your macOS version, OneDrive version, the exact folder name under ~/Library/CloudStorage, and a screenshot of the reported storage usage.

    Avoid deleting the entire OneDrive container or using sudo rm -rf, because that could affect the current personal OneDrive setup.

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  2. Lorenza Ippolito 0 Reputation points
    2026-10-24T11:41:07.3266667+00:00

    OneDrive will not launch on my Mac. Under ~/Library/CloudStorage, I have an old OneDrive folder containing only 1.3 MB and three metadata files. Microsoft's recommended Delete banner isn't available because OneDrive won't launch. Is it safe to move this specific folder to the Bin manually, or must the File Provider registration be removed first?

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