One drive will not synch on one computer

Question

One drive will not synch on one computer

Duncan Lawrie 0

One drive on my desktop states synched and up to date but it is not. Other computers have no problem. None of the self help suggestions worked. Online files are correct

Nafisat Badmus 0 Reputation points

2026-11-04T20:12:01.4066667+00:00
Hi Duncan, the icon vanishing after a reset is normal. OneDrive just doesn't restart by itself. Press Windows + R and run %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe to bring it back, then wait for it to rescan (this can take a while on a big folder).

If that PC still shows old files:

Click the cloud icon > Settings > Account > Unlink this PC, then sign back in. This forces a full re-check against the online copy, and nothing online is deleted.

Before you unlink, copy any files that might only exist on that PC (anything edited recently) to a USB stick or desktop folder, just in case.

If the shared files actually live in a SharePoint or Teams library, re-sync only that library (open it in the browser > Sync, or better, Add shortcut to My files). Several overlapping syncs of the same folders on one PC is a common cause of exactly this.

Happy to help further if useful.

2 answers

Your answer

Nafisat Badmus 0 Reputation points

2026-11-04T20:12:01.4066667+00:00

Hi Duncan, the icon vanishing after a reset is normal. OneDrive just doesn't restart by itself. Press Windows + R and run %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe to bring it back, then wait for it to rescan (this can take a while on a big folder).

If that PC still shows old files:

Click the cloud icon > Settings > Account > Unlink this PC, then sign back in. This forces a full re-check against the online copy, and nothing online is deleted.

Before you unlink, copy any files that might only exist on that PC (anything edited recently) to a USB stick or desktop folder, just in case.

If the shared files actually live in a SharePoint or Teams library, re-sync only that library (open it in the browser > Sync, or better, Add shortcut to My files). Several overlapping syncs of the same folders on one PC is a common cause of exactly this.

Happy to help further if useful.

Answer 1

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Answer 2

Fahim-Nz 90 Independent Advisor

Hello @Duncan,

Thank you for contacting the Microsoft Community.

I understand that OneDrive reports that your desktop is synchronized and up to date, even though the local files do not reflect the latest changes available online. Since synchronization works correctly on your other computers, let's focus on troubleshooting the OneDrive client on the affected device.

Please try the following steps:

1/ Check OneDrive synchronization status

Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows taskbar.
User's image

Check whether any synchronization errors or paused synchronization messages appear.

If synchronization is paused, select Resume syncing.

2/ Reset OneDrive

Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.

Copy and paste the following command:

%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

Select OK.

Wait a few minutes, then open the Start menu, search for OneDrive, and launch it again. Allow OneDrive to synchronize and check whether the issue is resolved. Reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/reset-onedrive

If the issue persists, could you please clarify the following:

Does the issue affect all files and folders, or only specific ones?
When you create or modify a file on the affected computer, does the change appear in OneDrive online?
When you modify a file online or from another computer, does the change appear on the affected computer?

Your answers will help us narrow down the cause and determine the next appropriate steps.

Kind regards,

Duncan Lawrie 0 Reputation points

2026-11-02T16:10:32.4833333+00:00

None of these steps worked and now Onedrive is not available on the task bar. Need agent
Fahim-Nz 90 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-11-02T16:26:57.8466667+00:00
Hello @Duncan,

Thank you for getting back to us.

I'm sorry to hear that the suggested steps did not resolve the issue and that the OneDrive icon is no longer appearing in your taskbar.

I understand that you would like to speak directly with a Microsoft support agent.

As a Microsoft Community moderator, I don't have the tools or permissions to access your Microsoft 365 account or investigate this issue directly. However, you can contact Microsoft Support through your organization's Microsoft 365 administrator.

If you are not a Microsoft 365 administrator, please contact your organization's administrator to submit the support request on your behalf. To create a support request, your Microsoft 365 administrator can follow these steps:

Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Sign in using an administrator account.

Select Help & support.

Describe the OneDrive synchronization issue in the support search box.

If the suggested solutions do not resolve the issue, select Contact Support.

Provide the requested contact details and select the preferred contact method (phone or email).

Submit the request to connect with Microsoft Support.

Please include details about the synchronization issue and the fact that the OneDrive icon disappeared after attempting the reset.

Kind regards,