Emails archived to one drive

Sarah Henderson 0 Reputation points
2026-11-05T02:17:14.0266667+00:00

My emails auto archived to one drive docs, outlook files, outlook data files with my email address. I cannot open them in one drive or outlook. I need them

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home
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  1. Norah-L 13,140 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-05T06:54:49.2833333+00:00

    Hello Sarah Henderson,

    Outlook may still be using the file while OneDrive is trying to synchronize it, which can leave it stuck at “Sync pending.”

    First, close Outlook completely. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, and if Microsoft Outlook is still listed, select it and choose End task. Then select the OneDrive cloud icon near the clock, choose Help & Settings, and pause syncing or quit OneDrive.

    Open File Explorer and create a new folder directly on the computer. Then find the PST file in your OneDrive folder and copy it into the new folder. Do not delete the original OneDrive copy. Once the file has been copied, open classic Outlook and select File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, then choose the copied PST. The archived folders should appear in Outlook’s folder list.

    If Windows still refuses to copy the file after Outlook and OneDrive are closed, restart the computer and try again before opening Outlook or OneDrive.

    If the file remains inaccessible or cannot be copied, please contact Microsoft Support. Since this is a user-to-user forum, we can provide troubleshooting suggestions, but we cannot access the file, repair OneDrive synchronization from the back end, or recover the archive directly.

    To contact Outlook support, log in to Outlook.com and select Help > Help from the top menu. Type your issue in the Search Help box and press Enter. If the suggested articles don't resolve the issue, scroll down to the bottom of the Help section and select Yes under Need more help? to submit a support request via email.

    Tips:

    • Support chat availability may vary by country or region, product, and support hours. If you can't reach a chat agent right away, try again later or at a different time.
    • When you are redirected to the automated assistant on the support page, type "I need a real support agent" in the chat.

    Thank you for your patience!

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  2. Sarah Henderson 0 Reputation points
    2026-11-05T03:00:15.8+00:00

    I have tried to copythe pst file out of one drive although it will not let me as sync is pending, it has been pending since outlook moved it to one drive

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  3. Sarah Henderson 0 Reputation points
    2026-11-05T02:38:19.5366667+00:00

    Please explain in plain English I just don't understand all the jargon

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  4. Sarah Henderson 0 Reputation points
    2026-11-05T02:33:21.1033333+00:00

    No, I don't understand this explanation. Can you explain simply

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