Sharepoint / Onedrive app not syncing files. Newly setup, lots of freespace . All recommended troubleshoot techniques tried.

SA 0 Reputation points
2026-11-09T15:31:48.98+00:00

Hi,

I am hosting an iqy (existing connection) based file on my Sharepoint folder. It feeds into some live models hosted elsewhere. My Onedrive app keeps giving me space related error whereas I checked and have a personal limit of 1 TB. And all of the folders and files combined are under 1 GB.

I tried all of the troubleshooting techniques recommended but its the same (free up space, empty recycle bin, reset onedrive, deep cache cleanse, de-link and re-link). It was usually another test file it used to point the error towards (and mentions it as a space issues, when the file is under 30 MB) and I had deleted it. Now its pointing a file that feeds models further and i cannot remove them. How to resolve this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint Server | For business

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  1. Ruby Nguyen 3,735 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-09T17:14:12.3+00:00

    Good day SA, 

    Just to gently clarify before going any further, this forum is separate from Microsoft Support. I don’t have the ability to access or investigate individual accounts or escalate the issue directly Microsoft Support because this is a user‑to‑user support forum. 

    Since your files use less than 1 GB and your account shows 1 TB of available storage, I recommend checking the following: 

    Option 1: Review file path and permissions 

    Please confirm that:

    • The file and folder names do not contain unsupported characters. 
    • The folder path isn't excessively long. 
    • Your account has both Read and Write permissions. 
    • A test copy of the file can sync successfully from a top level folder with a short file name. 

    Option 2: Check available space on the computer 

    The 1 TB limit refers to cloud storage. OneDrive also needs free space on the local drive to process and sync files. 

    • Open File Explorer > Right click the affected OneDrive or SharePoint folder > Select Free up space. 
    • Keep only the IQY file and any files required by the connected models available offline. 
    • Restart OneDrive and check whether syncing resumes. 
    • Please also verify that the drive containing the OneDrive folder has sufficient free space. 

    Option 3: Check whether the IQY file is currently in use 

    If another application is actively using the IQY file, OneDrive cannot sync it. 

    • Close Excel and any application that uses the IQY connection. 
    • Pause any scheduled refresh or process that accesses the file. 
    • Wait a few minutes for OneDrive to reprocess the file. 
    • Check whether the sync status changes to Up to date. 

    Option 4: Test directly in SharePoint 

    • Open the SharePoint document library in your browser. 
    • Upload a small test file to the same folder. 
    • If appropriate, upload or update a copy of the affected file. 

    Option 5: Contact your organization's IT admin  

    • Even when your personal OneDrive has available storage, the SharePoint site can still reach its storage limit. I recommend asking your organization's IT administrator to review the site's storage usage and storage limit.  
    • If the issue continues after the checks above, the administrator can submit a support request through the Microsoft 365 admin center > Support > Help and support for further investigation. 

    A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis.    

    Note: In case you do not know who is your IT admin, kindly refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

    If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. 

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-09T15:32:49.9566667+00:00

    The SharePoint administrator should check the affected site’s storage limit and the tenant’s SharePoint storage pool, because the 1-TB personal OneDrive allowance does not establish how much storage is available to a SharePoint document library.

    Identify whether this is server-side or client-side

    Without deleting or moving the .iqy file:

    1. Open the affected SharePoint library in a browser.
    2. Try uploading a small test file to the same folder.
    3. If safe for the workbook workflow, make a minor change to an existing noncritical file and save it.

    Interpret the result:

    • Upload or save also fails in the browser with a quota/storage message: this is a SharePoint site or tenant storage issue, not local OneDrive cache or disk space.
    • Browser operations succeed but desktop sync fails: proceed to Check the IQY file and library restrictions below.
    • The library has no Sync button: the site owner should inspect Library settings → More library settings → Advanced settings → Offline Client Availability. Syncing must be permitted for that library.^1^

    Have the administrator verify the SharePoint quota

    For a SharePoint-hosted folder, the administrator should check all three levels:

    1. SharePoint admin center → Active sites.
    2. Check the storage bar in the upper-right corner for the tenant’s total and available SharePoint storage.
    3. Select the site containing the library.
    4. On General, inspect Storage limit.
    5. If storage management is Manual and the site is at its limit, select Edit and increase the limit, assuming tenant storage is available. Alternatively, change SharePoint admin center → Settings → Site storage limits to Automatic.^2^
    6. Allow for reporting delay: SharePoint storage figures may not include changes made during the last 24–48 hours.^2^

    If the tenant pool itself is exhausted, increasing only the site limit will not resolve it. A Microsoft 365 administrator must archive or delete unnecessary content, add eligible storage, or add licenses/storage capacity as appropriate.^3^

    If this location is actually the user’s OneDrive for work or school, rather than a SharePoint team site, the admin should instead open:

    Microsoft 365 admin center → Users → Active users → affected user → OneDrive

    Review Storage used and the configured quota. The effective quota can differ from an expected allowance because of the assigned license or a previously changed quota.^4^

    Administrators can also run the SharePoint Tenant Storage, OneDrive storage quota, or library-sync diagnostic from the Microsoft 365 admin center. These diagnostics require an administrator account.^5^

    If browser upload works, check the IQY file and sync policy

    An .iqy extension is not documented as universally blocked by OneDrive or SharePoint. However, an administrator can configure tenant policy to prevent selected file extensions from uploading through the sync client.

    Ask the SharePoint administrator to check:

    1. SharePoint admin center → Settings → Sync.
    2. Review Block upload of specific file types for iqy.
    3. Also check managed-device OneDrive policies for file-upload exclusions.

    A SharePoint admin-center file-type block prevents matching files from uploading but does not prevent existing cloud files from downloading. Changes to that setting can take approximately eight hours to reach the sync client.^6^

    Also inspect the complete local path and filename. SharePoint sync requires:

    • A complete path shorter than 400 characters.
    • No unsupported characters such as " * : < > ? / \ |.
    • No prohibited file or folder names.^7^

    Since resetting, unlinking, cache cleanup, recycle-bin cleanup, and deleting the previously reported test file did not help, repeating those client repairs is unlikely to distinguish this case. Preserve the model-feeding file, test through the browser, and have the administrator review the effective SharePoint site/tenant quota and any IQY upload exclusion.

    References

    1. Fix SharePoint Online sync problems | Microsoft Support
    2. Manage site storage limits in SharePoint in Microsoft 365
    3. SharePoint Online out of storage space
    4. OneDrive site is read-only because storage quota was exceeded
    5. Self-help diagnostics for SharePoint Online and OneDrive administrators
    6. Block syncing of specific file types
    7. Restrictions and limitations in OneDrive and SharePoint
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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