OneDrive on macOS Tahoe 26.2: Files On-Demand broken, files cannot be opened or copied (Error -36)

Dmitiry Shanchenko 0 Баллы репутации
2026-09-08T10:30:51.65+00:00

Hello,

I am a paying Microsoft 365 subscriber and I use OneDrive as my main cloud storage across several computers. I currently store about 562 GB of my 1 TB plan there. On my Mac, OneDrive has been unusable for months and I would like this looked at properly rather than answered with a standard reset article.

Environment:

  • Device: MacBook Pro 16-inch, 2021, Apple M1 Pro, 16 GB RAM
  • macOS version: Tahoe 26.2
  • OneDrive version: latest available (auto-updated). I cannot read the exact build number because the app does not launch far enough to show its About screen.
  • Account type: Personal, Microsoft 365 subscription
  • OneDrive usage: approx. 562 GB of 1 TB

Symptoms:

  1. Files On-Demand does not hydrate files. Files show as online-only placeholders in Finder, and when I open or copy them, Finder fails with "The Finder can't complete the operation because some data in [folder] can't be read or written. (Error code -36)".
  2. "Always keep on this device" does not work. Setting it on a folder produces the same failure instead of downloading the content.
  3. The OneDrive icon is missing from the menu bar. Launching OneDrive from the Applications folder opens the OneDrive folder in Finder instead of starting the app.
  4. When the client does start, it shows a "You must restart OneDrive to continue" prompt that does not resolve anything after restarting.

What I have already tried, without success:

  • Restarting the Mac multiple times
  • Uninstalling and reinstalling OneDrive
  • Running the OneDrive reset command from inside the app package
  • Setting folders to always keep on this device
  • Checking that the OneDrive process is actually running in Activity Monitor

The only way I can access my own files right now is downloading them through the browser at onedrive.live.com. That is not what I pay for.

This is not an isolated case. There are multiple public threads describing the same behaviour on macOS Tahoe, on both Apple Support Communities and Microsoft Q&A, including the client quitting silently in the background, Finder hanging on OneDrive folders, and files failing to download. Several of them have no working answer.

What I am asking for:

  1. Confirmation of whether this is a known issue with the OneDrive client on macOS Tahoe 26.x, and whether a fix is in progress.
  2. A working procedure to fully remove the client, including any leftover containers and File Provider state, and reinstall it cleanly.
  3. If there is no fix, tell me directly, so I can plan to move my working files off OneDrive.

I am happy to collect logs or diagnostics, or provide my device serial number, if you tell me exactly what you need.

Thank you,

Dmitriy Shanchenko

Microsoft 365 и Office | OneDrive | Для дома | iOS
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1 ответ

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  1. Kai-H 27,645 Баллы репутации Внешний персонал Microsoft Модератор
    2026-09-09T09:24:33.19+00:00

    (Please note that this is Russian Q&A Forum, any threads should be posted in Russian. However, I will still provide an answer in English based on your initial response.)

    Hi, Dmitiry Shanchenko

    I understand why another reset article would not be helpful here. I could not verify an officially published known issue or repair timeline specifically for OneDrive on macOS Tahoe 26.2, but the missing client and failed hydration point to the macOS File Provider component not communicating with OneDrive correctly. Recent OneDrive issues

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > File Providers. Turn OneDrive off, restart the Mac, then turn it back on. Also confirm OneDrive is allowed under Allow in the Background. OneDrive requires its background process to run.

    Remove the current app, restart, then install the latest standalone OneDrive application rather than reusing the same installer or App Store copy.

    Do not manually delete ~/Library/CloudStorage or run forced Terminal removal commands. macOS controls that File Provider location, and there is no reliable supported command for purging a broken provider domain.

    Since reset and reinstall already failed, contact Microsoft Support and request escalation to the OneDrive sync team. Include the macOS build, OneDrive version from /Applications/OneDrive.app/Contents/Info.plist, Error -36 screenshots, and a OneDrive diagnostic log.

    Please be advised that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, are not allowed to directly interfere with Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited solely to providing technical guidance on reported incidents, requests, or ideas.   

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 


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