How to Reset OneDrive Sync On Windows 11

What happens when you reset?

Resetting OneDrive sync won’t delete your files. It does start a fresh scan that compares what’s on your computer with what’s in the cloud, so expect some activity after the reset.

How long the scan takes depends on how many files you have and how fast your connection is. With a large library, the icon may show “Processing changes” for a while. That’s normal, so leave the PC on and let it finish.

Check them once sync is running again.

Resetting on Windows

Method 1Reset using the Run command

You can reset OneDrive sync on Windows 11 with the Run command, and you don’t need administrator rights. The command clears corrupted settings and restarts the background sync engine, which fixes files that are stuck or won’t upload. The keyboard shortcut opens the Run box, and you paste the reset command into it.

1. Press Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run box. A small window appears at the bottom-left of the screen with a text field.

2. Copy the command shown below, paste it into the Open field, and click OK.

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

The OneDrive icon in the taskbar notification area will disappear for a few minutes, then reappear and start syncing your files again. Give it at least two or three minutes before you decide anything is wrong.

If the icon doesn't come back, open the Start menu, search for OneDrive, and open the app to start it manually. If Windows says it can't find the file when you run the command, your copy of OneDrive may be installed in a different folder than the command expects. In that case, use the Settings method below.

Method 2Reset the OneDrive Store app

For the Microsoft Store version of OneDrive, you can reset the app through its settings. This doesn't require admin privileges.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Search for OneDrive.
3. Right-click the app in the results and select App settings. The app's settings page opens.

4. In the window that opens, scroll down and click the Reset button. If a Repair button is shown next to it, try that first, because it fixes the app without clearing its data.

Windows may ask you to confirm the reset. Once it finishes, start OneDrive again from the Start menu. You may need to sign in again, and the app will rescan your files as described above.

Resetting on macOS

You can reset OneDrive sync on macOS by quitting the app and running the reset script that ships inside the application. The reset forces OneDrive to reconfigure its connection and rebuild the local file index. That fixes syncing errors and stuck folders on your Mac. You don't need to use Terminal for this.

1. Quit OneDrive by clicking the cloud icon in the top menu bar and selecting Quit OneDrive. The cloud icon disappears from the menu bar.
2. Open your Applications folder.
3. Find the OneDrive app, right-click it (or Control-click), and select Show Package Contents. A new Finder window opens showing the app's internal folders.
4. Navigate to Contents › Resources
5. Double-click the ResetOneDriveApp.command file. A Terminal window may open briefly while the script runs.

When the script finishes, OneDrive should start again by itself. If it doesn't, open it from the Applications folder and sign in if prompted. Your files stay where they are, and OneDrive rescans them against the cloud.

Resetting on Android and iOS

On Android and iOS, you can reset OneDrive by clearing the app's cache or by reinstalling the app. Both clear out bad login tokens and corrupted local files, so the app downloads a fresh copy of your cloud file list. Your files in the cloud aren't affected.

1. Open your device Settings.
2. Go to Apps or Application Manager. The name varies by phone maker and Android version.
3. Find OneDrive in the list.
4. Select Storage and tap Clear Cache or Clear Data. Clear Cache is the gentler option. Clear Data also signs you out, so you'll have to log in again.
5. If the issue persists, uninstall and reinstall the app from the App Store or Google Play Store.

These menu names apply mainly to Android. iOS has no option to clear an app's cache, so on an iPhone or iPad, reinstalling the app is the way to reset it. Sign in again afterward.

Common OneDrive Error Codes

Knowing which kind of problem you have helps you pick the right fix before you reset anything.

Work through these checks in order:

• Check that your internet connection works and that other sites and apps load.
• Sign out of OneDrive and sign back in with the account that owns the files.
• Make sure the account you're signed in with has permission to access the folder or file that fails to sync.
• If the error remains, reset OneDrive using the steps above.

Summary

Resetting OneDrive sync fixes file update problems by starting a new connection to the cloud. It doesn't delete your saved files, and you can run it again if the problem returns.

If a reset doesn't help, the next step is to unlink the PC from your account in the OneDrive settings and sign in again.