6 Tips To Fix Syncing Issues in Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive is a powerful tool that can make it easy to back up your files, share them and collaborate. Teams that use OneDrive can significantly improve their productivity and avoid many common issues associated with shared network drives. However, OneDrive isn’t perfect. From time to time, users may experience syncing issues that cause files to either not download, not upload or both.

What Exactly Is Happening When You Have Syncing Issues?

First and foremost, it is useful to understand exactly what is happening with OneDrive when it experiences syncing issues. There are three main parts to the system:

• a cloud-based service
• your local drive
• the OneDrive app.

When your computer starts, the OneDrive app checks local files and compares them with information from the cloud. Using this, the app can download updated or new files from the cloud or upload files from your drive. In fact when you try to open a file at any time from OneDrive that 'check' to see where the latest version is, happens in the background before the file is presented to you.

However, sometimes this synchronization gets interrupted. The result is that your computer and the app are both running, but the files on your drive are not the same as those on the cloud. If you are using OneDrive with a team, such syncing issues can cause all sorts of headaches.

How You Can Fix the Problem?

The good news is that there are several ways to solve your synchronization problems. Typically, resetting your OneDrive app will fix the issue. However, there are other less intensive options you can try first.

1. Restart OneDrive

Simply restarting the OneDrive app can often solve issues related to synchronization. On Windows, find the OneDrive icon in your taskbar notification area. Right-click on this and select the exit option. This will bring up a confirmation prompt. Select “Close OneDrive.” Then, find OneDrive in the start menu and restart it. On an Apple Mac computer the process is similar.

Alternatively, you can restart your computer.

2. Check That Your Account Is Connected

In some cases, the syncing issues are caused by your Microsoft account using OneDrive not being connected to Windows. Open the Settings app (Win + I). Select “Accounts” then “Emails & Accounts.” Look to see if you are signed into a Microsoft account. If not, you can click the button to sign in.

If you want to use a different account for OneDrive, right-click on the OneDrive app icon in the notification area and select “Settings.” Then go to the “Account” tab and select “Add an Account.”

3. Make Sure Your Folder Is Designated To Sync

You can selectively choose which files and folders you want to sync or let Windows manage it for you. By default, your main folders are synced, such as your “Document” and “Photos” folders. Alternatively, you can designate a folder to sync when you are setting up the app.

To check which folders are syncing, open the OneDrive settings window. On the “Accounts” tab, select “Choose Folders.” Make sure you can find your synced folder and that it is marked for syncing.

4. Check That There Is Enough Storage

In some cases, syncing issues can be caused by a lack of storage either locally or on the cloud. Check the current free space on both. To check your online storage availability, left-click on the OneDrive app icon in the notification tray, then click “View Online.” This will show you the online dashboard (you may need to log in) with the amount of free space.

5. Check and Resolve Conflicts

If you have any current conflicts, they will be marked on the OneDrive app. Left-click the app icon, then click the notification that there are conflicts. This will let you resolve them one by one. Just follow the instructions. What you usually see after the resolution is two files on the OneDrive folder allowing you and your team to work out which is the best one to keep.

6. Reset OneDrive

Finally, you can reset your OneDrive app and start again. To do this, you need to locate the OneDrive executable file (typically %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe). Then, open the run dialog box (Win + R), enter the executable file location followed by “/reset.” In other words, if installed at the default location, it would be “%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset.”

Press “OK,” then reopen the OneDrive app. Your settings will be reset, so you will need to set it up again. However, this should resolve any issues. Just follow the instruction prompts to set it up.

Get More From Office 365, Avoid Syncing Issues and Improve Productivity

The Microsoft Office 365 suite has a lot to offer any business. If your business is not yet using it or is currently using it in conjunction with legacy systems, you should strongly consider migrating. However, Microsoft 365 isn’t foolproof. A poor implementation or migration can cause  many types of issues. Cloudficient helps businesses like yours transition smoothly to the Microsoft cloud. Contact us today to learn more about our solutions.