How do I fix a duplicate folder in OneDrive?

As an online cloud storage service provided by Microsoft, OneDrive is popular among Windows users. In addition to syncing computer files to the cloud, one of the most useful features of OneDrive is syncing cloud files to the desktop. However, sometimes, OneDrive file synchronization will also have various problems, such as OneDrive not syncing files/folders, OneDrive keeps creating duplicate folders/files, etc.

If you find that OneDrive is creating folders and files and want to stop it, you are in the right place. Here, we will provide you with five ways to know how to stop OneDrive from duplicating files.

Why does my OneDrive keep duplicating files?

The most common reason for OneDrive creating duplicate files is when files are updated by multiple people with participating permissions in different locations, so there are conflicts. OneDrive cannot merge multiple file versions by itself, resulting in the creation of duplicate files.

In addition, program problems such as OneDrive caching data and OneDrive connection errors may also result in duplicates on OneDrive.

How to stop OneDrive creating duplicate folders/files

You can use the following methods to easily work out the issue - how to stop OneDrive from creating duplicates.

Way 1. Unlink OneDrive

When OneDrive has problems related to data sync, you can first try to unlink OneDrive from your computer to have a try. This helps OneDrive recreate the data sync process and fix errors.

Step 1. Click on OneDrive Help & Settings, select Settings, go to the Account tab, and click Unlink this PC, then confirm it.

Step 2. Reconnect and log in to OneDrive again to see if the duplicate OneDrive folders/files is solved.

Way 2. Reset OneDrive

Resetting OneDrive restores the program to the default state it was in when you newly installed it on your computer, helping you to fix OneDrive sync errors.

Step 1. Right-click on the OneDrive icon in the notification area, and click Quit OneDrive.

Step 2. Press Windows Key + R to enter Run, and input the OneDrive reset command %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset, and press Enter.

Step 3. Restart the OneDrive application and connect your account to check if you stop OneDrive duplicating files successfully.

Way 3. Remove OneDrive cached credentials

If neither of the previous two methods resolves the issue, it may be related to OneDrive cached data. You can fix this by deleting the OneDrive cached credentials.

Step 1. Search "credential manager" in the Windows search box and enter it.

Step 2. Choose Windows Credentials and find General Credentials.

Step 3. Open the drop-down menu of OneDrive Cached Credential, and hit Remove.

Step 4. Run the OneDrive application and finish the setup and check if the problem persists.

Way 4. Reconfigure OneDrive sync conflicts

If OneDrive sync duplicate folders because you and your partner have submitted multiple folder versions, you can change sync conflicts on OneDrive to solve it easily.

Step 1. Head to OneDrive Settings.

Step 2. Under the Office tab, select Let me choose to merge changes or keep both copies. Then, tap OK.

Way 5. Better way to sync files to OneDrive without duplicates

OneDrive creates duplicate folders/files during the data sync process. If you want to avoid this problem from happening again or avoid other OneDrive sync issues, it is strongly recommended that you use CBackup - a free cloud backup service, to upload files to OneDrive without duplicates.

★Note:

CBackup performs OneDrive one-way sync. It lets you sync files from PC to the OneDrive cloud without local copies, which can help you save local space with ease.

You can stop duplicate OneDrive folders on Windows 10 using CBackup with the following steps:

Step 1. Install the CBackup app on your computer. Create a free CBackup account and sign in to CBackup desktop app.

Step 2. Click the Storage tab on the left side, choose OneDrive, and click Authorize Now. Then. sign in to your Microsoft account and allow CBackup to access your OneDrive files with the on-screen guide.

Step 3. Select the Sync tab > Sync PC to Public Cloud.

Step 4. Choose files from computer to sync, and select a OneDrive folder as the destination.

Step 5. Hit Start Sync to upload files to OneDrive without duplicates.

Other useful features of OneDrive:

Supports you to schedule OneDrive sync daily, weekly, or monthly.

Synchronize files to OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and other platforms on a single interface without switching accounts.

Back up computer to CBackup Cloud, with 10GB of free storage space and 1TB/5TB subscription plans.

Transfer files from one OneDrive account to another, or to Google Drive, Dropbox and other clouds effortlessly.

Bonus tip: Free way to get more OneDrive storage

If your OneDrive storage space is full due to too many duplicate files, you can use CBackup to expand your storage space for free.

The cloud storage combination function of CBackup allows you to increase storage space at no cost by combining multiple cloud accounts. If you have enough accounts, you can even get 1TB free cloud storage with a breeze.

Step 1. Run your CBackup client and sign in. Click the Storage tab on the left side, and click + Add Cloud to add as many OneDrive accounts as you have.

★Note:

You can also add all your Google Drive accounts and Dropbox accounts and combine them all together.

Step 2. Choose + Add Combine Cloud and then select all the cloud accounts in the list to combine them into a new storage pool.

Step 3. Tap Next and then Combine to finish the combination.

Conclusion

On this page, we introduce the solutions for OneDrive creating duplicate folders and files. If you don't want to try these solutions one by one, you can simply switch to using CBackup to sync files to the cloud without worrying about duplication.

In addition, you can also use CBackup's cloud-to-cloud backup function to backup OneDrive files to other clouds to provide secure protection for your files.