Why is One of My OneDrive Folders Not Syncing?

Like the new OneDrive user's problem on Reddit, many new OneDrive users and even old users also encounter the same problems like "Why OneDrive one file not syncing?". There can be several reasons, such as outdated OneDrive version, insufficient cloud storage, etc. I would like to share 6 useful tips in this post for all of you to fix OneDrive sync issues.

6 Useful Tips to Fix OneDrive One File Not Syncing Issues

As mentioned above, OneDrive one file not syncing problems can stem from various causes. If you are encountering issues with OneDrive sync, you can follow these ways to troubleshoot and resolve the problem.

• Way 1. Check Internet Connection

• Way 2. Check Storage Space

• Way 3. Update OneDrive

• Way 4. Relink OneDrive

• Way 5. Reestablish the Sync

• Way 6. Check the File Path/File Size/Filename

• Tip: Free OneDrive Alternative to Sync Files to OneDrive Easily

Way 1. Check Internet Connection

OneDrive retains the functionality of using the sync folder even when your internet connection is temporarily offline. OneDrive not syncing all files until you are back online. So you have to ensure that your WiFi is turned on and connected to the appropriate router or network, and then check your internet connection. You can simply open a web browser and attempt to browse a website, and finally, you can try to sync.

Way 2. Check Storage Space

OneDrive's sync process could be interrupted if you exhaust your local storage or reach the maximum available space in the cloud. This can be particularly problematic when dealing with substantial data volumes or when storage space is limited. All you need to do is to increase OneDrive storage space, for example, by deleting useless files or upgrading your OneDrive account.

Or, you can go to the OneDrive Manage Storage page, see what is taking up your OneDrive storage, and make room by removing useless large files/folders.

Way 3. Update OneDrive

OneDrive typically automatically updates to newer versions when you update your Windows operating system. However, if there are issues with the update process, your OneDrive software may remain outdated. So ensure that you are using the latest version of OneDrive.

If you suspect that your OneDrive is not updating correctly, it is advisable to manually uninstall the outdated and download the latest OneDrive version to resolve the issue your OneDrive is not syncing.

Way 4. Relink OneDrive

An unstable connection between OneDrive and your Windows computer can sometimes result in misleading prompts or error messages. One common issue is when OneDrive says up to date but is not. If you encounter this situation, you can attempt to resolve it by relinking OneDrive.

Step 1: Click the OneDrive icon in the notification area > choose OneDrive Help and Settings button > choose Settings.

Step 2: Go to the Account tab > click Unlink this PC then your OneDrive account will disconnect from your computer.

Step 3: Close OneDrive: Open Run (press the Windows key + R) > input the following prompt or Ctrl C + Ctrl V to paste the prompt on the taskbar: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\settings and click OK > delete the PreSignInSettingsConfig.json file > press Windows key and input OneDrive > find OneDrive and sign in to reconnect your OneDrive account.

Way 5. Reestablish the Sync

This is the easiest way to fix OneDrive sync problems. You can quit the OneDrive desktop app from your system and sync it again in order to resolve an issue.

Step 1: Right-click the OneDrive icon on the taskbar to restart your OneDrive.

Step 2: Click the Help & Settings button on the right top > click Quit OneDrive and choose Close OneDrive.

Step 3: Press Windows key + R to open Run and type OneDrive to restart OneDrive and reestablish the sync.  

Way 6. Check the File Path/File Size/Filename

File path, file size, and filename all have limitations when you sync files to OneDrive.

How to fix the limitation of a file path:

You have to notice that your file path should not exceed 400 characters. Having multiple sub-folders or a long file path can indeed lead to OneDrive folder not syncing issue. So navigate to your OneDrive folder on your computer, if you identify sub-folders with long or complex names, consider renaming them by right-clicking and selecting Rename to create a shorter file path.

How to fix the limitation of file size:

OneDrive has a file size limitation depending on the web browser you use and allows users to upload files up to 250 GB in size per individual file, so before attempting to sync a file, check its size. If you have a file that exceeds this limit, consider reducing its size.

How to fix the limitation of a filename:

OneDrive has a limit of 255 characters for file or folder names. Additionally, there are certain characters that have special meanings or are not allowed in file and folder names in OneDrive. These restrictions are in place to ensure compatibility and prevent naming conflicts. Here's a summary of those restrictions:

 " * : < > ? / \ |

(Leading and trailing spaces in file or folder names also aren't allowed.)

Tip: Free OneDrive Alternative to Sync Files to OneDrive Easily

There may be many sync problems and sync limitations on OneDrive, and I hope you can solve your problem after reading the solutions above. But if you still can't solve OneDrive sync problems, you can rely on a third-party tool - CBackup to sync your files to OneDrive.

I give you this advice because CBackup is a free, safe, and professional cloud backup tool that can help you backup or sync all files to OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox. You can easily sync files from your computer to OneDrive and there is no file size limitation while syncing to OneDrive. Here is a step-by-step guide for you to sync files to OneDrive via CBackup.

1. Download and install the desktop CBackup app > sign up and then log in.

2. Click Storage on the left side > select OneDrive > click Authorize Now and follow several prompts to finish the authorization.

3. Click Sync on the left menu > choose Sync PC to Public Cloud to create a new sync task.

4. Choose files on your local place, and then click a OneDrive folder as the destination. Now click Start Sync, and your OneDrive starts syncing desktop files now.

★Tips:

CBackup can automatically sync files to OneDrive. You can set your task in Settings, and click Scheduler to set the time you want. (In advanced version)

It also supports backing up OneDrive files to Google Drive and other cloud drives for protection and data recovery of OneDrive files.

If OneDrive cloud space is not enough, or if you want more free storage space, you can use the combined cloud function of CBackup to merge multiple OneDrive accounts to expand storage space for free.

It also provides professional backup space, CBackup Cloud, giving 10GB of free space to help users back up and protect data.

Conclusion

The post gives 6 common ways to fix the issue "OneDrive one file not syncing" or similar to that. You can follow the guide to solve your problem. If you still can't fix it, you can try to sync files to OneDrive via CBackup with ease and convenience.