OneDrive stuck on "Processing changes", "Sync pending" or showing red crosses? Here's how to fix OneDrive not syncing on Windows and Mac for your business.
The OneDrive cloud icon has been showing "Processing changes" or "Sync pending" for hours. Files show a red circle with a white cross, a message says "Can't sync this file" or "The file name is invalid", or the icon has a grey line through it and says "OneDrive isn't signed in". Colleagues can't see your changes, and you're not sure which version is the right one.
OneDrive sync problems cause real risk in a business, because people keep working on files they think are saved and shared. Here's how to find and fix the cause.
Quick answer
Click the OneDrive icon to see the specific error, then try pausing and resuming sync. Fix any files with invalid characters or very long paths, check storage space, and restart. If it's still stuck, reset OneDrive with the /reset command, which re-syncs without deleting your files.
Why This Happens
- Problem file names or paths, such as invalid characters or very long folder structures.
- Storage full, either your OneDrive quota or the local disk.
- Files open or locked in another app.
- Sign-in problems, after a password change or MFA prompt.
- Very large libraries, with hundreds of thousands of files synced.
- A corrupted sync database, after crashes, updates or disk problems.
Step 1: Read the Error
Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac). Any problems show at the top, with a link to View sync problems. This often tells you exactly which file is stuck and why, which saves a lot of guesswork.
Step 2: Pause and Resume, Then Restart
- Click the OneDrive icon, then the settings gear, and choose Pause syncing for 2 hours.
- Wait a few seconds, then choose Resume syncing.
- If that doesn't help, use the gear menu to Quit OneDrive, then reopen it from the Start menu, or restart the computer.
Step 3: Fix File Names and Paths
OneDrive and SharePoint don't allow these characters in file or folder names: " * : < > ? / \ |. Names can't start or end with a space, and some names are blocked entirely, such as .lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, desktop.ini and anything starting with ~$.
The full path, including folder and file names, has a limit of 400 characters. Deeply nested folders like Clients/2026/Projects/Final/Approved/Signed copies/… hit this quickly. Shorten folder names or flatten the structure.
Files called something like ~$Report.docx are temporary lock files created by Office while a document is open. They're meant to be ignored. Close the document and they disappear.
Step 4: Check Storage
- Click the OneDrive icon, then the gear, then Settings > Account to see how much of your OneDrive is used.
- Check your computer has free disk space. OneDrive needs room to download files.
- Turn on Files On-Demand (in OneDrive settings, under Sync and back up > Advanced settings, look for Files On-Demand) so files only download when you open them. Right-click folders you don't need offline and choose Free up space.
Step 5: Check Sign-In and Updates
If OneDrive says you're not signed in, sign in again from the icon. If prompts keep appearing, see our guide to Microsoft 365 password prompts. Make sure OneDrive is up to date: the gear menu shows an About section with the version.
Step 6: Reset OneDrive
Resetting rebuilds OneDrive's sync database. It doesn't delete files from your computer or the cloud, but it can take a while to re-check everything.
Windows: press Windows + R, enter %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset and press Enter. If you see "Windows cannot find…", try C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset or the same path under Program Files (x86). If OneDrive doesn't restart by itself after a couple of minutes, open it from the Start menu.
Mac: quit OneDrive, open Applications, right-click OneDrive and choose Show Package Contents. Go to Contents > Resources and double-click ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command.
Step 7: Unlink and Relink
As a last resort, unlink this PC: click the gear, Settings > Account > Unlink this PC, then sign in again. Files already on your computer stay, but check any unsynced changes are saved somewhere safe first.
Don't delete the OneDrive folder or uninstall OneDrive to fix a sync problem. Files that never finished uploading may exist only on your computer.
For Your Microsoft 365 Admin
- Check Service health in the Microsoft 365 admin centre for OneDrive or SharePoint incidents.
- Very large synced libraries cause slow sync. Microsoft advises that performance can suffer above around 300,000 files across all synced libraries. Encourage users to use Add shortcut to My files for specific folders rather than syncing whole libraries.
- Use Intune or Group Policy to manage OneDrive settings centrally: silent sign-in, Files On-Demand and Known Folder Move (silently moving Desktop, Documents and Pictures to OneDrive).
- Check the user has a licence that includes OneDrive and that their storage quota isn't exceeded.
How to Stop It Happening Again
Sync problems are easier to prevent than fix. Configure OneDrive centrally so everyone has the same settings, use Known Folder Move so Desktop and Documents are protected, and design a sensible SharePoint folder structure with short names. Remember that sync isn't backup: deletions and ransomware sync too. Our guide Is OneDrive a Backup? explains why a separate Microsoft 365 backup matters.
When to Call in Help
If several people have sync problems, files have conflicting versions, or you're worried about losing data, let us help. Our IT support team can fix sync issues remotely, and our managed IT service configures OneDrive, SharePoint and backup properly from the start. Get in touch.
Related Reading
Common questions
Usually a large number of files waiting to sync, a file that's open or locked, or a problem file name or path. Pause and resume sync, check for sync problems in the OneDrive menu, and reset OneDrive if it stays stuck.
No. Resetting rebuilds the sync connection and re-checks your files, but doesn't delete them from your computer or the cloud. It can take some time with large libraries.
Double quotes, asterisks, colons, angle brackets, question marks, forward and back slashes, and vertical bars. Names also can't start or end with a space, and some reserved names like CON and desktop.ini are blocked.
The full path, including folder and file names, is limited to 400 characters. Long, deeply nested folder structures are a common cause of sync errors.
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