How to Fix OneDrive Not Syncing on Windows 11?

Microsoft’s in-house cloud storage service, OneDrive has seen a massive rise in its popularity in recent years. One major reason for the same could be attributed to the fact that it now comes bundled in with the OS itself. In this regard, there’s usually an element of unsettlement whenever an app or software is given such an elevated level of privileges.

But that doesn’t seem to be the case with this offering from the Redmond giant, mainly due to the plenitude of benefits that it brings in with itself. OneDrive’s integration into the Windows ecosystem allows you to easily sync all your files in just a few clicks. Then the fact that it could be accessed directly from File Explorer further streamlines its usability.

However, users on the latest OS build are having quite a few issues in using this service, especially when it comes to syncing files and folders. If you are also getting bugged with this issue, then this guide shall come in handy. In this tutorial, we will show you ten different methods to Fix the OneDrive not syncing in Windows 11 error. Follow along.

Before You Begin

• If you are facing error codes on your OneDrive then you can try this BytesBin tag to look for the error solutions or go to the official page for the fix.
• Update Windows OS. OneDrive bug fixes are released with updates.
• Check OneDrive storage space. If you are running out of space then upgrade to increase storage and sync to work.
• Disable any VPN or Anti-Virus Access to OneDrive app.

Fix 1: Check your Internet Connection

Before moving ahead with any of the advanced Fixes, you should first double-check whether the internet is working well and good or not. A high ping or a slight delay in receiving data packets usually spells out trouble for the network. To verify if that is the case or not, launch CMD and execute the below command:

ping google.com

If there’s any loss in packets, then it signifies issues with the internet. So either switch over to a different network or get in touch with your ISP notifying them of the same. Try out these network tweaks and see if they manage to Fix the OneDrive not syncing in Windows 11 error.

Fix 2: Close and Re-open OneDrive

In case of minor hiccups, restarting the affected app or service is usually enough to rectify the underlying issue. So let’s implement this rule in this scenario and check out the results.

1. To begin with, right-click on the OneDrive icon present in the taskbar.
2. Then select the Close OneDrive option.
   
3. Once done, head over to the Start Menu and launch OneDrive.
   
4. Now check if it Fixes the OneDrive not syncing in Windows 11 error.

Fix 3: Verify File Size and Name

While OneDrive offers up to 5GB of free storage, in some instances, even uploading a file of around 1GB leads to a few issues. So consider compressing the file before uploading it over to the clouds. Along the same lines, the name of that file shouldn’t have more than 400 characters, or else the sync will fail. Keep these points in mind and then retry syncing the desired files.

Fix 4: Reconnect the OneDrive Account

You should also consider logging out of your account and then signing in back in. This will rectify the issues that might be bugging your Microsoft account. So proceed with the below steps to unlink and then re-link your Microsoft account to OneDrive.

1. Right-click on the OneDrive icon present in the taskbar and select Settings.
   
2. Then go to your Account tab and click on Unlink this PC.
   
3. After that, click on the Unlink Account button in the confirmation dialog box.
   
4. Once your account has been removed, close OneDrive and then re-launch it.
5. Now sign in with your credentials and then check if the OneDrive not syncing in Windows 11 error has been fixed or not.

Fix 5: Re-Sync Folders

If restarting the OneDrive app didn’t do any good, then you should disable all the folders that are being synced and then manually restart the sync for each of them. Here’s how it could be done:

1. Head over to the OneDrive Settings menu from the Taskbar.
2. Then go to the Accounts tab and click on the Choose folders button.
   
3. Now uncheck all the folders that are currently in line to be synced.
4. Wait for a few seconds, re-check them, and click OK.
   
5. Verify if it manages to Fix the OneDrive not working in Windows 11.

Fix 6: Turn off Battery Saver

If you prefer to use your laptop in battery-saver mode,  then you should consider breaking away from this habit, at least temporarily. This is because when the battery saving mode is enabled, it would pause all the background activities, and this includes the OneDrive sync as well.

So click on the Battery icon present at the taskbar and click on Battery Saver to disable it. If you are low on battery, then connect your laptop to the charger and then check if the OneDrive not syncing in Windows 11 error has been fixed or not.

Fix 7: Add OneDrive to Firewall Whitelist

In some instances, the Windows Firewall might raise a false positive and could hence prevent OneDrive from accessing the web. So you should disable this restrictive environment for the app and let it function without any roadblocks. In other words, add the OneDrive app to the Firewall’s whitelist, using the instructions given below:

1. Head over to the Start Menu and search Windows Defender Firewall.
2. Then click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall from the left menu bar.
   
3. After that, click on the Change Settings button followed by Allow Another App.
   
4. Then click on Browse, navigate to the OneDrive.exe file, and select it. If you have installed it in the default directory, then you may access the file from either of the two below locations:

   C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive OR

   C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive
   
   

   

5. Finally, click Add > OK to save the changes.
6. Now that the file has been added to the whitelist, check whether the OneDrive not syncing in Windows 11 error has been fixed or not.

Fix 8: Turn off Proxy

If you have set up a Proxy network on your computer, then OneDrive might not find a way to bypass it, and hence it wouldn’t be able to establish a connection with its server. So the only way out is to turn off the proxy while the sync is in progress. Here’s how it could be done:

1. Use the Windows+I shortcut keys to open the Settings menu.
2. Then select Network and Internet from the left menu bar and go to the Proxy section.
   
3. Now go to Manual Proxy Setup and turn it off.
   
4. Check if it manages to fix the OneDrive sync issues in Windows 11.

Fix 9: Revert to Default DNS

If you are using Google, Cloudflare, or any other third-party DNS server, then it might conflict with OneDrive’s ability to sync files over to its servers. Therefore, you should consider reverting to the default DNS address provided by your ISP. Here’s how:

1. Launch Control Panel from the Start Menu.
   
2. Go to Network and Internet.
   
3. Now got Network and Sharing Center.
   
4. Then click on Change Adapter Settings from the left menu bar.
   
5. Now right-click on the WiFi network and select Properties.
   
6. Next up, double-click on Internet Protocol Version (TCP/IPv4) to open its properties.
   
7. Then select Obtain DNS Server Address automatically and click OK to save the changes.
   
8. Check if it fixed the OneDrive error.

Fix 10: Reset OneDrive

If none of the aforementioned methods managed to spell out success, then then the last course of action should be to reset OneDrive. This will revert the app’s settings and configuration to the factory default state and could in turn rectify the underlying issue as well.

How to Reset OneDrive in Windows 11?

1. So bring up the Run dialog box via the Windows+R shortcut keys and then execute the below command to reset OneDrive

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

   

2. Once done, launch the app and sign in to your account. You should no longer face sync-related issues.

Fix 11. Disable Sync Pausing in Battery Saver Mode

If you are running on a low battery, your PC might be in battery saver mode when this happens. Your OneDrive files will stop syncing by default in Battery Saving mode. To disable OneDrive sync pausing in battery saver mode:

1. Launch OneDrive from the taskbar and open Settings.
   
2. Under the Settings tab and uncheck the Automatically pause sync when this device is in battery saver mode option.
   

Fix 12. Use Group Policy Editor

In the local group policy editor setting, if an option is enabled, it would prevent the files to be uploaded over to OneDrive. The intriguing part is there have been a few instances when a third-party app or service seems to have enabled this toggle. And if that is the case, then let’s disable that setting right away. Follow along.

1. First of all, you must open the Windows Search box and search for gpedit.msc.
   
2. Now, go to the Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive
3. Then, on the right side of Group Policy Editor, double-click the Prevent the Usage of OneDrive for File Storage setting.
   
4. Finally, hit Disabled, followed by OK.
   
5. Finally, restart your PC for the policy to be implemented. Check if it fixes the OneDrive not syncing issue in Windows 11.

Conclusion

Do note that there’s no universal Fix as such. You will have to try out each of the mentioned workarounds and then see which one works in your favor.

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could Fix the OneDrive not syncing in Windows 11 error. We have shared ten different Fixes for the same. Do let us know in the comments section which one spelled out success for you. Likewise, all your queries are welcome in the comments below.