Fix “Microsoft OneDrive Has Stopped Working” error

Read time 9 minutes

Are you getting issues like OneDrive files/folders are not synchronizing with the appearance of a yellow or red mark on the application icon? Then it means that your “Microsoft OneDrive has stopped working.”
Also, while syncing files, users may get an error message:

Why has Microsoft OneDrive stopped working?

Experiencing problems where your OneDrive files and folders aren’t syncing, and you’re seeing a yellow or red mark on the application icon? This indicates that Microsoft OneDrive is no longer functioning as expected. Additionally, during the synchronization of files, users might encounter an error message:

• Recent Fall Creators update on Windows 10 systems
• Lack of storage space (OneDrive or Local)
• Antivirus/firewall interference
• Limited file upload/download bandwidth
• Files stuck during synchronization
• Issues with online access to files
• Outdated application
• Improper connection

If your OneDrive has stopped working, you may have to try different fixes one after the other to make it functional again. Here are the methods:

• Restart OneDrive Account – OneDrive can be restarted once, after closing the installed application on your system. The process is as follows:
  1. Move to the bottom right corner of the taskbar, click on the OneDrive icon, and then follow “Help & Settings > Close OneDrive.”
     
  2. Now, search for the OneDrive application on your system using the Search bar and select the resultant application to start and synchronize the data again.
• Reconnect the OneDrive Account – This is another way to fix the “OneDrive not working” issue. For this, disconnect or unlink the OneDrive account and then sign in to the account again.
  1. Go to the OneDrive for Business application icon on the taskbar and click on it. Click “Help & Settings > Settings.”
     
  2. The Microsoft OneDrive dialog box will open. Switch to the “Account” tab and click on the “Unlink this PC” link.
     
  3. Click on the “Unlink account” option to confirm unlinking.
     
  4. Next, add the email address of the OneDrive account and click Sign in.
  5. Enter the password and continue with the instructions.
  6. If you want to add a different account, go to OneDrive Settings again and click the “Add an account” option under the “Account” tab and proceed.

  

• Reset OneDrive Account – Resetting the OneDrive Account is another option that users can try to fix the settings or connections issue. The process to do this is as follows.
  1. Press Windows and R keys together to open the Windows Run dialog box. Type the following command and click “OK.”
     %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
  2. Wait for the resetting of the OneDrive account on the system, which involves the application icon disappearing and appearing.
  3. To confirm the appearance of the OneDrive application icon on your system, open the Windows run dialog box again and execute this command.
     %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe
• Resync OneDrive Account – During the files upload in the synchronization, some heavy files get stuck and need to be removed to continue the synchronization process to work with the OneDrive application normally.
  1. Click on the OneDrive for Business application icon on the taskbar and follow “Settings > Help & Settings.”
  2. Click on the “Pause syncing” option and select “2 hours” from the drop-down list.
     
  3. Go to the OneDrive folder on your system. Select the stuck files, go to the “Home” tab, and click on the “Move to” option to move the files to some other system drive folder from the list.
  4. Again, click on the OneDrive icon and go to “Help & Settings > Resume syncing.”
     
  5. Now go to that folder to which you have moved your files in synchronization, select them and click on the Move to option, click Choose Folder, and select your OneDrive folder to move the same.
  6. The synchronization of OneDrive files will be smoother now.
• Check Online Access to OneDrive – If you have already confirmed your internet connection, you should also check the online access to OneDrive. Follow this procedure to continue.
  1. Click on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar and click the “Help & Settings > “View online” option from the list.
     
  2. It will redirect to the web browser sign-in window of the OneDrive account. Sign in to the account with the login credentials and check if you can access the synchronized files.
• Disable Security Protections – As previously stated, security programs such as Windows Firewall or Anti-virus may disrupt the usual operation of the OneDrive application on your system. Consequently, it is recommended to temporarily deactivate these applications and verify whether this action resolves the problem.
• Disable Bandwidth Limits on File Download/Upload – If users have configured throttling limits for file download or upload operations in their OneDrive settings, it’s necessary to deactivate these limits to ensure proper synchronization in OneDrive. Follow this process to remove the bandwidth restrictions for downloads and uploads.
  1. Click on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar, navigate to Help & Settings > Settings.
  2. Switch to the “Network” tab and select the “Don’t limit” option for both the “Upload rate” and “Download rate” options. Click “OK” to apply these settings.
• Update the OneDrive Application – If your OneDrive application is not up to date, then you should get the updated application. First, uninstall the existing OneDrive application from your system. Then, visit the OneDrive download official website to install the latest available version of the application.
• Understand Limitations & Restrictions on the Synchronization – If you are worried that some files are not synchronizing, you should understand the default limitations and restrictions related to OneDrive synchronization.

  Know the following important points to avoid synchronization issues.

  1. Unsupported characters and names: “, *, :, <, >, ?, /, \, |; lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1 – COM9, LPT1 – LPT9, _vti_, desktop.ini, and filename that begins with ~$.
  2. Do not synchronize files of more than 20GB size.
  3. Do not move the OneDrive folder to another location as network share is not supported.
  4. Do not let the OneDrive folder path be longer than 400 characters.
• Save Storage Space – Insufficient storage capacity, whether on the local system or OneDrive cloud, can lead to synchronization problems, causing the OneDrive application to cease functioning. Begin by removing cache, temporary, or unnecessary files from your local storage drives. If sufficient space is cleared, review the OneDrive cloud storage by accessing the app icon and navigating to “Help & Settings > Settings.” Evaluate the storage availability in the “Account” tab.
  
  Get more storage by upgrading your current Microsoft 365 account subscription plan if the current storage is not sufficient for your needs.

Modification of the Windows registry

• In the Run dialog box, enter regedit and confirm with OK to access the Registry Editor.
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive
• Locate and double-click the DisableFileSyncNGSC REG_DWORD value.
• Alter the value data from 1 to 0 to enable OneDrive synchronization.
• Conclude the process by restarting your system, which should restore OneDrive’s functionality.

Disabling Windows defender and firewall

• Access the system settings via the Start menu and select Update & Security.
• Navigate to Windows Defender and enter the Windows Defender Security Center.
• Go to Firewall & Network Protection and select Allow an app through firewall.
• Click Change Settings and locate OneDrive in the list.
• Adjust the settings as needed to ensure OneDrive is not obstructed by the firewall or antivirus, and hit OK.

We hope that the above solutions can help you fix the OneDrive not working problems on Windows 10 systems. If you want to migrate data from OneDrive for Business to OneDrive for Business, trust the Kernel Migration for SharePoint – SharePoint Migration tool to transfer data without any hassles or restrictions.

Conclusion

Encountering the “OneDrive has ceased functioning” issue is a widespread challenge experienced by numerous users. Various uncomplicated solutions exist to address this problem, which can be attempted sequentially until the matter is rectified. When seeking a reliable tool for data migration to or from OneDrive, opting for Kernel Migration for SharePoint is highly recommended.