Recent Discussions
# OneDrive AutoSave Stopped Working After Update to Version 26.007.0112 on macOS
**Product:** Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | macOS ## Summary Since OneDrive automatically updated to version 26.007.0112 (26007.0112.0002) a few days ago, I am experiencing multiple issues with how Office files interact with OneDrive on my Mac. AutoSave no longer works, files that are stored locally now take noticeably longer to open, and attempting to work around the problem through Word/Excel directly results in upload failures and outdated file versions. Prior to this update, everything was working perfectly. ## Environment - **macOS version:** Tahoe 26.1 - **OneDrive version:** 26.007.0112 (26007.0112.0002) - **Office version:** Version 16.105.2 (26012530) - **Account type:** Business ## Symptoms ### 1. AutoSave no longer activates when opening files from Finder Opening any .docx or .xlsx file from the OneDrive folder in Finder results in AutoSave being off. The title bar shows "Saved on My Mac" instead of the OneDrive location. Attempting to toggle AutoSave on prompts me to "upload" the file — even though it is already in the OneDrive sync folder and marked as "Always Keep on This Device." ### 2. Files that are stored locally now open slowly Previously, opening an Office file from the OneDrive folder in Finder was instantaneous, as you would expect for a file stored on the local drive. Now, even though the files are marked as "Always Keep on This Device" and should be fully available locally, there is a noticeable delay when opening them. It appears that OneDrive or the Office app is downloading or re-fetching the file from the cloud rather than simply opening the local copy, which defeats the entire purpose of keeping files on the device. ### 3. Opening from within Word/Excel results in "Upload Failed" and serves an older version As a workaround, I tried opening files from within Word using File > Open and selecting the OneDrive location. However, this now produces an "Upload Failed" error message, and the file that opens is an older version — not the most recent version I had been working on. This is extremely concerning, as it suggests the sync between the local copy and the cloud copy may be broken, and there is a real risk of data loss or overwriting recent work with outdated content. ## Steps to Reproduce 1. Ensure files are in the OneDrive folder and marked as "Always Keep on This Device." 2. Open a .docx or .xlsx file by double-clicking it in Finder. Notice: the file takes several seconds to open (previously instant), AutoSave is off, and the title bar says "Saved on My Mac." 3. Close the file. Open Word or Excel, go to File > Open, and navigate to the OneDrive location. Open the same file. Notice: an "Upload Failed" message appears, and the file that opens is an older version, not the most recent one. ## Expected Behavior - Files stored locally via "Always Keep on This Device" should open instantly, just as any local file would. - AutoSave should be enabled automatically when opening files from the synced OneDrive folder. - Opening a file from within Word/Excel via the OneDrive location should open the current version of the file without upload errors. All of this worked exactly as expected before the update to version 26.007. ## What I've Tried - Verified that "Always Keep on This Device" is enabled for the affected folders. - Confirmed I am signed into the same Microsoft account in both OneDrive and the Office apps. - Verified files are in modern formats (.docx, .xlsx), not legacy formats. - Checked that OneDrive sync is not paused. ## Impact This is a severe workflow disruption. The combination of broken AutoSave, slow file access, and the "Upload Failed" error serving stale file versions means I cannot trust that I am working on the latest copy of my documents. There is a genuine risk of data loss — if the cloud version is out of sync with the local version, saving could overwrite recent work with an older copy. I am currently unable to rely on OneDrive for day-to-day work on my Mac. ## Additional Notes This appears to be a regression introduced by the recent OneDrive update to version 26.007. I have seen numerous other users reporting similar AutoSave and sync issues across Microsoft Q&A, Apple Community forums, and MacRumors, dating back to the original Files On-Demand changes on macOS. However, my setup was working correctly until this latest update. Relevant threads with related issues: - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5419331/onedrive-says-saved-on-mac-autosave-not-working - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5371608/one-drive-auto-save-no-longer-working-on-mac-os - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5402091/onedrive-app-on-mac-not-working-for-autosave-and-t - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/onedrive-autosave-disabled-when-opening-files-from-onedrive-folder.2442775/ I would appreciate any guidance from the community or the Microsoft team. Is this a known regression in version 26.007? Is a fix in progress? Is there a way to roll back to a previous OneDrive version that was working? Thank you.123Views1like0CommentsURGENT: OneDrive Restore Completed but Files Missing – No Engineer Assigned Since Dec 27
Hello, I am posting here as a last resort after more than 6 weeks of unresolved support. On December 26, 2025, I accidentally deleted a large number of files and emptied the Recycle Bin. On December 27, 2025, I immediately initiated a full OneDrive restore to a snapshot from December 19, 2025. The restore job shows: • Restore status: Completed • Thousands of restore events processed • However, hundreds of events failed (Save Conflict, Item Not Found in Recycle Bin) My storage usage dropped significantly (from 10+ GB to ~2.7 GB), and thousands of photos never reappeared. Restore logs show: • Multiple “Save Conflict” errors • Multiple “Item Not Found in Recycle Bin” errors • Backend SharePoint references (SPException) I opened an official support case on December 27, 2025. The current status still says: “A support agent is being assigned to your request.” No OneDrive engineer has contacted me in over a month. I am a paying Microsoft 365 subscriber. My questions: 1. Is there a way to confirm whether backend snapshot data still exists? 2. Does “Restore Completed” guarantee that the backend restore fully executed? 3. Can Save Conflict errors prevent large portions of data from being re-materialized? 4. Is escalation to the OneDrive backend team still possible beyond front-line support? This is not a basic user error case. The restore logs clearly show backend-level operations. If anyone from the OneDrive engineering team is monitoring this forum, I am urgently requesting technical escalation. Thank you.46Views0likes0CommentsRequest to Update Onedrive Mass File Deletion Prompt
Hello, Onedrive ran out of cloud storage space for this person. It then popped up a prompt to delete several thousand files, with zero background information. Are these files simply older versions of files in the Onedrive cloud? Are they local files on the C drive? This is a pretty loaded question to ask a person without providing any background information. This information would ideally be provided in an accurate summary format, IE: "to free up cloud storage space, Onedrive recommends deleting these older version files, all of which will still have a more recent version remaining in the cloud AFTER the deletion." On a related note, it would be really nice if there were a few automated script actions that could be made available in the online web interface to Onedrive to help people clear up space, like "delete all but the most recent X versions of files within directory OnedriveRoot:/this/is/the/path" Thanks, A frustrated IT support dude72Views0likes0CommentsOneDrive wanted me to set up backing up to OneDrive, again
When I logged into my Windows 11 machine here at home, I was presented with a full-window popup from OneDrive. It wanted me to set up backing up my important folders like Documents, Photos, etc. I have been paying for Microsoft 365 Family Edition for at least 10 years, so I've done this already. But I thought I'd go ahead and do it again. But now I'm wondering, might I have accidentally created a second schedule job to back up my Documents, Photos, etc. to OneDrive, duplicating what I've done when I set those things up years ago?44Views0likes0CommentsOneDrive folders no longer have picture previews
ALL folders in OneDrive were just fine until I downloaded all recent Windows 10 updates. Now, the majority of my folders in OneDrive have no picture preview, just a tiny icon instead. The same goes for picture folders outside of OneDrive. Why do so many of my folders look like this? How do I get the previews back?41Views0likes0CommentsOneDrive for Business sync issues.
Hello Please i need your help on this issue. We are having OneDrive for Business sync issues. Our Client rossmachineshop.onmicrosoft.com has been having issues with long onedrive sync issues for some time. We have been working to help them move files to new libraries to reduce quantity of files being synced. Recently it seems that nearly all users are experiencing issues. We would like assistance in troubleshooting what is happening.63Views0likes0CommentsMost recent files are not sync'd/backed-up unless you pause & restart OneDrive
As per the title - most recent files are not sync'd/backed-up unless you pause & restart OneDrive. This means you are always missing recent files from the backup, unless you remember to pause and restart OneDrive before closing Windows. How can this be prevented?56Views0likes0CommentsUrgent: OneDrive Storage Discrepancy – Backend Audit Request
I’m the global admin and sole owner of the Microsoft 365 tenant for mailto:email address removed for privacy reasons. My OneDrive usage has jumped from 276 GB to nearly 1 TB in under 30 days, yet my visible files total only ~66.5 GB on my PC and in my web OneDrive. I’ve: Emptied the recycle bin Deleted version history Verified no shared libraries or backups Confirmed that local and cloud file views match Despite this, the Admin Center shows 0.9 TB used, and I’m unable to open a service request. The Support Assistant bot is the only option available, and it does not escalate to a live agent. I need a backend audit to identify any hidden, orphaned, or misreported data inflating my quota. Please escalate this to a support engineer who can investigate the issue.67Views0likes0Comments“OneDrive Storage Spike – Backend Audit Needed”).
My OneDrive usage has jumped from 276 GB to nearly 1 TB in under 30 days, yet my visible files total only ~66.5 GB on my PC and in my web OneDrive. I’ve: Emptied the recycle bin Deleted version history Verified no shared libraries or backups Confirmed that local and cloud file views match Despite this, the Admin Center shows 0.9 TB used, and I’m unable to open a service request. The Support Assistant bot is the only option available, and it does not escalate to a live agent. I need a backend audit to identify any hidden, orphaned, or misreported data inflating my quota. Please escalate this to a support engineer who can investigate the issue.28Views0likes0CommentsOnedrive on iOS sends some docx files to open in Word
Hello everyone. I have the Onedrive iOS app v16.19.8 installed. Lately, I have been working on three documents, which are modified copies of a fourth document. After Autosaving them, I tried to preview them on the app on my iPhone 15, and where 100% of the time the app would preview the document in an uneditable inherent viewer, these documents, and subsequently some other files, are viewed using the DEFAULT system viewer or it opens in the Word app I have installed. I require your diligent assistance in resolving this issue in the most efficient way possible. I can also attach screenshots if necessary. Many thanks.65Views0likes0CommentsAdd option to cancel download of individual files in the OneDrive App
Once a download starts in OneDrive on desktop, there is no way to stop it. This is a huge issue for anyone dealing with working files that link to multiple files. Files should be able to be cancelled on an individual basis. An example of when this lacking feature becomes a problem is if you open a Premiere Pro project that links to multiple videos, these videos will start downloading. If you then close the Premiere Pro project, the files linked within the project will still download. These may be many gigabytes worth of files. Other reasons why you might want to cancel a download: You may no longer need the file to be downloaded You may realise that your internet connection is too slow for the download but still need to download smaller files to continue working77Views0likes0CommentsOnedrive Photos people tab constantly flickering
Onedrive Photos people tab is trying to open a side frame, then closing, then opening. It's happening on all 3 major browsers, cache cleared, incognito, no extensions etc. I tried to post more detail on the new Q&A site, no images or anything, just the console log, and it immediately deleted my post and banned me. So I'm trying over here.46Views0likes0CommentsAI Cataloging of People and Especially Places is Horrific
Yes, granted Microsoft is a step behind Google in Photo management, but with Google I can have my Windows Picture folder seamless linked to my Onedrive Pictures folder which is also seamless linked to my phone. That is, say I take a photo on my phone, it will show up in my Windows pictures folder (a local copy, not a cloud pointer) a couple minutes later. It makes accessing my photos with local software like Adobe lightroom so much easier. No downloading or copying. Amazon Photos use to do this too but they discontinued support for it. With that said, they only recently (past year) started doing facial recognition and the places recognition is essentially useless as Google Photos correctly detects about 100+ different places for a few thousand photos. Onedrive will only show me one page worth (18 places) with no ability to scroll down and see any more. Just a shame.48Views0likes0CommentsOneDrive deleted local and cloud files
I had an issue with the OneDrive (OD) app where it was bogging down File Explorer. Simple navigation in File Explorer caused a long running busy cursor. Since I needed to get work done, I RMB'd the cloud icon, Settings, Pause Sync, Quit OneDrive. Whether that was right or not, I was simply following choices that were presented to me and I assume were allowed and harmless. I did get a message that syncing would be stopped. Fine, I'll turn on sync at the end of the day. When I turned sync back on, EVERY ONE of the folders under the root OD had a red X. OD's "solution" was to delete all these folders, and let OD re-sync from the cloud. All 800GB. That's the best Microsoft can do when there is a metadata issue? How about a file comparison between local and cloud folders, like rclone (free) or Beyond Compare ($50 for Pro Version) can do. Then resync only those files necessary. Anyway, I quickly turned sync back off and went home. I'll deal with this in the morning. Meanwhile, overnight there had been a Windows update and forced reboot of my machine. (Note: there are Linux machines that haven't been rebooted in years.) When I logged in I saw that OD had relaunched itself, and around half of my local OD files had been deleted. I immediately checked the online recycle bin and saw that no online files had been deleted. Whew, that's a relief. Now if only Microsoft placed a value on my time. By now I've lost all faith in OD, so I left it off, discovered rclone (https://rclone.org), and downloaded all my OD cloud files to external USB over the course of several days. During this process, I discovered that my entire music collection had been deleted from the cloud. These were legal files of CD's that I had purchased. I never received any notification from Microsoft that they were deleting my cloud files. The weird thing is the directory structure was still in place. I could see the artist and album titles, only the .mp3 and .m4a files were missing. My advice: don't trust OD to properly safeguard your data. Have a backup as well. If you do use OD, for example due to the free 1TB storage that comes with an O365 subscription, disable/uninstall the OD app and use rclone to sync your files instead. Use scheduled tasks to automate the process, and use sync logs to capture sync or copy results. Send yourself an email or another alert if an operation ends in error. Finally, with rclone + WinFsp, you can mount your OD cloud storage as a virtual drive (built in to Google Drive, although I don't use them either). Much better than the "cloud only pointers" in the file system although yes, you would need to manually copy files from that mount point to your desired directory to work with them (with any acceptable speed). Your next rclone sync job would copy it to the cloud. If your online data is important to you I recommend you consider other cloud providers. The low amount you'd pay would be worth it rather than important files go missing. After deep research over a couple weeks I went with Mega. So far so good and much superior to OD, both online and their sync app. DYOR, YMMV. I did open a support ticket for the missing music library but as expected received no help or sympathy from Microsoft. But don't take my word for it. Here is a chat transcript from ChatGPT about this issue: https://chatgpt.com/share/68730707-3e14-8007-a0d7-ea3801c0dbe3 And to confirm ChatGPT's results I did the exact same prompting of Copilot (owned by Microsoft): https://copilot.microsoft.com/shares/1PvUsJBk3xDRUZcqx37VA I hope this information from my negative experience with OneDrive is useful.104Views0likes0CommentsCan't stop backup on slow connection
Windows 11 has for some time been trying to get me to back up the My Documents and Pictures folders to OneDrive, but as I only have slow broadband I have been careful to reject this. Yesterday after rectifying a stuck updates issue, I must have inadvertently allowed backup to be initiated during re-start. It is now trying to upload 25gb of files over a connection with an upload speed averaging about 100kb. At this rate it will take about 25 days even if on constantly, and as I only use the machine for a few hours at the weekends it will effectively never happen. It is also affecting internet speed for other tasks and devices. If I go to the backup controls and toggle My Documents and Pictures to Off it then looks like all my files are gone, there's just a shortcut to OneDrive in these folders. But even with these backups switched to off it doesn't stop trying to upload the files, presumably it has to complete this task before it can revert to not backing up - but like I said this will never be completed on my connection. The files must be still on the local machine because if I go to ones in the OneDrive folder that haven't yet been synced, they open normally without downloading. Is there really no way I can roll back to just having my files on the local machine and stop it trying to upload them to OneDrive? I don't want to stop using OneDrive completely, I do have files on there that I use directly from the OneDrive folder, I just don't wan't it backing up the My Documents and Pictures folders there.48Views0likes0CommentsDeleted files during sync
Please, help to recover my files. A few months ago during sync my PC pictures of all my life were not sync properly. I stopped the sync, because it mixed all files from my working PC as well. After I stopped it i found out that almost all pictures that were not sync were just deleted. I couldn't find then neither in One Drive, nor in my personal PC, only empty Folders are left. Till now I didn't get any reply from Microsoft One Drive team, after 3 and more letters I just stopped. Please, help me to recover them. Because of One Drive I have lost all my digital archive of my pictures/images.43Views0likes0Comments🔧 Issue: OneDrive folder files not showing after interrupted upload
Hi Community, I was manually backing up the Downloads folder from a user's system by logging into OneDrive via the web. During the upload, I had to cancel the process midway. Later, I added the same Downloads folder from my own PC to OneDrive. Now, the folders appear correctly, but the files inside those folders are missing or not showing up. ➡️ Has anyone else faced this kind of issue? ➡️ Could it be due to folder mixing or an incomplete sync? ➡️ Is there any way to refresh or recover the missing files?60Views0likes0CommentsOneDrive: High SSD I/O Since Mar 2025 Update, mklink /j Junctions Suspected
Bug Report: Suspected NTFS Junction (mklink /j) Interaction Causing Excessive OneDrive SSD Read/Write Activity on My System Since March 2025, Potentially Linked to Recent OneDrive Update Date: June 2, 2025 Product: Microsoft OneDrive Operating System: Edition: Windows 10 Pro for Workstations Version: 22H2 OS Build: 19045.5917 Installed on: 2024/9/24 Experience Pack: Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19061.1000.0 Summary: Since approximately March 3rd/4th, 2025, OneDrive has been causing an extremely high and sustained level of read/write activity on my system's SSD. Notably, I have been utilizing the same configuration, including Git repositories within OneDrive and NTFS junction points (mklink /j), since October 2024 without any such issues. This abrupt change in behavior starting March 2025 strongly suggests that a recent OneDrive update may have introduced a regression or altered its handling of these elements on my system, leading to the current problem. This behavior is significantly impacting my SSD's health and potentially my system's performance. Date First Observed: The issue began noticeably on my system around March 3rd, 2025, with a sharp increase in disk write commands observed from March 4th, 2025, onwards, as evidenced by the "Host Write Commands" graph (see attached picture 1). Problem Description: On my system, OneDrive.exe consistently exhibits high I/O read and write byte counts, leading to excessive disk activity. This is evident from: The long-term graph of "Host Write Commands" (picture 1), which shows a dramatic and sustained increase starting in early March 2025, rising from approximately 3,500,000,000 to over 12,000,000,000 by late May 2025 on my system. Process monitoring tools (picture 3) show OneDrive.exe with significantly higher "I/O Read Bytes" and "I/O Write Bytes" compared to other active processes on my system. For example, OneDrive.exe shows I/O Read Bytes in the hundreds of millions and I/O Write Bytes in the hundreds of millions, far exceeding other applications. Resource Monitor details (picture 2) confirm OneDrive.exe as the process with high disk activity on my system, specifically reading and writing to its operational database files such as SyncEngineDatabase.db-wal and SyncEngineDatabase.db. The screenshot shows these files located at H:\OneDriveINTEL\OneDrive\Settings\Business1\, which is where I have relocated my OneDrive cache or settings using mklink /j. (It is important to note that this relocation is not believed to be related to the cause of the excessive I/O from OneDrive; rather, I performed this relocation because my primary C: drive was already subject to frequent writes and its lifespan was a concern. The excessive I/O from OneDrive simply followed the cache to its new location on drive H:.) Potential Contributing Factors to Observed Behavior on My System: Use of NTFS Junction Points (mklink /j): I utilize mklink /j in conjunction with OneDrive. This involves junction points within my OneDrive folder pointing to other locations, and I also used it as a troubleshooting step (relocating OneDrive's cache, as mentioned above). This is a primary suspected trigger for the excessive I/O. (See "Additional Context Regarding mklink /j Usage" below for specifics). Use of Git Repositories: I store and manage Git repositories within OneDrive-synced folders. The frequent small file changes typical of Git operations might be triggering excessive sync activity, possibly exacerbated by the interaction with junctions. Troubleshooting Steps I Have Already Taken: I identified OneDrive as the primary source of high disk I/O using system monitoring tools. I relocated my OneDrive local cache/settings folder (typically C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive) to a different physical drive (Drive H:, path appears to be H:\OneDriveINTEL\) using mklink /j, as detailed in the Problem Description. Despite this relocation, the excessive I/O pattern persists on the drive now hosting these OneDrive operational files. I attempted to reset OneDrive settings and functionality. I performed a full reinstallation of the OneDrive application. Neither resetting nor reinstalling OneDrive resolved the excessive disk I/O issue on my system. I can confirm I have used Git repositories within OneDrive folders and mklink /j for other purposes within my OneDrive setup since October 2024; the problem only manifested in March 2025. Additional Context Regarding mklink /j Usage: It is important to clarify that my use of NTFS junctions (mklink /j) differs from some scenarios discussed in public forums (e.g., the Microsoft Answers thread at https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/solved-onedrive-constantly-writing-to-disk-to-the/68958911-1161-4c5e-b920-dee7e55bc0ac). In my case, the junctions are created between locations that reside on the same hard drive. For instance, a typical mklink /j command I use creates a junction within one of my OneDrive-synced folder structures that points to another directory also located on the C: drive. An anonymized example reflecting my usage pattern is: mklink /J "C:\Path\To\My_OneDrive_Business_Account\MainSyncFolder\ProjectX_Vault\Subfolder_A\Notes_Junction" "C:\Another\Local_Path_SameDrive\ProjectX_SourceData\RawNotes_Target" This type of same-drive junction configuration, where the junction link is inside a OneDrive folder and the target is elsewhere on the same drive, was part of my stable setup from October 2024 until the onset of the excessive disk I/O issue in March 2025. Expected Result: OneDrive should synchronize files and perform background operations with reasonable disk I/O that does not lead to constant, excessive read/write activity, especially when my system is idle or with minor changes. Disk activity should not be at a level that significantly impacts SSD lifespan or system responsiveness, even when NTFS junctions (including same-drive junctions as described) are part of the configuration. Actual Result: OneDrive is causing continuous and abnormally high SSD read/write operations on my system, as detailed by the attached screenshots. This has been ongoing since early March 2025, and I strongly suspect it to be related to its handling of NTFS junctions as configured on my system. Impact on My System: Potential reduction in SSD lifespan due to excessive writes (this was already a concern for my C: drive, prompting the cache relocation, and is now a concern for drive H: due to OneDrive's behavior). Possible degradation of overall system performance and responsiveness. Concern over data integrity and system stability. Attachments: picture 1: Graph from my system showing "Host Write Commands (FF_1250)" over time, illustrating the sharp increase in writes since March 2025. picture 3: Screenshot from a process monitoring tool on my system (similar to Process Explorer) showing high I/O activity for OneDrive.exe. picture 2: Screenshot from Resource Monitor on my system (or similar, in Chinese) showing disk activity by process, with OneDrive.exe prominently active and detailing file access to its database files on drive H:. Request: I request an investigation into why OneDrive, particularly after a potential update or change around March 2025, began exhibiting this excessive disk I/O behavior on my system. I ask for a strong focus on its interaction with NTFS junctions (mklink /j), especially same-drive junctions as detailed in my "Additional Context" section, and particularly in environments also using Git. This configuration worked without issue for me from October 2024 to early March 2025. Guidance on how to mitigate this issue or information on a forthcoming fix would be greatly appreciated. Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3380Views1like0CommentsOneDrive: High SSD I/O Since Mar 2025 Update, mklink /j Junctions Suspected
Bug Report: Suspected NTFS Junction (mklink /j) Interaction Causing Excessive OneDrive SSD Read/Write Activity on My System Since March 2025, Potentially Linked to Recent OneDrive Update Date: June 2, 2025 Product: Microsoft OneDrive Operating System: Edition: Windows 10 Pro for Workstations Version: 22H2 OS Build: 19045.5917 Installed on: 2024/9/24 Experience Pack: Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19061.1000.0 Summary: Since approximately March 3rd/4th, 2025, OneDrive has been causing an extremely high and sustained level of read/write activity on my system's SSD. Notably, I have been utilizing the same configuration, including Git repositories within OneDrive and NTFS junction points (mklink /j), since October 2024 without any such issues. This abrupt change in behavior starting March 2025 strongly suggests that a recent OneDrive update may have introduced a regression or altered its handling of these elements on my system, leading to the current problem. This behavior is significantly impacting my SSD's health and potentially my system's performance. Date First Observed: The issue began noticeably on my system around March 3rd, 2025, with a sharp increase in disk write commands observed from March 4th, 2025, onwards, as evidenced by the "Host Write Commands" graph (see attached picture 1). Problem Description: On my system, OneDrive.exe consistently exhibits high I/O read and write byte counts, leading to excessive disk activity. This is evident from: The long-term graph of "Host Write Commands" (picture 1), which shows a dramatic and sustained increase starting in early March 2025, rising from approximately 3,500,000,000 to over 12,000,000,000 by late May 2025 on my system. Process monitoring tools (picture 3) show OneDrive.exe with significantly higher "I/O Read Bytes" and "I/O Write Bytes" compared to other active processes on my system. For example, OneDrive.exe shows I/O Read Bytes in the hundreds of millions and I/O Write Bytes in the hundreds of millions, far exceeding other applications. Resource Monitor details (picture 2) confirm OneDrive.exe as the process with high disk activity on my system, specifically reading and writing to its operational database files such as SyncEngineDatabase.db-wal and SyncEngineDatabase.db. The screenshot shows these files located at H:\OneDriveINTEL\OneDrive\Settings\Business1\, which is where I have relocated my OneDrive cache or settings using mklink /j. (It is important to note that this relocation is not believed to be related to the cause of the excessive I/O from OneDrive; rather, I performed this relocation because my primary C: drive was already subject to frequent writes and its lifespan was a concern. The excessive I/O from OneDrive simply followed the cache to its new location on drive H:.) Potential Contributing Factors to Observed Behavior on My System: Use of NTFS Junction Points (mklink /j): I utilize mklink /j in conjunction with OneDrive. This involves junction points within my OneDrive folder pointing to other locations, and I also used it as a troubleshooting step (relocating OneDrive's cache, as mentioned above). This is a primary suspected trigger for the excessive I/O. (See "Additional Context Regarding mklink /j Usage" below for specifics). Use of Git Repositories: I store and manage Git repositories within OneDrive-synced folders. The frequent small file changes typical of Git operations might be triggering excessive sync activity, possibly exacerbated by the interaction with junctions. Troubleshooting Steps I Have Already Taken: I identified OneDrive as the primary source of high disk I/O using system monitoring tools. I relocated my OneDrive local cache/settings folder (typically C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive) to a different physical drive (Drive H:, path appears to be H:\OneDriveINTEL\) using mklink /j, as detailed in the Problem Description. Despite this relocation, the excessive I/O pattern persists on the drive now hosting these OneDrive operational files. I attempted to reset OneDrive settings and functionality. I performed a full reinstallation of the OneDrive application. Neither resetting nor reinstalling OneDrive resolved the excessive disk I/O issue on my system. I can confirm I have used Git repositories within OneDrive folders and mklink /j for other purposes within my OneDrive setup since October 2024; the problem only manifested in March 2025. Additional Context Regarding mklink /j Usage: It is important to clarify that my use of NTFS junctions (mklink /j) differs from some scenarios discussed in public forums (e.g., the Microsoft Answers thread at https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/solved-onedrive-constantly-writing-to-disk-to-the/68958911-1161-4c5e-b920-dee7e55bc0ac). In my case, the junctions are created between locations that reside on the same hard drive. For instance, a typical mklink /j command I use creates a junction within one of my OneDrive-synced folder structures that points to another directory also located on the C: drive. An anonymized example reflecting my usage pattern is: mklink /J "C:\Path\To\My_OneDrive_Business_Account\MainSyncFolder\ProjectX_Vault\Subfolder_A\Notes_Junction" "C:\Another\Local_Path_SameDrive\ProjectX_SourceData\RawNotes_Target" This type of same-drive junction configuration, where the junction link is inside a OneDrive folder and the target is elsewhere on the same drive, was part of my stable setup from October 2024 until the onset of the excessive disk I/O issue in March 2025. Expected Result: OneDrive should synchronize files and perform background operations with reasonable disk I/O that does not lead to constant, excessive read/write activity, especially when my system is idle or with minor changes. Disk activity should not be at a level that significantly impacts SSD lifespan or system responsiveness, even when NTFS junctions (including same-drive junctions as described) are part of the configuration. Actual Result: OneDrive is causing continuous and abnormally high SSD read/write operations on my system, as detailed by the attached screenshots. This has been ongoing since early March 2025, and I strongly suspect it to be related to its handling of NTFS junctions as configured on my system. Impact on My System: Potential reduction in SSD lifespan due to excessive writes (this was already a concern for my C: drive, prompting the cache relocation, and is now a concern for drive H: due to OneDrive's behavior). Possible degradation of overall system performance and responsiveness. Concern over data integrity and system stability. Attachments: picture 1: Graph from my system showing "Host Write Commands (FF_1250)" over time, illustrating the sharp increase in writes since March 2025. picture 3: Screenshot from a process monitoring tool on my system (similar to Process Explorer) showing high I/O activity for OneDrive.exe. picture 2: Screenshot from Resource Monitor on my system (or similar, in Chinese) showing disk activity by process, with OneDrive.exe prominently active and detailing file access to its database files on drive H:. Request: I request an investigation into why OneDrive, particularly after a potential update or change around March 2025, began exhibiting this excessive disk I/O behavior on my system. I ask for a strong focus on its interaction with NTFS junctions (mklink /j), especially same-drive junctions as detailed in my "Additional Context" section, and particularly in environments also using Git. This configuration worked without issue for me from October 2024 to early March 2025. Guidance on how to mitigate this issue or information on a forthcoming fix would be greatly appreciated. Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3277Views0likes0CommentsHow to make OneDrive folders 'user' folders on MacOS
How can I make OneDrive folders, e.g. Documents and Downloads, my 'user' Documents and Downloads on MacOS? I have tried aliases, but I can't move or delete the existing Documents folder even with 'sudo rm' type commands. I have searched for a solution but can't see how to do it. Aliases don't work because of the reason above, i.e. can't delete/rename existing Documents folder. Similarly with symbolic links. Any ideas on this? I asked on Apple forum, but got nowhere.40Views0likes0Comments
Events
Recent Blogs
- OneDrive on macOS is getting a fully redesigned Activity Center, built from scratch in SwiftUI with Liquid Glass support on macOS 26. This is part of a broader investment in making OneDrive feel nati...Feb 19, 20261.6KViews1like1Comment
- 2 MIN READOneDrive Consumer Office Hours are back! Creating space for open conversation around the latest updates and how they support the way you use your files every day. In this month’s session, we’ll ...Feb 17, 2026134Views0likes0Comments