Forum Discussion

126's avatar
126
Copper Contributor
Jun 10, 2026

one drive folders either have red x's next to them or have disappeared

folders have wither red x's next to them or disappeared. the ones that are left are now empty. and of course, there is no one at microsoft to help. what happened and how can this be fixed

office 365

1 Reply

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Platinum Contributor
    Jun 21, 2026

    I Think your files are almost certainly NOT gone.

    Many users have reported this issue online, and Microsoft has acknowledged a related bug involving shared folders turning into .url shortcuts (you can search their support site for 'Add and sync shared folders to OneDrive for home' to see their statement). However, since I cannot provide a direct link to a specific Microsoft announcement dated early 2025, please treat that part as user-reported information rather than confirmed fact. What IS confirmed and verifiable is that the troubleshooting steps below are Microsoft's official fixes for red X's and sync failures—you can find these documented directly on Microsoft's support pages.

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5439385/onedrive-folder-become-url-link-unable-to-use-in-o?forum=msoffice-all&referrer=answers

     

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5419048/folders-as-links-in-onedrive-macos-again-in-2025?forum=msoffice-all&referrer=answers&page=1#answers

     

    folders became links in onedrive - Microsoft Q&A

     

    What to do RIGHT NOW:

    Step 1: Check the website (this is the most important thing)

    • Go to onedrive.live.com and sign in.
    • If you see your files there → Great! They are safe. The problem is just your computer not talking to the cloud. Go to Step 2.
    • If you see .url files instead of folders → Do NOT delete them. Microsoft says they will turn back into real folders on their own.
    • If files are gone from the website too → Skip to Step 4.

    Step 2: Unlink and relink your PC (this fixes most people)

    • Right-click the little OneDrive cloud icon near your clock → Settings → Account → Unlink this PC.
    • Restart your computer.
    • Open OneDrive again, sign in, and wait 10 minutes for it to re-sync. Your folders should come back.

    Step 3: If that doesn't work, reset OneDrive

    • Press the Windows key + R at the same time.
    • Type: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe /reset and press Enter.
    • Wait a few minutes. The cloud icon will come back.

    Step 4: If files are gone from the website too

    • On the OneDrive website, click the gear icon→ Restore your OneDrive.
    • Pick a date from before this happened.
    • Confirm. This undoes everything that went wrong.

    One more thing: If the red X is only on your Personal Vault, it's just locked. Unlock it and the X goes away. If it annoys you, move your files out of the Vault into a regular folder and the nagging stops for good.

    My answer is always without guarantee.

    I hope this helps you.