OneDrive suddenly became empty after university storage policy change Is recovery still possible?
Hello everyone, I am looking for technical guidance regarding a serious OneDrive for Business issue under Microsoft 365 Education. Environment - Microsoft 365 Education tenant. - University-managed account. - OneDrive for Business. - My account is still active and I can sign in normally. What happened On July 16, 2026, I signed into my OneDrive and discovered that my entire "My files" folder was empty. I verified the following: - I am signed into the correct account. - "My files" is completely empty. - The OneDrive Recycle Bin is empty. - "Restore your OneDrive" does not show any mass deletion event. - My OneDrive site is accessible, but there are no files. - I unfortunately do not have a complete local backup. A few days later, my university informed students that they had reduced the OneDrive storage quota from 5 TB to 30 GB due to a Microsoft/provider policy update. I suspect my OneDrive contained more than 30 GB because I had stored backups from my previous computer together with years of academic, personal and work files. However, I would like to understand whether exceeding the new storage quota could actually cause an existing OneDrive site to appear completely empty, or whether this suggests another issue such as: - OneDrive reprovisioning - Site replacement - License reassignment - Site deletion - Storage migration - SharePoint issue - Other administrative problem The university initially described this as a temporary Microsoft incident, but later told me that the files had been deleted because of the OneDrive application, without providing any technical explanation. I have already asked the university IT department to investigate: - Deleted Sites in SharePoint Admin Center - Second-stage Recycle Bin - Retention policies - Previous OneDrive site - Licensing history - Possible restore options My question to Microsoft experts is: 1. Can a storage quota reduction (5 TB → 30 GB) ever make an existing OneDrive appear completely empty? 2. Are there other administrative scenarios that could produce this behavior while leaving the account active? 3. Is there anything specific I should ask my Microsoft 365 administrator to verify that is commonly overlooked? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated because these files represent several years of academic, professional and personal work. Thank you very much.
Onedrive sooo annoying but great a same time
I have an some what unwanted computer issue here with Microsoft Onedrive! I have Office 365 and use Onedrive however, it has deleted over 5,500 pictures (yes I have backups and yes I deleted them off OneDrive HOWEVER these pictures were on my computer first so why does Onedrive delete the files even one my PC is the question - is there some setting to prevent this). However, this is so annoying, especially with documents, and IF you stop syncing a folder, OneDrive will delete that folder from your PC - why, especially since the folder was originally on my computer first. So it "seems" Onedrive does things without our consent people tell me BUT I say there must be a setting - anyone know where it is?# 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.
Onedrive LOSES my data!
So I spent time adding lots of entries to a stock management spreadsheet, saved it to my onedrive and made sure it said 'saved' at the top of the excel window. Opened the sheet again today to see that all of my changes are gone and I have effectively lost my stock because the absolute imbeciles at Microsoft can't code. How do I get my work back? When are microsoft going to sort their sloperating system out?
OneDrive for macOS documentation issue. DefaultFolder plist example is missing array wrapper
Hi everyone, The Microsoft Learn documentation for configuring the OneDrive sync app on macOS currently contains an incorrect plist example for the DefaultFolderLocation setting. Documentation page: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/deploy-and-configure-on-macos#defaultfolderlocation In the “DefaultFolderLocation” section, the current plist example shows the DefaultFolder key as a dictionary: <key>DefaultFolder</key> <dict> <key>Path</key> <string>(DefaultFolderPath)</string> <key>TenantId</key> <string>(TenantID)</string> </dict> This format does not work correctly when deployed as a managed preference/configuration profile. The setting starts working when the DefaultFolder dictionary is wrapped in an array, like this: <key>DefaultFolder</key> <array> <dict> <key>Path</key> <string>(DefaultFolderPath)</string> <key>TenantId</key> <string>(TenantID)</string> </dict> </array> Please update the Microsoft Learn documentation to include the array wrapper in the DefaultFolder plist example. The current Microsoft Learn example is confusing because administrators may deploy the documented plist exactly as shown, but the setting does not appear to work correctly until the array wrapper is added.
OneDrive sync causes workflow inefficiencies and UX issues in Microsoft 365 and File Explorer
I would like to describe some workflow issues caused by the current integration between OneDrive, Windows, File Explorer, and Microsoft 365 apps. I understand that OneDrive is designed to synchronize files across devices, but in some scenarios the current behavior creates unnecessary delays, especially with slow internet connections or large synchronization queues. 1. Exported Microsoft 365 files are not immediately available in the selected OneDrive folder When exporting a Microsoft 365 file, for example exporting a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document to PDF, the user can select a OneDrive-synced folder as the destination. However, the exported file is not always immediately visible or accessible in that folder through Windows File Explorer. From the user’s perspective, it seems that the file is first saved into a temporary or internal Microsoft 365/OneDrive staging location, then uploaded to OneDrive, and only later appears in the actual synced folder through the normal synchronization process. The issue is not that the file is never stored locally, but that it is not immediately available in the location explicitly selected by the user. This creates practical problems. After exporting a PDF, I may need to quickly locate it in File Explorer to copy it elsewhere, attach it, upload it to another platform, or use it in a web tool to merge it with other PDFs. However, even though I selected a OneDrive folder as the destination, the file may not be available there right away. A related issue is that Microsoft 365 or Windows may open the exported file through a browser or web link instead of opening the local file directly. This can trigger login prompts, open the web version of Office, and interrupt the expected desktop workflow. Expected behavior: When saving or exporting a file to a OneDrive-synced folder, the file should become immediately visible and accessible in the selected folder in File Explorer, while OneDrive continues uploading or syncing it in the background. If the user selected a local OneDrive path, Microsoft 365 should prioritize the local file workflow and avoid redirecting to the browser unless explicitly requested. 2. File duplication inside OneDrive should use both cloud-side copy and local optimization Another issue occurs when duplicating or copying a file that is already stored in OneDrive, especially within the same OneDrive account. Currently, the process may behave like a traditional local copy: the file is downloaded if needed, copied locally, and then uploaded again as a new file. This is inefficient when OneDrive already has the source file in the cloud and the operation is simply a copy within the same account. Ideally, OneDrive should combine two optimizations: Perform a cloud-side copy when possible, so the duplicated file appears quickly in OneDrive online and on other devices. Reuse the local cache when available, so the current device does not unnecessarily download and re-upload the same data. This would make copied files appear faster on other devices as online-only placeholders, ready to be downloaded later if the user opens them or marks them as available offline. The other device should not have to wait for the first computer to download, copy, re-upload, and then synchronize the change. Expected behavior: When copying or duplicating a OneDrive file within the same account, OneDrive should use a cloud-side copy whenever possible, while also reusing local data when available. The copied file should appear quickly across devices as an online-available item, without forcing a redundant download, local copy, upload, and synchronization cycle. 3. OneDrive does not dynamically prioritize files the user needs immediately A third issue appears when OneDrive has a large backlog of pending synchronization changes, especially after using another computer. In this situation, OneDrive seems to follow its own synchronization order, even if the user opens a specific folder or tries to access a specific file urgently. For example, if there are hundreds or thousands of pending changes, and I need one specific document, that file may remain unavailable until OneDrive reaches it in the queue. Even when I navigate directly to the folder or attempt to open the file, OneDrive does not seem to move that item to the top of the sync priority. Expected behavior: OneDrive should dynamically adjust synchronization priority based on user activity. If the user opens a folder, selects a file, or attempts to open a cloud-only item, that file and its immediate dependencies should be prioritized over the general sync queue. Summary of requested improvements I believe these issues could be improved with smarter local and cloud prioritization: Exported or saved files should become immediately visible in the OneDrive folder selected by the user. Microsoft 365 should avoid opening exported files through a browser when the local file workflow is expected. Copying files within the same OneDrive account should use cloud-side copy operations when possible. Local file data should be reused to avoid unnecessary download and upload cycles. Copied files should appear quickly on other devices as online-available placeholders. OneDrive should prioritize files and folders the user is actively trying to access. Is this behavior expected, or are there settings to make OneDrive prioritize local file availability, cloud-side copy operations, and currently accessed files more intelligently?onedrive sync issues
Hi We use OneDrive for Business and need a solution for sharing files and folders among a team while maintaining proper access permissions. Currently, each team member's Desktop and Documents folders are synced with their own personal OneDrive for Business account. In addition, we have a separate common OneDrive account that has been added to all team members' PCs, and all team members have Owner permissions on that account. When a user creates a folder or saves a file in the shared OneDrive location, it is actually being created under the common OneDrive account, not in the user's personal OneDrive. While this allows everyone to access the same files, we frequently experience synchronization conflicts and sync issues between users. What is the Microsoft-recommended approach for this type of collaboration? Is using a common OneDrive account with multiple owners a supported best practice, or should we instead use a SharePoint document library (or another Microsoft 365 solution) for shared team files, permissions, and reliable synchronization? ThanksOutlook attachments and OneDrive recent files
In Outlook Web App and the new Outlook app, the Add Attachment button displays 3 Suggested files and allows you to browse OneDrive. When you choose OneDrive, it displays a list of Recent files. What criteria is used to determine the list of suggested and recent files? I've seen very random behaviour. Sometimes, I'll open a document in SharePoint Online and when I try to attach it to an Outlook emial, it appears in the Suggested files list and the Recent files straight away. Other times it only shows up after I reload the browser tab. It's more likely to show up as one of the 3 suggested files, without needing a refresh. However I've also had it show up under OneDrive Recent files only. It doesn't appear to detect new files uploaded to SharePoint Online or OneDrive. For example, I download a PDF from another website and save it to a folder on my computer that syncs back to SharePoint Online. I then want to email this PDF to someone, but it's not available from the Outlook attachments button. I need to open the file before it shows up under the Outlook attachments button. It would be much more useful if Outlook picked up on files I recently created as well as opened.
