Inefficient OneDrive Synchronization Causes Windows Explorer Slowdowns
OneDrive has become a significant performance bottleneck in daily Windows usage. Its synchronization process frequently consumes excessive disk resources, directly impacting Windows Explorer performance and making file browsing noticeably slow, regardless of the desktop PC's hardware specifications. What is even more concerning is that this issue has persisted for years. Many users have reported the same problem, yet the recurring response is simply that the team is "aware of the issue." Despite these acknowledgments, there have been no meaningful improvements, no clear action plan, and little transparency regarding progress or future fixes. The lack of communication and visible progress creates the impression that the user experience is not receiving the attention it deserves. For a service as important and deeply integrated into the Windows ecosystem as OneDrive, users expect greater transparency, stronger commitment, and continuous improvements to performance and reliability. At this point, OneDrive is becoming less of a practical productivity solution and more of a source of frustration for many users. We hope Microsoft will give these concerns the priority they deserve and provide a clearer roadmap for improving both the performance and overall reliability of the service. --- Sincronização ineficiente do OneDrive causa lentidão no Windows Explorer O OneDrive tem se tornado um gargalo significativo no uso diário do Windows. A sincronização frequentemente consome recursos de disco de forma excessiva, afetando diretamente o desempenho do Windows Explorer e tornando a navegação de arquivos lenta, independentemente da configuração do computador utilizado. O mais preocupante é que essa situação persiste há anos. Muitos usuários relatam o mesmo problema e, apesar das respostas recorrentes de que a equipe está "ciente da situação", não percebemos melhorias concretas, um plano de ação claro ou atualizações transparentes sobre o andamento das correções. A falta de comunicação e de avanços visíveis passa a impressão de que a experiência do usuário não está recebendo a atenção necessária. Para um serviço tão importante e amplamente integrado ao ecossistema Windows, seria fundamental haver mais transparência, comprometimento e evolução contínua da plataforma. Atualmente, o OneDrive está deixando de ser uma solução prática para muitos usuários e se tornando uma fonte constante de frustração. Esperamos que a Microsoft trate essas questões com a prioridade que merecem e forneça um posicionamento mais claro sobre os planos futuros para melhorar o desempenho e a confiabilidade do serviço.
[Feature Request]: OneDrive CLI
$: man onedrive_rsync onedrive_rsync src_folder_path dst_folder_path src_folder_path: Can be a local path or a onedrive path dst_folder_path: Can be a local path or a onedrive path # Examples # Uploads all files which are present in the local and missing in the onedrive path $: onedrive_rsync path_to_local_folder path_to_ondrive_folder # Downloads all the files which are missing in the local path and persent in the onedrive path $: onedrive_rsync path_to_onedrive_folder path_to_local_folder # Syncs two folders on the onedrive path $: onedrive_rsync path_to_onedrive_folder_1 path_to_onedrive_folder_2 # Regex patterns should also be allowed $: onedrive_rsync path_to_local_folder/*.nef path_to_onedrive_path Hi All, It would be really nice to have an official OneDrive CLI that can be used via the terminal to allow for secure uploads/ downloads and syncing of either local folders to the OneDrive or syncing two OneDrive folders. My motivation for the above feature request is that I quite often upload/download quite big folders to/from OneDrive (many many GBs), and sometimes all I need is incremental changes. Keeping the browser open for the entire duration is cumbersome, and thus, it would be very nice to have a CLI, that can run in the background or can be automated via some script. This also enables a use case where I need to upload files from multiple devices to the same OneDrive folder. Hoping this would become a thing, as I would prefer as little browser interaction as possible, so the entire suite of CLI commands for path manipulations (creating, deleting and moving files and folders in OneDrive) would be very much appreciated. Thanks !
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?
Problem with OneDrive-Docusign
Hello, I have been using Microsoft 365 Family with Word Online and OneDrive for a long time, and the "Request Signature" feature worked perfectly until recently. Now, every time I click Request Signature, I receive the following error: "We couldn't connect to the '{0}' catalog server for this add-in." I found your announcement about the retirement of the Legacy DocuSign for SharePoint integration, and I'm trying to determine whether this is the cause of the issue. My questions are: Is Microsoft 365 Family still supported for the Request Signature feature in Word Online? Do I need to migrate to Microsoft 365 Business to continue using this feature? If so, which Microsoft 365 Business plan do you recommend, and will my current DocuSign account continue to work after the migration? I have already cleared my browser cache, signed out and back in, and tested different browsers, but the issue persists. Thank you for your assistance.Please help, OneDrive sync and missing/deleted work files
I have OneDrive installed on both my PC and laptop because I use OneNote sometimes. The other day while I was on my PC, OneDrive randomly decided to sync my laptop and PC, I think, and all my files from my laptop were on my PC. This is a big problem because my PC is for personal use and laptop for work. Then I deleted some files thinking they were still on my laptop anyways. But today when I opened my laptop, all of my work files were gone. My desktop was just my PC desktop. I need help because the work files were really really important and I'm freaking out. Why would OneDrive do this? They are separate, I don't want them synced. Please help. Can I recover them?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? Thanks
I cannot sync Samsung Gallery with OneDrive
I recently changed my password to outlook and since then my photos sync between gallery and onedrive stopped working. It says I need to sign in again. I did so, I got logged in with the work flow and then I can see only half empty screen asking for permissions between Samsung account and Microsoft. I cant proceed or do anything else than just close the app. It's galaxy S25 ultra, 8.5 one UI. Checked on my other device and it's exactly the same. Screenshot is here: https://imgur.com/a/D87FNP3OneDrive app synchronisation
I added a folder last night to my OneDrive on my computer. It synchronised to the cloud. If I share the link to this folder, it works perfectly. However, if I open the app, the folder does not show (even after 24 hours). Searching for the folder name (which takes forever btw) yields the right folder. Why is the folder not visible in the place where it should be? And why does the search yield zillions of results instead of just 1?