How to fix OneDrive files stuck on 'Sync pending' or not uploading to the cloud

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix OneDrive files stuck on 'Sync pending' or not uploading to the cloud. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Quick Fix Steps

Try these in order. Most OneDrive sync issues are resolved by the first two steps.

1. Pause and resume syncing — Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac), select Pause syncing, wait 30 seconds, then select Resume syncing.
2. Restart OneDrive — Right-click the OneDrive icon, select Quit OneDrive (Mac) or Exit (Windows), then relaunch OneDrive from the Start menu or Applications folder.
3. Restart your computer — A full reboot clears temporary file locks and resets the sync engine.
4. Check available storage — If your OneDrive account is full, new files cannot upload. Sign in at onedrive.live.com and check storage usage under Settings > Storage.

Detailed Instructions

Step 1: Check the OneDrive sync status

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray or menu bar. If you see a red X, a yellow warning triangle, or a message such as “Sync pending” or “Can’t sync”, note the exact wording — it points to the cause.

• Red X — OneDrive is not running or cannot connect to the Microsoft 365 service.
• Yellow warning — A specific file or folder is blocked from syncing (invalid characters, file name too long, or file type not allowed).
• Sync pending — Files are queued but not transferring. This is often caused by file locks, bandwidth throttling, or a stalled sync engine.

Step 2: Identify files that are stuck

1. Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and navigate to your OneDrive folder.
2. Look for files with a blue circular arrows icon (syncing), a red circle with a white X (sync error), or a grey cloud (online-only, not downloaded).
3. Right-click any file showing a sync error and select View sync problems (Windows) or check the OneDrive activity centre for a list of failed uploads.

Step 3: Resolve common file-specific issues

• Invalid characters — OneDrive does not sync file or folder names containing “ * : < > ? / \ | or names ending in a space or period. Rename the file or folder to remove these characters.
• Path too long — The full file path (including folder names) must be under 400 characters. Move deeply nested files to a shorter path.
• File type blocked — OneDrive blocks files with extensions such as .tmp, .lnk, .ini, and .lock. Move these files outside your OneDrive folder or compress them into a .zip archive.
• File in use — Close the file in any open application (Word, Excel, Photoshop, etc.). A file locked by another program cannot upload.
• File size limit — OneDrive supports files up to 250 GB. Files larger than this will never upload. Split the file or use a compression tool.

Step 4: Reset the OneDrive sync engine

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog (Windows) or open Terminal (Mac).
2. Enter the appropriate command:
   • Windows: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
   • Mac: /Applications/OneDrive.app/Contents/Resources/OneDrive.AppRuntime /reset
3. Press Enter. The OneDrive icon will disappear from the system tray or menu bar and then reappear after a minute.
4. Sign in to OneDrive with your Microsoft 365 work or school account.
5. Re-select the folders you want to sync when prompted.

Step 5: Unlink and relink your account

1. Right-click the OneDrive icon and select Settings.
2. Go to the Account tab.
3. Click Unlink this PC (Windows) or Unlink this Mac (Mac).
4. Confirm the action. OneDrive will sign you out.
5. Sign back in with your Microsoft 365 credentials and complete the setup wizard.

Step 6: Check your network and firewall settings

OneDrive requires access to specific Microsoft 365 endpoints. If your organisation uses a firewall, proxy, or VPN, ensure the following are allowed:

• onedrive.com
• onedrive.live.com
• login.microsoftonline.com
• *.sharepoint.com

If you are on a metered or slow connection, OneDrive may throttle uploads. Go to Settings > Network and check that Upload rate is not set to Limit to with a very low value.

Troubleshooting Specific Scenarios

Files stuck on “Sync pending” after moving a large number of files

When you move hundreds or thousands of files into OneDrive at once, the sync queue can take hours to process. This is normal behaviour. To speed it up:

• Ensure your computer does not go to sleep during the initial sync.
• Close bandwidth-heavy applications (video streaming, large downloads).
• Check the OneDrive activity centre to confirm files are actively transferring, not stalled.

OneDrive syncs some files but not others

If specific files consistently fail while others upload, the issue is almost always file-specific. Review the file names, paths, and types as described in Step 3. You can also try copying the file to a different location within OneDrive, renaming it, and deleting the original.

OneDrive says “Your organisation has disabled sync”

This message appears when your Microsoft 365 administrator has restricted OneDrive sync to specific devices or domains. If you are a 220 Internet Services customer and receive this message, Open a Ticket and our team will review your tenant settings.

Sync works on one computer but not another

Compare the OneDrive version on both machines. Outdated clients can cause sync failures. To update:

1. Right-click the OneDrive icon and select Settings.
2. Go to the About tab.
3. Click Check for updates and install any available update.
4. Restart OneDrive and test syncing again.

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