OneDrive files suddenly have a brown box icon on the lower left-hand corner. What does this mean?

Anonymous
2021-10-25T10:24:49+00:00

I use OneDrive's File-on-demand feature.

Somehow out of nowhere, my online-only files (files marked with cloud icon) in my OneDrive folder are marked with this brown box symbol in the lower left-hand corner of each file icons. What does this icon mean?

Many options in the right-click menu are also missing from all files in the OneDrive folder (both with and without brown box icon), notably the option to control OneDrive file-on-demand like "Free up space" and "Always keep file on this device".

The "Status" column that shows the file-on-demand icons like Cloud & green checkmark in Details view is also missing.

I have just encountered this today for the first time. What does this icon brown box icon mean? I've tried searching and can't find any explanation.

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Anonymous
2021-12-10T19:36:54+00:00

Hi,

I am not sure if everyone has this app, but I had the One Drive App, pre-installed for my new windows 11 device. On the app, just hit sync. Doing this resolved the brown box icon issue for me.

Hope this helps,

Cheers

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Anonymous
2021-12-08T19:12:16+00:00

Okay, so i did fix it myself, just one question, are is your onedrive connected? Because that was my problem

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-02-09T15:49:52+00:00

    Hello LoriWard1! In my post I forgot to say that even before I had this issue, I also had to completely reinstall One Drive after upgrading to Windows 11. What a lot of problems that update caused me! There was no prompt from Microsoft saying it was missing or that there was any issue, I just went to the Microsoft Website, searched for the download, and then re-installed it. One Drive is otherwise hidden in the Windows 11 interface. The only thing now telling me that it's working properly now is the little cloud in the lower right hand taskbar. I suspect you don't have one there right now. Good luck!

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-01-25T18:25:30+00:00

    Thank you for this! It totally fixed my problem...no more little brown file box icons!

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-12-15T15:52:25+00:00

    I had onedrive running on windows 10 before upgrading to Windows 11 AND installing the OneDrive App.

    The App was running, and did not show everything. Meanwhile, my folder explorer also showed those 'brown box' favicon on my file icons.

    I started the OneDrive program (not the app), and then I notice I get the familiar old cloud running sync in my system tray. I also saw the box favicon go away and my pictures appeared normally again.

    I haven't spent much time digging into it, but I expect this is something to do with the OneDrive App not working as we expect it to (compared against the non-app OneDrive).

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