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
    2022-02-09T18:03:43+00:00

    Thanks for the reply. The Brown Box (and other new mysterious icons) maybe started when I "upgraded" to Windows 11 -- didn't keep notes, and I don't remember for sure. In any case, I haven't had any obvious problems with OneDrive itself since the upgrade -- hovering over the OneDrive cloud icon says "Up to date", and clicking the icon brings up "You're all set". And when I change a file, OneDrive sees it and uploads it.

    PS: Since yesterday, I am still (or perhaps again) in the mode of no icons attached to any of my desktop files and folders.

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-02-10T10:10:49+00:00

    Thanks a lot, I will test and let you know

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