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.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For education | Windows

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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
    2022-02-10T10:53:18+00:00

    Hello everyone,

    I've had this problem since upgrading to Windows 11. On my windows 10 PCs I dont have this problem.

    From my experience in the last two months, it seems it's a connection problem between OneDrive and Windows.

    Whenever I keep the PC on for a long period of time, I notice the brown box appearing everywhere.

    What seems to solve the problem is restarting the PC. I usually keep my PC on and almost never turn it off. So, every two to three weeks I get the brown icons and I restart the PC and everything is back to normal.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-02-10T22:31:56+00:00

    It seems like a lot of us are having trouble with Windows 11 / connectivity issues. Just wondering if one of the kind folks here could help with my wireless card issue? I separately posted and am trying to go through the advice already given but I've tried all of these things to no avail. Thank you in advance! After Windows 11 upgrade, wireless card is not recognized once laptop - Microsoft Community

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-02-15T21:10:18+00:00

    I had the same problem. The Excel icon in Windows Explorer has a filing cabinet door on it on lower left-hand corner.

    OneDrive is the issue.

    You may need to download it again, then login and sync. The cabinet door will disappear. In my case, it was a work-related OneDrive. I also had a personal OneDrive. Now my lower right-hand corner has 2 OneDrive symbols.

    Hope this helps.

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