Folders Shared with me are syncing as internet shortcut in OneDrive on Windows PC

Anonymous
2024-06-08T04:53:55+00:00

Hi. I had some folders shared from different users in my OneDrive account. I had added the folders to my OneDrive with Add Shortcut to OneDrive button from Shared folders in cloud. The account is logged into a windows pc and every files including the folders shared with my were syncing fine until yesterday. Yesterday night the shared folders were completely removed from the Windows pc and folders are replaced with internet shortcut. This is such a big mess. I have tried unlinking the account and linking it back, changing the location of OneDrive on my windows pc and tried to get a new folder shared to my account and adding it to OneDrive. Nothing works so far. OneDrive has a big part in my daily activities. Please help me resolve this.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2025-03-13T06:07:22+00:00

Here is the statement from the Microsoft OneDrive product group (Redmond USA) about the OneDrive Personal problem:

***This is related to a backend migration we are doing and unfortunately, we don’t fully support syncing shared folders in the case where one user has migrated and the other has not. We’re doing everything possible to accelerate things so that it can be resolved as soon as possible for users of the feature. When the accounts are migrated, there is automated logic that makes them go back to a syncing folder within several days.***I have heard, that shared Folder issue is gone.
The best thing is: WAIT and do nothing

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-05T20:08:18+00:00

    One new thing I just found out!

    If you try to use the web interface to copy a file between a folder you own and a folder shared by an account on the "wrong server", you can't, the button to copy is greyed out.

    If you try to do the same with the two accounts on the same side of the invisible Chinese Wall, it works.

    So, it goes beyond the client implementation but it also affect the web interface. And, of course, the shared folder from the "same server" works normally like before. It will be a pain to move 1 TB around. 😬

    Can anybody test it out?

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-05T20:15:59+00:00

    Subject: Assistance Needed – OneDrive Shared Folders Only Opening as Web Links

    Hi Nadav,

    Sorry to hear about your OneDrive issue. It sounds like your shared folders have switched to "Files On-Demand" mode, meaning they are now only available online instead of being stored locally. Here are a few steps to try and restore local access:

    1. Check OneDrive Sync Settings

    1. Click on the OneDrive icon in your system tray (bottom-right corner).
    2. Go to Settings > Sync and Backup.
    3. Ensure that "Files On-Demand" is turned OFF (if you want all files stored locally).
    4. If the option is enabled, toggle it off and restart OneDrive.

    2. Re-Sync the Shared Folders

    1. Open OneDrive Web (https://onedrive.live.com).
    2. Locate your shared folders.
    3. Right-click the folder and select "Add shortcut to My Files" (if not already done).
    4. In your OneDrive desktop app, check if the folder is now available for local syncing.

    3. Reset OneDrive

    If the above steps don’t help, try resetting OneDrive:

    1. Press Win + R, then type: 
       shellCopyEdit%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe /reset
    2. Press Enter and wait for OneDrive to restart.
    3. Reconnect your account if necessary.

    If the issue persists, please let me know what happens after trying these steps. Happy to assist further!

    Best,

    Hi Jerry

    I was hoping to make this work, but my onedrive settings icon does not include an option to turn on and off the Files On Demand part. Is this accurate for everyone else?

    I include a snapshot.

    Thanks!

    Azucena

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-05T20:18:47+00:00

    These are the exact symptoms I have - just need a way to get all onto the same platform

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-05T20:27:11+00:00

    One new thing I just found out!

    If you try to use the web interface to copy a file between a folder you own and a folder shared by an account on the "wrong server", you can't, the button to copy is greyed out.

    If you try to do the same with the two accounts on the same side of the invisible Chinese Wall, it works.

    So, it goes beyond the client implementation but it also affect the web interface. And, of course, the shared folder from the "same server" works normally like before. It will be a pain to move 1 TB around. 😬

    Can anybody test it out?

    F D A I experience the same, the "broken" account cannot copy neither from nor to the shared folder.

    Not sure how this should make any difference, but it just happens that my "broken" account is actually the owner of my 365 Family subscription, which also happens to be the only account that is used both on Windows and macOS.

    To me it's clear that Microsoft is doing some type of account migration from one system to another and the two systems are incompatible. It's unclear to me if two accounts in "the same system" would work fine, but I can only hope that will be the case once my other accounts are migrated.

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