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
    2025-03-18T21:50:06+00:00

    Same for my wife's business account with about 200GB of work data. Thousands of files have been silently deleted 6 weeks ago. Absolutely scarry! We were not able to find the cause but at least we have been able to recover the files from recycle area.

    Please everyone, keep an eye on your recycled folder.

    If not already done, anyone should also consider migrating from OneDrive to another, reliable solution.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-19T10:37:12+00:00

    This problem is so frustrating. OneDrive instead of downloading the files are now just creating a link within the OneDrive folder. Folders are no longer syncing on the C: drive. Most programs will not access its data from the on line link created by OneDrive. For our purpose OneDrive is now become redundant. Can anyone recommend a better product than OneDrive to solve this problem.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-19T12:02:42+00:00

    SO IF YOU CANNOT JUST WAIT FOR MICROSOFT TO FIX ….

    I can confirm that Mountain Duck ($39 one-time license per user multiple devices) will restore functionality on a MAC. There is a PC version but I have not installed it. Mountain Duck installs in less than 5 minutes (provided you install it in the MAC application folder). It has a profile for OneDrive and if you grant MD access VIA the OneDrive web interface (MD takes you to the correct login place) then it puts OneDrive back in Finder as you are used to seeing it. It is a really smooth auto-install. I haven’t had it long enough to speak for it’s synchronization functions between local drive and OneDrive but it has the functionality that appears to give you control over when files are stored locally and synced.

    Finally, I DOUBT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS REALLY A MIGRATION ISSUE. I was in the initial group of users that posted to this thread in June-July of 2024. Notice that most, if not all, of the initial complaints were from MAC users. Does anyone think a migration process would have any sensitivity to whether a file is being shared with a MAC? Just doesn’t fit. If it’s already gone on for 9 months, do you think they’ll suddenly resolve next week?

    AND MICROSOFT …. If you care…. :-) …. You could offer to reimburse us for our Mountain Duck license (discount next year’s subscription) or just buy the company and embed it in the product —- and then you can go along your merry way ignoring us as usual.

    Thanks for the hint to Mountain Duck (https://mountainduck.io). I used this software earlier and reused it now again. 

    This is the workaround for data that are not any more accessible in the Mac OS finder.

    Since one of my Shared Folder was changed to a link only by Microsoft I could bring my files (over 250GB fotos) with Mountain Duck again to the Mac OS finder. And there I could download them pretty fast to an external SSD to have them locally as well.
    It really seems that the knowhow of the Microsoft OneDrive engineers is rather poor in comparison to the developers of Mountain Duck.

    My learning is: Forget the Cloud stuff for the real work as private person!
    You will be always dependent on the behavior of the the Cloud providers (as suffered here with Microsoft) and the tariffs of the telecom providers. You must have the data locally to be able to work! 
    Cloud is good for business to share among multiple people and as a backup for private people.

    Since I am not any more working for a company I do not know if OneDrive Business also has such problems as One Drive Private.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-19T12:53:11+00:00

    After about two weeks (problem started in may 05, 2025), finally the folders returned to work normally for me today (may 19, 2025)

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