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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
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

Was this answer helpful?

200+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments

3,079 additional answers

Sort by: Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2025-05-23T19:27:14+00:00

    Microsoft has not fixed this for over a year! DO NOT WAIT FOR THEM! THIS IS THE ONLY SOLUTION!

    The ONLY way to fix it is to create a NEW OneDrive account for the person (or computer) receiving the share link! It's unfortunate, but that is the ONLY solution. There are people waiting over a year for Microsoft to migrate their account. You will then have to copy all the folders you are working on from the OLD Onedrive folder to the new OneDrive folder on your computer. (So make a backup if you have the space.)

    Once that is done, the owner of the folder you want to share must re-share it using your NEW OneDrive account email. Once you receive the share, you can then follow the 'standard' instructions by selecting the folder online (at www.OneDrive . com) and clicking the 'Add Shortcut to my files' up above, then use Windows Explorer to navigate to the folder on your computer and then right click and select 'Always keep on this device' (if you want to work offline on the files).

    Keep in mind, the OneDrive account must have a Office365 subscription, but the Windows Account for the computer can be different, so you don't have to change that!

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2025-05-24T13:38:55+00:00

    But it is now 24th May 2025 and these issues are still happening.

    How long will it be before this migration is completed please. I am currently having NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS with OD and its been months since this info was posted

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2025-05-26T04:13:10+00:00

    what a poor service of onedrive, this issue has been raised up yrs ago, but till today not solve.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2025-05-26T10:40:13+00:00

    I posted here back in July with a workaround for this and rarely checked back, but I'm here again to say that after 11 months and 2 weeks, the shared folder that I use has turned back into a usable Onedrive folder, that doesn't open in a browser. Glad there was an explanation after all. (Although it still doesn't show up in the 'shared' section on the Onedrive web page...)

    The folder icon still has the little arrow symbol on it, which I think is not the usual way shared folders appear? And it has the different name I gave it when I was panicking and messing around with unlinking and relinking back in June, so I hope I can change that 'local' name with no issues.

    Strange that this has happened directly when my workaround stopped fully functioning. (I'm wondering if a windows update caused that issue with intermittent access to the Onedrive share as a 'mapped network drive')

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments