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
    2024-06-26T17:31:43+00:00

    I've just seen this update on another support call logged:

    This appears to be a known issue currently affecting OneDrive shared folders. Users from different regions have reported the same issue beginning approximately June 2024. We've summarized the main points of our current situation in this issue, you can review them at your convenience:

    1-> Impact Summary:

    Many customers worldwide have reported that their OneDrive shared folders have become inaccessible as regular file folders in File Explorer and instead appear as internet shortcuts. The reported issues include:

    Shared Folder Visibility - Users can see shared folders in a web browser, but these folders appear as link files (.URL) in File Explorer, which open the OneDrive website rather than displaying the folder contents.

    Synchronization Issues - Shared folders are not syncing properly with OneDrive on the desktop. Attempts to add these folders to "My Files" result in creating internet shortcuts instead of actual folders.

    Access and Sync Problems - Users are unable to sync shared folders with their local devices, resulting in workflow disruptions and inability to access files offline.

    2-> Latest Update:

    This issue may be due to an internal error affecting data synchronization and handling within the OneDrive service. Microsoft has acknowledged the problem and is actively working on a resolution.

    Efforts are underway to restore proper access to affected shared folders. Initial steps include investigating the issue's root cause and implementing fixes to ensure shared folders appear correctly as file folders in File Explorer.

    A comprehensive analysis is being conducted to determine the exact cause of the issue. Preliminary findings suggest a possible misconfiguration or recent update affecting shared folder handling and synchronization processes.

    3- > Current Status:

    Some users have reported temporary workarounds, such as accessing shared folders directly via  OneDrive web interface -<onedrive.live.com>

    Microsoft internal engineers are closely monitoring the service and implementing fixes to ensure stability and proper synchronization of shared folders.

    This is the call https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/onedrive-shared-folders-are-only-available-via/6a309530-2ac2-40e8-b38e-5710bc6a1aa4

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-06-26T12:46:02+00:00

    They appear as internet shortcuts on an iPhone OneDrive app also.

    We have also converted to a Microsoft Business Account with no luck. The same thing is happening with our files on the Business Account.....unless we utilize SharePoint :(

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-06-25T15:00:09+00:00

    Here is the latest I received from X/twitter when I asked for progress report. I just direct messaged them @microsoftsupport asking for an update from my earlier messages. Looks like they still don't have an ETA

    Thank you for getting back to us, Daniel . We truly understand the importance of resolving the issue with sharing folders in OneDrive. Upon checking, our support team are still working on a fix. Rest assured that they are doing their best to resolve the issue the soonest possible time. Thanks for understanding. -Shie <br> ---

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-06-24T21:25:40+00:00

    Google drive...

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