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

Hi everyone,

Today I wanted to add someone to my subscription, and I realized that some accounts are in a family group, while others (the ones with links instead of folders) are on the subscription but not part of the family group.

I just added one of the bugged accounts to the family group, deleted the old link, and shared the folder with the whole family group.

It seems like it’s taking a while for the link to be received, and the folder still doesn’t appear in the **“Shared with me”**section. I’ll check again tomorrow and give an update here.

In the meantime, it would be helpful if someone else could check whether the bugged accounts are in the family group or not.

I have tested both access via files on my iPhone and via the OneDrive app on the iPhone and iPad and they are ok for me. I am about to dig out my old MacBook and switch off all updates and test that to see if it has been an update issue, but it will take me a day or so.

I also have been backing up one account where I have the most important documents (this is my wife account via a shared folder, using O365 family) and can not copy files from that OneDrive to my own like I used to in the web version of OneDrive. I am having to manually download to my laptop and then copy them to my own OneDrive account. Once I have copies made (and onto an external HDD) I am going to start messing with unlinking devices etc. I just want my data secure before I do that😃

After months of having this problem, I can give you some pointers.

It seems that there are two versions of OneDrive Personal. The folders on the PC only work well between accounts with the same version.

Without warning, some accounts change versions, so from one day to the next they can no longer use that folder and it becomes a simple link.

On the OneDrive website, in options you can identify which version of OneDrive that account has. There are many differences, but I am attaching a screenshot to quickly identify if you are on the new or old version.

Microsoft would have to migrate everyone to the same version, and it would have to be a process of a few days, but it has been having this problem for 9 months now.

We want a solution now!!

This is indeed the problem. There are two versions of personal OneDrive. An old one and a new one. Shared folders between old accounts still work as usual. Shared folders between new accounts also work. However, a shared folder from an old account to a new account (and vice versa) does not work. Below are two images to help distinguish between old and new accounts. (Create and Upload = new, New and Upload = Old)

Last weekend, an old account was upgraded to a new account. Since then, shared folders to old accounts no longer work, but they do work with accounts of the new type. So it really is a server/version issue.

these seem to be conflicting. I have the search button under options, suggesting i have the old version per the first poster, but I also have "Create and Upload" which suggests the new version?

On another account, I have "Add New" (suggesting old) and no search button under the options (suggesting new). It seems one of you may have mixed up new and old.

Both are primarily used on different machines, but in both cases the OneDrive app is 25.020.0202.0001 and Windows 11 Pro 24H2 build 26120.3291, so that apparently has no bearing.

Either way, this issue is very annoying.

This happened with my account today for no reason whatsoever.

As mentioned before a workaround is to create a new Microsoft account and share the folders with the new account.
Done exactly that - but it initially did not work!

The first time I shared a folder via email with my new account. Same error - the folder appeared as web-link in the windows explorer.

The second time I then shared the same folder via link/url - and voila, the folder appeared as a proper folder in the explorer!

Maybe a valid workaround could be to change your shared folder to link/url sharing without the need to create a new account...

So for now I am working with the new account and link/url shares with the most important projects.