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
    2025-03-02T12:27:28+00:00

    Microsoft assistance is terrible and this is since 90's, they look and they are very kind in aswares, but quite never gives a real solution.

    In all my carrer 30 years right now, I think I could fine a soluzion in MS forums just once or two times.

    It is always a loose of time, never a real, effective and working solution.

    Also this time, with the described problem of folders showing up as URL, coulden't find a good solution either in MS or out.

    Here my tests.

    At the beginning I tought the problem could be inside the PC, mabie some data stored in system files/db/etc. could affect this problem, but after searching in:

    • register (where you can find in Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SyncEngines\Providers\OneDrive\ the correctly working folders)
    • DB (where you canfind in C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\ConnectedDevicesPlatform DataBase and CID name of the OneDrive shared folder) (CID name of shared folder can be found in URL during OneDrive Browser navigation of folders)
    • create new PC account, and using a blank new PC.

    I try to remove and modify data and notthing changed.

    At the end, my actual thinking is that something happen inside the OneDrive account on the MS servers, and there is no vay to reset/view/correct/replace the account. Mabie with the business versions, on Sharepoint or Entra or Admin there is some additional function, but for Personal/Family solution I didn't find any possibility.

    Actually the only option I fond is to create a new account, reassign shared folders, and use it only for the OneDrive Sync software (Desktop PC or MAC). Understanding that this solution is not useful for all configuration (i.e. how has meny shared folders) and knowing that this is always a temporary solution, since the problem colud reapper also with the new account in week or mounth or years, we don't know.

    Hoping this could be in support to others

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-02T10:51:26+00:00

    And same issue for me - Build 25.020.0202.0001 Windows 11 PC OneDrive shared folders turned/changed into/to links.

    Does NOT seem to be a problem on Android 7.24.1 though.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-02T09:03:32+00:00

    !! IMPORTANT !!!

    This forum here (answers.microsoft.com) is NOT MICROSOFT SUPPORT, it is just an exchange between end users, MICROSOFT IS NOT EVEN READING HERE!

    So it is very important for EVERYONE WHO HAS THE SAME PROBLEM:

    OPEN A SUPPORT CASE AT https://support.microsoft.com OR BY PHONE!!!

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-02T08:48:13+00:00

    I created a shortcut of the shared folder through "Add shortcut to My files", I have observed the following:

    Where Observation
    Web - The folder shows up in Shared and My files.<br><br>- The icon looks like this:<br><br>- Opening the folder correctly opens the content of the folder.
    Windows - The folder shows up as an Internet Shortcut file.<br><br>- The icon looks like this: <br><br>- Opening the folder launches the browser and takes me to the OneDrive page.
    iOS - The folder shows up in the Shared section.<br><br>- The icon looks like this: <br><br>- Opening the folder shows content of the folder but only subset of it.

    Seems like each platform is behaving differently. Hope this might help you investigate the issue. If log files are helpful to you, I can provide them.

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