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: Most helpful
  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T14:22:55+00:00

    If someone can't find where the "Search" option is supposed to be to differentiate the type of account, maybe this is easier. On OneDrive's website, the text inside big blue button is also different:

    • "Create or upload" -> old account type
    • "New & Upload" -> new account type (folders shared from old account types are URL links and can only be seen on the web, but not synced locally on your computer)

    I have not been able to test whether two accounts on the new type behave "normally". I believe someone said yes before?

    I'm happy to hear some people are getting their accounts migrated. Too bad there is no communication from Microsoft and it seems like this process will take forever. I still have 3 months left with my current billing period. The clock is ticking, Microsoft.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T14:07:14+00:00

    We have MS 365 with a family group. All of the people who have the same "version" of the online OneDrive (see below) can properly share folders. All folder sharing between two different versions of the online OneDrive result in shared folders being url links.

    I saw another poster ask about the same version of the online OneDrive. I never realized there could be different online version of OneDrive. From what have seen, the way to tell the different versions is:

    1. Log onto the web version of OneDrive.
    2. Click the gear icon in the upper right.
    3. click the "options".

    4a. If your last option listed on the right of the window says "Search" then you have one version of OneDrive online.

    4b. If your last option listed on the right of the window says "Restore your OneDrive" then you have another version of the online OneDrive.

    My experience is that shared folder work properly only between accounts with the same version of the online OneDrive. Not sure why, could be just coincidence. *shrug*

    Just giving my feedback if it helps somehow.

    I can confirm the same behavior: new versions have no Search option and different notification settings, and are working as intended. At least this can give us a visual indication.

    My family has five accounts, with the main one sharing a folder with the other four. One of them has had this problem for months, and the other three suddenly started last week.

    Yesterday, four of them "upgraded", and only one of them still having the ol' problem (with the Search option). Seems like I'll have to wait a little more for MS to upgrade this account to the new version...

    Curious enough, the account still having problems is the oldest one. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but maybe the upgrade rollout is going "back in time".

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T13:55:19+00:00

    You just matched the problem.

    I had 2 accounts on the old server.

    Source account on old
    Shared account on old

    What happened today, the shared account migrated to the new one, and the shared folder became a link.

    The solution would be that Microsoft migrate every account to the new server.

    People on this forum said that the OneDrive had come to work again normally, which means that the source account was migrated to the new server.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T13:45:07+00:00

    How if it's a link? hahahaha

    I want the contents at hand not on web as it is now.

    Right now I have only my own account being able to sync with right click, the rest of the stuff are all links.

    Gonna make my own NAS and move the more important things to another service.

    We're close to a year with a known bug with no updates on MS side and they just raised my subscription by almost 35%. Whatever I'll save on their service I can build a NAS easily.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments