OneDrive – Shared folders can no longer sync locally since yesterday

Anonymous
2025-03-06T21:28:30+00:00

I have been experiencing an issue with the synchronization of shared OneDrive folders that started yesterday. Until now, I could successfully add shared folders to my OneDrive and have them sync locally, but now the folder is only appearing as a shortcut/link and is no longer treated as a regular folder in my OneDrive storage.

Problem:

  • Until yesterday, I could add shared folders to my OneDrive folder, and they would automatically sync so I could use the files directly on my PC.
  • Since yesterday, the shared folder is now only appearing as a link/shortcut, and it is not syncing locally.
  • The folder remains visible as an online link in the OneDrive Explorer, but I can't use it as a normal folder.
  • This affects all shared folders, both from external users and internal ones.
  • This change occurred suddenly on March 5, 2025, and was not present before.

What I have tried:

  1. Added the folder for synchronization again: This results in a link, not an actual sync.
  2. Updated the OneDrive client: I have installed the latest version of OneDrive, but the problem persists.
  3. Reinstalled OneDrive: I uninstalled and reinstalled OneDrive to fix any potential issues, but the problem remains.
  4. Cleared cache and stored credentials: This did not resolve the issue either.
  5. Checked the settings for a solution: I have reviewed all relevant options, but haven’t found a solution.

Questions:

  1. Was this feature intentionally changed by Microsoft, or is this a bug?
  2. Is there any way to reverse this change or make shared folders sync locally again like before?
  3. Is it possible to sync shared folders without the online link appearing?
  4. What steps should I take to resolve this issue?

Additional Information:

  • I am using OneDrive for Personal and syncing multiple folders from different users.
  • The files are still available online, but I am no longer able to use them offline as I did before.

I would greatly appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue. Thank you for your support!

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-21T23:55:13+00:00

    My family has a family plan and we work together and share on OneDrive. This problem is pretty disruptive.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-12T14:13:18+00:00

    I've also encountered this issue.

    Even more worryingly, files that I had uploaded onto OneDrive using the web browser (because simply dragging-and-dropping files onto the same shared folder on my local hard drive doesn't work anymore) have disappeared! I assume that when the owner of the shared folder opens their computer, that on their end, OneDrive does not see the recent files I dropped into that folder and so erases them. This issue needs to be fixed, or at least some notice should have been posted by Microsoft. Please let us know when and if the issue gets fixed. Otherwise, file sharing using OneDrive is not feasible.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-11T07:14:17+00:00

    Has the engineering team taken this problem seriously just now? It has been reported for over a year now. I could find one post from last July. Why is a shared OneDrive folder not syncing to my pc? - Microsoft Community

    Why is Microsoft reluctant to solve this? Does this issue require a media escalation?

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-10T05:21:29+00:00

    I’m experiencing a serious issue with OneDrive. I can’t access any of my files or photos from any device. My storage plan shows 500GB used out of 1TB, but no files appear, and I receive an error message saying ‘Nothing found.’ This includes my Personal Vault, which contains a decade of important information. I need urgent assistance in recovering my data.

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-03-09T20:58:14+00:00

    It happened one of my pc 6 months ago, and it attacks the second pc yesterday. It is horrible...
    Such a message of known issue was from Microsoft 6 months ago and so on.. cannot believe MS still cannot fix it.
    Just found the third PC also cannot sync shared file/folder on local drive. All dead!!!

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