Personal vault not working on Onedrive app in W11 since KB5079473

Don P 0 Reputation points
2026-03-14T15:19:44.0666667+00:00

After the latest update unlocking the Onedrive vault kept saying it needed internet. I installed KB5079473 and shutdown. The next morning I booted up and wasn't able to unlock the Personal Vault.

I tried the recommendation using wsreset but it also said there was no internet. I even connected a cable and stopped using Wi-Fi. No change.

There was never an issue with the network although these two apps thought there was.

I was able to get to my vault on Edge but not the Onedrive app on W11.

I uninstalled the late st KB and the Onedrive App, reinstall the onedrive app then reset onedrive app, deleted the Personal vault icon and recreated it.

Still not working.

Clicking the onedrive icon in the tray doesn't show Unlock Vault option.

Although at this point wsreset no longer says it needs the internet. I still haven't reinstalled the latest KB5079473. However, Windows update history says it is still installed. I couldn't uninstall from App but I was able to (at least it said it did) from the command line. Maybe it didn't.

Any help would be appreciated.

Could this be another bug in KB5079473? How actually do I uninstall it?

Moved from: Windows for home | Windows 11 | Windows update

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

1 answer

Sort by: Newest
  1. AI answer

    2026-03-14T15:20:02.39+00:00

    Based on the available information, only supported and documented actions around OneDrive Personal Vault and Windows updates can be described.

    To access and verify Personal Vault functionality:

    1. Unlock Personal Vault from OneDrive directly:
      • Open OneDrive and select the Personal Vault folder.
      • Complete identity verification using one of the available methods (text, email, Microsoft Authenticator, fingerprint, face, or PIN). The Microsoft Authenticator app can generate a code without Internet access.
      • If Personal Vault is missing, check for the Personal Vault icon in OneDrive folders or via the OneDrive taskbar icon.
    2. If Personal Vault shows as not up to date or appears stuck:
      • Unlock Personal Vault.
      • Close any files stored in Personal Vault.
      • Wait for OneDrive sync to complete (watch for the sync icon to disappear).
      • After sync completes, lock Personal Vault again and test unlocking.
      • If there are many large files, increase the auto‑lock time: open OneDrive settings → Account → change Personal Vault auto‑lock time.
    3. If Personal Vault still does not appear or cannot be set up on a specific Windows 11 profile while it works elsewhere:
      • Create a new local Windows account.
      • Sign in to OneDrive under that account and complete Personal Vault setup there.
      • Sign back into the original account; the option to set up or use Personal Vault may then appear.

    Regarding KB5079473 specifically (installation/uninstallation behavior and potential bugs), the provided material only notes that an in‑place reinstall from ISO was required in one case to recover from a failed security update (different KB) that corrupted apps. No additional supported steps for removing KB5079473 or specific known issues with Personal Vault in that update are documented in the supplied context.

    If Personal Vault remains unusable in the OneDrive app after trying the above, and the system has already been through install/uninstall attempts for the update, the remaining supported path in the context is a repair or reinstall of the broader environment (for example, an in‑place reinstall using installation media) and then re‑applying updates, followed by re‑configuring OneDrive and Personal Vault.

    For issues that persist beyond these steps, contacting Microsoft Support is recommended using the official support channels referenced in the context.


    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.