I can't access my Vault files on my Mac

Question

I can't access my Vault files on my Mac

Razzman79 20

I can't access my Vault files on my Mac. I keep getting the same error. Which you will not allow me to upload.

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Answer 1

Harvey Modlin 0

I can't unlock my OneDrive personal vault on my Mac Laptop. I know that I am required to do that using a web browser. This worked for YEARS but stopped working a couple of months ago. Many people are complaining about this problem. Some people advise clearing all Microsoft-related browser cookies or accessing the OneDrive web pages using a browser in Icognito mode. Those suggestions don't work. The only workaround that worked for me was to force Chrome on macOS to authenticate web-based OneDrive using the Microsoft Authenticator app on iOS, which isn't a smooth process, and that solution only worked for a few days. Now it doesn't work anymore. Lots of people have been reporting the same problem for several months to Microsoft and have been complaining on social media apps. How do we encourage Microsoft to fix the problem instead of offering bad workaround ideas? See attached screenshot that shows the error that occurs when I try to unlock the Personal Vault and then provide my fingerprint for the passkey or use Microsoft Authenticator

Norah-L 10,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-09-09T07:49:41.9833333+00:00
Dear Harvey,

Thank you for reporting this issue in detail and for sharing the troubleshooting steps and workarounds you have already tried.

Unfortunately, this is a user-to-user forum, so we cannot access your account, examine the server-side authentication logs, or directly ask the OneDrive engineering team to deploy a fix.

The most useful next actions are:

Contact Microsoft Support and provide the exact error message, correlation ID, date and time of the failed attempt with your time zone, macOS version, browser version, and confirmation that verification completes before the error appears. This gives Support the information needed to trace the failed request and connect your case with similar reports.

To reach out to the Support Team (live chat):

Go to: https://support.microsoft.com/home/contact

In the search box, enter a short description of your issue. Choose "Get Help"

Scroll down and select Sign in to contact support (please sign in using a personal Microsoft account). Then follow the on-screen prompts to reach Support Team.

Tip: Support chat availability may vary by country/region, product, and support hours. If you can't get in touch with a chat agent right away, trying again later or at a different time may help.

Submit or vote for an existing report through the OneDrive Feedback Portal. You can search for an existing item before creating another, as votes and comments on the same report help consolidate the feedback.

If the Vault remains accessible from the OneDrive mobile app, use that only as a temporary way to reach urgent files while the web issue is investigated.

Thank you so much for your patience and your understanding!

Best regards.

Answer 2

Norah-L 10,660 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Dear Razzman79,

Sorry you’re unable to access your Personal Vault files on your Mac. Personal Vault is not available directly through the OneDrive app on macOS, so it needs to be opened through a supported web browser.

User's image

Reference: Protect your OneDrive files in Personal Vault

Please try the options below and check whether the issue continues:

Update macOS and your browser, then restart the Mac.
Open OneDrive on the web using the latest Edge, Chrome, or Firefox in a private/incognito window.
Temporarily disable any VPN, ad blocker, or privacy extension, then try unlocking the Vault again.
If available, select another verification method, such as Microsoft Authenticator, text message, or email code.
Try accessing Personal Vault on a different device to check whether the issue is specific to your Mac.

If the issue continues, you can create a temporary user account on your Mac and test OneDrive Personal Vault there to check whether something in your current macOS profile is interfering with the sign-in process.

Open System Settings > Users & Groups.
Select Add User and create a temporary standard account.
Sign out of your current Mac account and sign in to the new one.
Open the latest Chrome or Edge, go to OneDrive online, and try opening Personal Vault.

Check this Apple’s detailed guide to add a user on Mac. You will need an administrator account to create the user.

Disclaimer: While the link above is not a Microsoft website, it is the official site of Apple.

Please let me know how it goes after trying these steps, and I'll be glad to continue looking into it with you.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" to accept answer and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Norah-L 10,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-28T08:07:40.4833333+00:00

Hello Razzman79,

Just a gentle follow‑up here.

Please let me know if you’ve made any progress or need additional guidance.
Razzman79 20 Reputation points

2026-08-03T23:06:53.71+00:00

I keep getting the same "RETRY" warning across 4 different browsers. I though Edge would be a little friendlier. I can access my Vault items on my iOS device. With it so difficult to access any OneDrive/Vault items (impossible on my preferred method of Mac Desktop). I'll just up my usage of my Dropbox account. It's far more user friendly.
Norah-L 10,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-04T04:17:59.25+00:00

Hi Razzman79,

Thank you for posting back. I found multiple recent reports describing very similar Personal Vault problems on Mac. Some people could still access the Vault on mobile, while the issue continued in different browsers or even on another computer.

At this time, unfortunately, there does not appear to be one confirmed fix that works for everyone. Some affected users have resolved the issue by updating macOS, resetting their Mac user profile, or removing and then reconfiguring their Microsoft account verification methods, such as Microsoft Authenticator, email, and SMS.

You can check the following threads about the same issue to see whether any of the suggested solutions are helpful in your case:

No longer able to access my Personal Vault on my MacBook Air

Help! No longer able to access my Personal Vault on my MacBook

One Driver Personal Vault

I also suggest submitting the issue through the OneDrive Feedback Portal so the relevant product team can investigate further. You can search for an existing report first so you can vote or comment on it instead of creating a duplicate.

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas.

Hopefully this behavior will be sorted out soon. Thank you so much for your patience!

Best regards.
Razzman79 20 Reputation points

2026-08-18T16:21:39.5433333+00:00

Here's my Number One problem with my MS account. Microsoft does not want to let go of my MS Work Exchange Account. The problem is, I retired from the organization which I had an change account, but MS still follows me everywhere on every device I own, every browser and defaults my login prompts to my business account which doesn't exist.

This account which is understandably inactive. I hope so, but the only access would be by that organizations IT department, however, any attempt to login, defaults to my "Work" account. I have an active, paid, Home account. Sometimes, it'll let me login, sometimes it denies that account user name exist and only allows a Work account.

Because my Work life and account leaked into so many devices from Mac OS and iOS devices and even into Windows 11 through Parallels. I can't tell you how many tech articles I have had to read to fully eliminate any trace of my now defunct Work account. However, it still seems to be the first line of login on something. It pops back up like dandelions in April or Jason in Halloween 14. There are multiple things to try to remove my Work "life". They vary from Edge, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive and Windows OS. It's turned into a cat and mouse game. They're all over the place in settings throughout the MS infrastructure, I obviously have not been able to find every token of my previous Work life.

The cornerstore of this is to revert to a Microsoft Work Free Account life and just focus on my Home account. If you can figure this out, that might be a start.
Norah-L 10,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-19T07:42:18.72+00:00
Hi Razzman79,

It sounds like credentials from your retired work account remain saved across several apps and devices, causing Microsoft sign-in pages to select that account instead of your active personal account.

I recommend cleaning up one device at a time, starting with your Mac:

Sign out of OneDrive, Outlook, Teams, Edge, and other Microsoft apps.

Open System Settings > Internet Accounts and remove the retired work account if it is listed.

Open Keychain Access, search for the old work email address, “OneDrive,” “Microsoft,” and “Office,” then remove credentials clearly associated with the retired account. Avoid deleting entries belonging to your personal account.

Restart the Mac, then sign in to each Microsoft app using only your personal account.

In each browser, remove any profile connected to the former organization. Also, clear saved Microsoft sign-in cookies or test from a new browser profile.

In Windows 11 through Parallels, open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school. Select the former organization account and choose Disconnect.

If the work account continues appearing afterward, please post this issue as a separate question. Since the account-removal issue affects several Microsoft products and is broader than the original Personal Vault problem, a new question will make it easier for an expert in that area to assist you.

Thank you so much for your patience and your understanding!

Best regards.