Unable to download files from OneDrive, Explorer freezes

Thanks,

At 50 minutes, I would not force it off yet. Keep it connected to power and allow up to about two hours total.

If it still only says “Restarting” with no change after that, press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds to turn it off. Disconnect nonessential USB devices, then start it again.

If Windows starts normally, keep OneDrive closed and do not repeat the repair install yet. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter first: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-update-troubleshooter-19bc41ca-ad72-ae67-af3c-89ce169755dd

Sounds good. I'll keep you posted.

Glad to assist! Please let me know what happens after the restart attempt, especially whether Windows starts normally or enters “Automatic Repair.” Thanks!

Reached the 2-hour mark and restarted the computer. It started normally and did not enter "Automatic repair". I quit OneDrive accounts as soon as the icon came up in the task bar. Once again, the orange ellipse and circular arrows have reappeared in the taskbar, indicating there are updates to be installed and to restart the computer.

Before restarting again, please send a screenshot showing exactly what you are seeing, including the orange restart icon in the taskbar.

Please also click the icon and send a screenshot of the message or page that opens. Thanks!

Attached is a pdf of two screen shots (they were too large to add as .png files). The first page is the system idle, showing the icon of the orange dot with two circling arrows. The second page is what happens when I click that icon. It opens to the Settings-> Windows Update page. This is what I clicked yesterday, after which it entered into the prolonged restart of ~10+ hours.

Thanks, could you attach it again, please?

Did it come through this time?

No, it didn't. Can you attach the screenshots instead?

Files are too large . . . please stand by. Trying to reduce

How's this?

Think I was using this tool incorrectly. Here is the pdf2026.07.31-RS.pdf

Can you see this?

Yes, I can see it now.

Please go to Settings > Windows Update, and from there click "Restart Now."

The process will download updates and restart your PC several times. This may take some time, so please be patient and do not interrupt the process. Thanks!

Sounds good. I'll give it a try. How long should I let the process go for? This is the step it hung up on for quite a while before.

The screen estimates up to 30 minutes, but given the previous issue, allow up to two hours. Keep the computer connected to power and do not interrupt it.

If it still only says “Restarting” with no change after two hours, hold the power button for about 10 seconds to turn it off, then start it again.

Great, thank you! I'll keep you posted.

Please let me know how the restart goes and whether Windows starts normally afterward. Thanks!

Will do! We are just a little over one hour and still have the restart message with the dot spinner above it. Gonna wait the full 2 hours, as you've suggested.

THANK YOU!

So, let it go for about 2.5+ hours and it remained the same with the restart message and spinner. Did a shut down and it started normally afterwards, the same as the screenshots sent to you.

Any thoughts from here?

Thanks, do you remember at what percentage it was getting stuck?

There has never been a percentage given. It has been just a black screen that said restarting and a spinner.

Could you provide your System Information page and your Winver?

• Press Windows + R key to open Run dialog.
• Type this and press Enter: msinfo32 and press Enter.
• Capture a screenshot of the System Information window.

Next:

• Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, type winver and press Enter, capture a screenshot (make sure not to include your email address)
• Please attach both screenshots in your next response.

Thanks!

Thanks. The screenshots confirm that you are running Windows 11 Pro 25H2, OS build 26200.8973.

Do not click “Restart now” again yet. First, repair the Windows system files:

1. Right-click “Start” and select “Terminal (Admin).”
2. Run this command:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. Once it finishes, run:

sfc /scannow

Keep both OneDrive accounts closed while these commands run. Please share the final message shown after each command completes. Thanks!

Next is to run sfc /scannow

Both ran fine.

Thanks. The DISM scan completed successfully, and SFC did not find any corrupted Windows system files.

Since the computer is still hanging during restarts, I would now like to rule out a slow or failing storage drive.

1. Open “Task Manager.”
2. Select “Performance.”
3. Click “Disk 0.”
4. Send a screenshot showing whether it is an HDD or SSD and its activity.

Also open “Terminal (Admin)” and run:

Get-PhysicalDisk | Select FriendlyName, MediaType, HealthStatus, OperationalStatus

Please send a screenshot of the result. Thanks!

Seems good.

Hi,

Thanks. The results show that Windows is installed on a Samsung NVMe SSD, while drive E: is a traditional WD hard drive. Both drives currently report “Healthy” and “OK,” so there is no obvious drive failure.

However, if either OneDrive folder is stored on drive E:, the HDD could still be contributing to the freezing.

Could you confirm whether your personal and business OneDrive folders are located on drive C: or E:? You can open each OneDrive folder in File Explorer and check the drive letter in the address bar. Thanks!

Good morning . . . I checked the drives and there are no letters associated with either the personal or business accounts. That would make sense as each of these are 'online' only, meaning no files are stored locally. The only thing stored locally is a backup which I do routinely (that is what E: drive is for). This is to be able to easily access file from the laptop when I am mobile and reduce confusion from having multiple copies. Seems to have worked fairly well.

Overnight, there seems to be a positive development. I left the system on with only the monitors to go dark after one hour. Would appear it has completed something in the background as when I activated the monitors I got a "Hi" message then a second message which I've included as a screenshot above saying it was updating and would take a few minutes. A positive sign :). This disappeared after a minute or two to a normal screen. I then checked System -> Windows Update and would appear there to be none. This is also a positive change as the updates did not seem to be occurring yesterday. I wonder if it just needed a much longer time to update than I was giving it.

I have not attempted to shut it down to see if it would do that on its own but would seem the next step to take based on what you have recommended earlier.

What would you suggest? Try a normal shutdown and see what happens? Maybe let it just go for as long as it would need to?

Hi,

That is a positive sign. It suggests the Windows repair installation finally completed.

Yes, try a normal shutdown now:

1. Quit both OneDrive accounts.
2. Close all open programs.
3. Select “Start” > “Power” > “Shut down.”

Allow up to 30 minutes, but do not leave it indefinitely. If it remains stuck with no change after that, hold the power button for about 10 seconds.

If it shuts down normally, start it again and check whether the orange update icon returns. Keep OneDrive closed for now.

Please let me know whether it shuts down completely and how long it takes. Thanks!

It appeared to shut down normally, but then immediately restarted. I could see the lights on the exterior go dark indicating the processor and drive had stopped. Then immediately turned back on again. When the system came up, the OneDrive icons appear in the task bar, which I then "Quit" for both personal and business accounts. Interestingly, it then came back up again, almost immediately, which I then "Quit" both again. There have been no additional update messages and Settings -> Windows Update says it last checked at 10:54 today.

Would it be helpful to turn off OneDrive in Settings -> Apps -> Startup until the system is behaving normally? I see there are two programs which are set to run on startup (1) Microsoft OneDrive and (2) Microsoft OneDrive Sync Service.

Yes, temporarily disable Microsoft OneDrive and Microsoft OneDrive Sync Service under Settings > Apps > Startup. This will prevent OneDrive from starting automatically while you test the shutdown issue.

Do not unlink or uninstall OneDrive yet. After disabling both entries, shut down the computer normally again.

If it still turns itself back on, the shutdown issue is likely separate from OneDrive. Please let me know whether it stays powered off this time. Thanks!

The system shut down within 20 seconds (yes, I timed it) and it did not restart. I gave it more than 5 minutes to see if it would initiate its own start up, but it didn't. I could have waited longer, I suppose, but given the behavior of either not shutting down or immediately restarting, figured this was progress.

Any recommendations about what to test next?

That is good progress. It suggests one of the OneDrive startup components may be causing the shutdown issue.

Keep both startup entries disabled for now. Open OneDrive manually from the Start menu, allow both accounts to finish processing, then test File Explorer and perform another normal shutdown. OneDrive can be started manually whenever needed.

If the problem returns, this confirms OneDrive is triggering it. If the computer shuts down normally, the next step will be to enable one startup entry at a time.

Please let me know whether it stays powered off after this test. Thanks!

The computer started normally and I manually started OneDrive, allowed it to process changes and it completed it no problem. I then shut the computer down, which it completed without any issues.

I then retried the shut down -> restart -> manual launch of OneDrive it a couple of times to see if it was consistent, which it was. No issues. I've been able to navigate with File Explorer without a problem as well. I've open and closed files, navigated through several layers of folders, etc. Seems okay with those superficial tests.

Would appear the Microsoft OneDrive and/or Microsoft OneDrive Sync Service might be the issue, as you suspected.

Thanks for trying those steps and letting me know.

Keep both startup entries disabled for a few days and continue opening OneDrive manually.

If the system remains stable, enable only Microsoft OneDrive and test several shutdowns and restarts. Leave Microsoft OneDrive Sync Service disabled. If the issue returns, disable Microsoft OneDrive again.

Please let me know whether the problem returns after enabling either startup entry. Thanks!

Super, will do! Thank you very much, John! Much appreciated.

Glad to assist!

Hi, @Dale Sherman, PhD I haven't heard anything from you yet. Could you confirm if all issues are resolved?

If all is resolved, feel free to mark the answer for this thread. Otherwise, please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

Thanks!

Hi John, thank you for checking in. I've been following the suggestion of keeping startup entries disabled and opening OneDrive manually. Initial tests of shutting it down were positive. It shut down quickly and would not initiate its own restart. Yesterday, after shutting it down, it took a long time to shut down. At another time, the computer shutdown fine, then initiated its own startup sometime later.

In all, I'd say there is progress but there are still issues with shutting down. Is it possible there is a backup service running in the background as well?

Appreciate the help & support!

Hi, thanks for getting back to me.

Yes, a backup service could be running in the background, especially since you regularly back up files to drive E:.

What program do you use for that backup, and is it scheduled to run automatically or started manually?

Please also open Terminal (Admin) and run these commands one at a time:

powercfg /lastwake

powercfg /waketimers

These can help identify what last woke the computer and whether a scheduled task is allowed to wake it.

Keep both OneDrive startup entries disabled for now. Please send a screenshot of both command results. Thanks!

Good morning, thank you the ongoing assistance! Sorry for the delayed response.

Attached is the screenshot of the powercfg command results. Last night when I attempted to shut the computer down, it turned off the monitors, but the processor light and drive access continued to blink so I let it go all night until this morning (~12+ hours) when I forced a shut down. I then restarted the computer and ran the powercfg commands you suggested. After sending this message, I plan to quit OneDrive and shut it down again to see what it does. I'll let it go for a while, but no more than 2 hours as we have done in the past.

Of note, there was a setting in the OneDrive personal account that was set to backup music and video files. I've disabled that now, at least until the present issues are resolved. I am curious to see what comes of that.

The backup program I use is GoodSync, which I launch manually at regular intervals. It is not set up for any automated or background runs - it remains silent until launched. In Task Manager it is listed as a background process but shows no activity. It has never been an issue in the past, with several years of use.

I'll let you know what happens after shutting it down now.

Thank you!

Thanks. The results show a wake history count of 0 and no active wake timers. These commands mainly check wake events from sleep or hibernation, so they do not explain why Windows is hanging during shutdown.

Disabling the OneDrive backup for Music and Videos was a useful test. For the next shutdown, quit both OneDrive accounts and fully exit GoodSync as well, even though it shows no activity. Allow no more than two hours as planned.

If it hangs again with both programs closed, the next step would be a clean boot to check for another background service conflict.

Please let me know how the shutdown test goes. Thanks!

Been testing a few things . . . here is an update.

After the shutdown earlier, the system was blinking for an extended period of about 2.5 hours, so I forced the shutdown. Upon startup, I went through the startup programs again as well as looked at Task Manager. I shut down additional non-essential programs that run at startup or in the background (e.g., Adobe Creative services, etc.) as well as shut down one GoodSync service (Gsserver). I then decided to go through a series of trials starting and shutting down the computer to narrow it down further.

1. Without starting OneDrive, I started and shutdown the computer multiple times and the system came up and shut down without delays. There were no spontaneous restarts.
2. I then started the computer and manually launched OneDrive and allowed it to sync and update. After that, I scrolled through Task Manager to see what processes were running to try and understand what might be running in the background. There is a OneDrive FileSync Update Service that is running in the background - I left that alone.
3. I quit both the OneDrive personal and business accounts and shut the computer down. It shut down without a problem. I then re-started the computer and it came up fine. I then shut it down again to see if it would shut down, however, it immediately restarted on its own. When trying a second shut down, it went through a 20 second process of blinking then immediately restarted.
4. I then went into Task Manager and discovered there are OneDrive processes running and took a screenshot.
5. This time, I manually quit OneDrive and ended this process. When I shut the computer down, it shut down fine. However, when I restarted it and then tried to shut it down again (without starting OneDrive), it immediately restarted on its own. I replicated this a few times.

In summary,

1. The computer will startup and shutdown fine when OneDrive is not used (never started, sync'd, etc.). There are no spontaneous restarts.
2. If OneDrive is manually activated, it will sync and update. After OneDrive is 'quit' manually, the computer will shut down and will not spontaneously restart on the FIRST shutdown. However, it will spontaneously restart on subsequent shutdowns, even if OneDrive is not activated on restart. This occurs despite the FileSyncHelper has been stopped (checked in Task Manager).
3. If OneDrive is manually activated and the computer then goes through a 'forced' shutdown, will restart okay with no spontaneous restarts.

It took a minute to systematically go through this but hope that narrows things down.

Thoughts?

Hi, @Dale Sherman, PhD

Thank you for the careful testing. You have narrowed this down significantly. The screenshot shows OneDriveFileSyncHelper still loaded but idle. Its presence alone does not confirm it caused the restart, but OneDrive or a component it starts remains the strongest lead.

Before reinstalling or resetting anything again, please check what Windows recorded at the time of the restart:

1. Press Windows + R, type eventvwr.msc, and press Enter.
2. Open Windows Logs > System.
3. Select “Filter Current Log.”
4. Enter these Event IDs: 41, 1001, 1074, 6008
5. Check the events matching the time of the unexpected restart.

Event ID 1074 may identify the process that requested the restart, while Event ID 1001 may show whether Windows crashed.

Please send screenshots of the “General” tab for any matching events. Keep both OneDrive startup entries disabled for now. Thanks!

Super interesting!

6008 all say the same thing, the shutdown was unexpected.

Looks like event 41 was triggered saying the system was rebooted because it did not "cleanly" shut down.

Not really sure what the 1074 may refer to, unless those were times I initiated the hard shutdown.

As for 1001, there is only one, yesterday evening, rebooting from a bugcheck.

P.S. I attempted to open the .dmp file, but it would not allow me to.

Thank you for letting me know.

Your interpretation is correct.

• Events 41 and 6008 record the forced or unclean shutdowns. They do not identify the cause.
• Event 1074 shows a normal shutdown requested through the Start menu.
• Event 1001 is the important one. It shows that Windows crashed with bugcheck 0x0000001E, and a dump file was created.

This confirms that at least one of the unexpected restarts was caused by a Windows or driver crash, rather than a wake timer. The dump file may identify the driver or process involved. (learn.microsoft.com)

About the .dump file

That is expected. A .dmp file will not open like a normal document. It requires a debugging tool such as WinDbg.

The Event 1001 entry is important because it confirms that Windows crashed with bugcheck 0x0000001E and created this dump file:

C:\Windows\Minidump\080326-9609-01.dmp

You do not need to open it. Please copy the file to your Desktop, right-click it, and select “Compress to ZIP file.” You can then upload the ZIP file to OneDrive Web and share the link.

If Windows will not let you copy the file, please share the exact error message shown. Thanks!

https://cfbnnciep0gn5orga95q4zjfzzn-my.sharepoint.com/:u:/g/personal/neuropsych_drdalesherman_com/IQDxNsvb-XHwRbZdKrC5aHg2AUSc_tzr6H3ReHdd-tm44rU?e=atA2In

Thanks for waiting. I reviewed the dump file.

It records bugcheck 0x0000001E with an access violation. The strongest clue is igdkmd64.sys, the Intel graphics driver, appearing repeatedly in the crash stack. The active process was DDPM.Subagent.exe, which appears to be connected to Dell Display and Peripheral Manager. This points more toward the graphics/display software than OneDrive, although one dump cannot prove the cause with certainty.

For the next test:

1. Keep both OneDrive startup entries disabled.
2. Temporarily disable or fully exit Dell Display and Peripheral Manager.
3. Restart and test several normal shutdowns before opening OneDrive.

Please also confirm whether Dell Display and Peripheral Manager is installed and whether you are using Dell monitors. Thanks!

To answer your question, yes, I have Dell monitors and Dell Display and Peripheral Manager is installed, and, yes, there appears to be something going on with it. I was able to shut it down from the Task Manager, as there is no way to disable it, beyond uninstalling it.

Once it is disabled within Task Manager, the system will shut down fine the FIRST time - no problem. It does not restart spontaneously. However, once the system is restarted, the display service and peripheral manager also restarts. So when the system is shutdown it immediately restarts. It is a replication of the issue described above.

I'm wondering if it might be worth uninstalling the Dell Display and Peripheral Manager, at least until this is tested out a bit more.

Thoughts?

Yes, temporarily uninstalling Dell Display and Peripheral Manager is a reasonable next test. Your repeated testing strongly suggests it is involved, although it does not prove it is the only cause.

Dell has also documented an issue where DDPM version 2.3.x may automatically launch after a restart, shutdown, or sign-in. Dell recommends reinstalling it and clearing the option to launch it at startup. https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ca/000474900/dell-display-and-peripheral-manager-auto-launches-after-a-restart-or-at-sign-in

Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Dell Display and Peripheral Manager, and select Uninstall. Then restart the computer and test several normal shutdowns before opening OneDrive.

If the computer remains stable, you can later reinstall the latest version and make sure “Launch Dell Display and Peripheral Manager at startup” is not selected.

Please let me know whether the computer shuts down normally after DDPM is removed. Thanks!

Disclaimer: There is a non-Microsoft link included in this response. The Dell support page appears to provide accurate and safe information. There are no ads, but if any appear, please thoroughly research any product advertised before deciding to download and install it.

Thank you for that, super helpful!

So, after uninstalling Dell Display and Peripheral Manager as well as Dell Core, part of the peripheral manager (both had to be uninstalled), the system shut down fine and did not restart. To be sure, I double checked Task Manager to be sure there was nothing running in the background, either for Dell or OneDrive, prior to shutting down.

I repeated the shutdown-restart process and checked for anything related to OneDrive or Dell running in the background in Task Manager about 5-6 times. There were clean shutdowns and no spontaneous restarts each time.

Sounds like this might be a sign for cautious optimism.

Any thoughts from here? Maybe try to reintroduce OneDrive?

That is a very positive result. Since the computer completed 5–6 clean shutdowns after removing Dell Display and Peripheral Manager and Dell Core, those programs were likely involved.

Yes, reintroduce OneDrive carefully:

1. Keep both OneDrive startup entries disabled.
2. Start OneDrive manually and allow both accounts to finish syncing.
3. Test File Explorer, then perform several normal shutdowns and restarts.

If everything remains stable, enable only Microsoft OneDrive under Settings > Apps > Startup. Leave Microsoft OneDrive Sync Service disabled for now.

I would also leave the Dell software uninstalled until the system remains stable for a few days. Please let me know how the shutdown tests go after OneDrive is started manually. Thanks!