Why won't my OneDrive sync with the "[username] - personal" folder?

Question

Why won't my OneDrive sync with the "[username] - personal" folder?

David Shobe 20

I have, over the past couple of years, been unable to get automatic synching between the OneDrive in the cloud and the files in my computer under "[username] - personal" on my local drive. This is shown by the two blue arrows forming a circle, and by the fact that some files are found at one place but not the other.

There is advice on this forum to go to "Sync and backup" in the OneDrive settings. This does not exist on the page when I open OneDrive. Settings has only Options, Upgrade, Import, Get the OneDrive Apps, and Change Language to choose from.

Any ideas? I have Windows 11 Home version 25H2. I don't know how to tell what version of OneDrive I am using.

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Answer accepted by question author

Kai-H 26,385 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi, David Shobe

The blue circular arrows mean OneDrive is still processing changes or is stuck on a particular file. Since files differ between the computer and OneDrive.com, this appears to be a sync-app issue rather than only an incorrect status icon.

Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try:

Press Windows key + R, enter %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe /reset, and select OK. Wait a few minutes, then open OneDrive from Start. Resetting does not delete your files, but OneDrive will check and sync everything again.

Check your available storage at OneDrive.com. If the account is full, OneDrive cannot upload or sync new files.

Install the latest OneDrive version. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft OneDrive, and check its version there. Then download and install the current sync app. If it is already current, the installer will simply close.

If resetting does not help, uninstall Microsoft OneDrive from Installed apps and reinstall it. Cloud files will remain available on OneDrive.com.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you.

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David Shobe 20 Reputation points

2026-08-16T14:32:24.2366667+00:00

I have tried .../reset before. It usually syncs the wrong way, by "updating" the newer version to match the older version, thus negating any work I have done on those files.
Kai-H 26,385 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-17T06:37:12.1666667+00:00

Hi, David Shobe

That changes the priority. I would not reset or reinstall OneDrive again until the newer local files have been protected, since reconnecting sync could replace additional copies.

Disconnect the PC from the internet, then copy the newer files from the OneDrive - Personal folder into a new folder outside OneDrive, such as Documents\OneDrive Recovery. Do not move them, make copies so the originals remain available.

While still offline, compare the local files by checking Date modified. Rename the protected copies if necessary, for example, Report-newer-copy.docx.

Sign in to OneDrive.com and check one affected file using Version history. You can restore the required version individually, and the version you replace remains in the history list.

If many files were overwritten recently and you have Microsoft 365, Settings > Options > Restore your OneDrive can roll the cloud back to an earlier point. Be careful, files created after that restore point are moved to the OneDrive Recycle Bin.

Once the cloud contains the correct versions, reconnect and copy the protected files back gradually rather than all at once.
Kai-H 26,385 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-20T08:30:23.5+00:00

Hi, David Shobe

Is there any update from you?

If yes, please feel free to let me know.

1 additional answer

Your answer

David Shobe 20 Reputation points

2026-08-16T14:32:24.2366667+00:00

I have tried .../reset before. It usually syncs the wrong way, by "updating" the newer version to match the older version, thus negating any work I have done on those files.
Kai-H 26,385 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-17T06:37:12.1666667+00:00

Hi, David Shobe

That changes the priority. I would not reset or reinstall OneDrive again until the newer local files have been protected, since reconnecting sync could replace additional copies.

Disconnect the PC from the internet, then copy the newer files from the OneDrive - Personal folder into a new folder outside OneDrive, such as Documents\OneDrive Recovery. Do not move them, make copies so the originals remain available.

While still offline, compare the local files by checking Date modified. Rename the protected copies if necessary, for example, Report-newer-copy.docx.

Sign in to OneDrive.com and check one affected file using Version history. You can restore the required version individually, and the version you replace remains in the history list.

If many files were overwritten recently and you have Microsoft 365, Settings > Options > Restore your OneDrive can roll the cloud back to an earlier point. Be careful, files created after that restore point are moved to the OneDrive Recycle Bin.

Once the cloud contains the correct versions, reconnect and copy the protected files back gradually rather than all at once.
Kai-H 26,385 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-20T08:30:23.5+00:00

Hi, David Shobe

Is there any update from you?

If yes, please feel free to let me know.

Answer 1

The menu being described is the OneDrive web page, not the Windows OneDrive sync app. The sync controls needed are in the OneDrive desktop app from the taskbar notification area.

Try this in Windows 11:

Select Start, type OneDrive, and open OneDrive.
In the taskbar notification area, select the OneDrive cloud icon. If it is not visible, select Show hidden icons.
Select Help & Settings > Settings.
On the Account tab:
- Check whether an account is signed in.
- Select Choose folders to confirm the folders wanted on the PC are selected.

Important limits to be aware of:

OneDrive can choose which folders sync to the PC, but not individual files.
Files or folders shared with the account cannot be selected for sync this way.

If the local OneDrive folder is tied to the wrong account or the sync relationship is stuck, relink it:

Right-click the OneDrive icon in the notification area.
Open Settings.
On the Account tab, select Unlink this PC.
Start OneDrive again and sign in with the correct personal account.
During setup, confirm the OneDrive folder location. If changing location, do it on the This is your OneDrive folder screen.

If the folder still shows constant blue circular arrows after that, check for hidden or temporary files inside the OneDrive folder. These can make File Explorer show a syncing status even when OneDrive is otherwise up to date. Removing hidden or temporary files that are safe to remove, or moving non-removable items out of the OneDrive folder, can resolve that status issue.

Caution: manually deleting temporary Office files can cause data loss if the files are still needed. Close open Office files first before clearing temporary or cached Office content.