How to fix duplicate sharepoint folders in MacOS

Question

How to fix duplicate sharepoint folders in MacOS

Felipe Mayer Gomes 10

Hi,

I've be seeing a shared library duplication issue in multiple Macs in my team and we don't know why it's happening or how to solve it.

I'll explain all the issues here, but, overall the problem is similar to these two other posts below:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5416940/my-onedrive-folder-is-duplicated-on-my-mac

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5981152/onedrive-mac-duplica-pasta-local-e-desincroniza-2

The problem:

When trying to sync a folder, the Standalone Suite creates a new folder with a duplicated name. ex:
Main folder - "OneDrive - Shared libraries"
Duplicate 1 - "OneDrive - Shared libraries - OneDrive - Shared libraries"
Duplicate 2 - "OneDrive - Shared libraries - OneDrive - Shared libraries - OneDrive - Shared libraries"

When the folder is duplicated, it still kind of works, but the earlier synced files work just fine in the main folder, while the later synced ones work in the duplicated folder.
All duplicated folders show the same folders, but the ones not working have a minus (-) icon at the end.

The designers on our team use multiple SharePoint libraries daily to save their file system and we've been using this as our main files system for almost 4 years, but we've never seen this duplication issue before. Currently, this issue is appearing a lot with the newer members of the team when they need to sync a folder that has never been synced before.

The current "work around":

Log out Onedrive
Run the ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command file
Run the RemoveOneDriveCreds.command file
Delete any old OneDrive folder left inside the User folder
Delete any old OneDrive folder left inside the User's Library > Cloud Storage folder
Delete any old OneDrive folder left inside the User's Library > Group Container folder
Restart the Mac
Sync again

The thing is, this isn't solving everyone's problem. After a while, when syncing a new folder, the problem happens again.

Theories:

1 - OneDrive version:

Talking about this with our friendly IT guy, he came up with the idea that maybe we're using an old version of OneDrive Standalone Suite. Even though he told me it may not be updating properly, I don't think that's the case we noticed some changes in the app's interface recently (in the last year, if i'm not mistaken). The current version installed is 26.139.0720.0007 (Autonomous) (Apple Silicon) (26.4.1)

2 - Old sync paths:

Saw some people with the same issue talking about the right way to sync the new folder is, after resetting the app, to use the same folder as before. We tried that, but didn't work. (I don't think it should matter cause we're deleting all used folders before syncing again, but I think i could useful to bring it up)

3 - Admin folder:

Since we don't have full control of the Mac configuration cause of the company's IT rules, all the Macs showing this issue also have a admin user folder that has been created when formatting the OS. Curiosly, some of the people seeing the issue always have the IT admin email showing up in the app's login screen after we reset the credentials (third step of the work around).

This led us to the conclusion that maybe the issue is that his Drive profile is messing with users' syncing. Even as a possibility this don't make much sense since the admin definitely does not sync any folder when he's installing the app and, probably, logging to test if it works. (Anyways, we had to bring it up)

I think it sums up everything we know, tried, and theorized about it. Currently we are talking to the Cloud IT Manager to see if that could be an issue outside of the Mac configuration or syncing process.

Hope someone here can help us!

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8 answers

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Answer 1

Allan Solomon Mejia 7,915

Hello @Felipe Mayer Gomes

This typically indicates that the OneDrive sync connection on the Mac has been duplicated or that an outdated SharePoint sync location has been retained, rather than SharePoint actually having duplicate folders.

Before you delete anything, check in the browser whether the SharePoint document library in question is affected. If the duplicate folders don't appear online, don't delete them from Finder while OneDrive is still syncing, because changes inside a synced SharePoint folder can propagate back to SharePoint.

On the Mac, open: OneDrive icon → Settings/Preferences → Account

Make sure that the same SharePoint library or site doesn't appear more than once; if it does, use Stop Sync on the outdated entry. Microsoft has confirmed that when you stop a SharePoint site sync, the local copy remains on the Mac and can be deleted after you confirm the correct library is still available online.

If OneDrive shows only one sync relationship but Finder still displays duplicate SharePoint/OneDrive folders, check:

/Library/CloudStorage

Microsoft notes a macOS issue where an outdated OneDrive folder can remain on the system. When you open each OneDrive folder, if Finder recognizes one as belonging to an earlier OneDrive installation and offers a Delete option, you can delete the obsolete location.

If the duplicates remain, I would then reset the OneDrive client:

Quit OneDrive.
Open Applications.
Right-click on OneDrive and select 'Show Package Contents'.
Open Contents → Resources.
Run the Run ResetOneDriveApp.command (or Run ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command if you are using the standalone version).
Restart OneDrive and set up the necessary SharePoint libraries.

Microsoft says that when you reset OneDrive, it won't delete cloud data, but it will break current sync relationships and then start a new sync.

Sharing these references with you:

Microsoft – Fix OneDrive sync problems on Mac

Microsoft – Reset OneDrive

If you could provide a screenshot of the duplicate folders as they appear in Finder and on the OneDrive → Account page (with your organization or account information removed), we would be in a position to decide whether or not this is a duplicate sync relationship or a stale /Library/CloudStorage entry before you take any action.

Help make this community better for everyone: if this answer resolved your issue, please accept it or leave an upvote. If not, share more details in a comment so we can continue the discussion and find the right solution.

Mdg Rkb 6 Reputation points

2026-08-28T12:19:34.4033333+00:00

Hello.

I believe I'm seeing the same problem.

Here's a screenshot of Finder.

Within the new OneDrive folder (red) are the same folders I had synced before plus the two recently added.

Within the base OneDrive folder (green) are the folders I've had synced for months, but missing the two I added recently.

The recently added folders are shown with this icon in Finder:

The previous folders on the new OneDrive folder are shown with this icon:

File info for folders in the new OneDrive show a longer path:

File info for folders in the base original OneDrive show this path:

Within OneDrive app settings there's just my Microsoft work account.

OneDrive version 26.139.0720.0003 (26.5.2). No updates were shown available in the AppStore as of August 25th

MacOS 26.5.2

I hope Microsoft can fix this with an update not requiring a OneDrive reset.

Thanks
Allan Solomon Mejia 7,915 Reputation points

2026-08-28T15:03:54.35+00:00

Hi @Mdg Rkb

OneDrive for macOS uses locations under /Library/CloudStorage, and it also documents scenarios where multiple OneDrive locations can remain visible there. Microsoft's supported remediation is to identify an obsolete OneDrive location and remove it when Finder explicitly offers the Delete option; otherwise, the supported next step is unlinking/re-linking the Mac.

However, in your case, I wouldn't manually delete either CloudStorage location yet, because your screenshots show different SharePoint libraries actively syncing through each location. Deleting an active File Provider location without first determining which sync relationship owns it could create additional sync problems.

I recommend adding a shortcut to OneDrive instead of the traditional Sync option, where available, because shortcuts provide similar access, offer better performance, and work across devices. That may be worth using for newly added libraries while we investigate this behavior.

Since you've already tried a OneDrive reset and the problem can return when you add another library, repeatedly resetting the client probably isn't a useful long-term workaround. I recommend reporting this through your organization's Microsoft 365 support channel and including screenshots, your OneDrive version, your macOS version, and the fact that adding another SharePoint/Teams library triggers the creation of the additional Finder sync root.

Hello @Felipe Mayer Gomes

Please let me know if you need any further assistance. Otherwise, if this answer resolved your issue, please accept it or upvote it. If not, share more details in a comment so we can continue the discussion and find the right solution.
Felipe Mayer Gomes 10 Reputation points

2026-08-28T20:31:59.91+00:00

I do need futher assistance. I'll write a complete awnser later with some screenshots, but almost everything you described before is already known by us here.

Still waiting on the IT team support cause that will probally be more helpful, but i feel like this is not just a bad configuration/use of the software since this is not an isolated case because other people are experiencing the same issues, like @Mdg Rkb
Hoang Tran 0 Reputation points

2026-08-31T02:07:31.96+00:00

Experiencing the same issues as well. Fully wiped and re-setup a MacBook twice and the same issue persists. So just a heads up before anyone else does the same, obviously you may have different levels of success.

After the wipe, shared libraries looked like they were working for about a day or two, and then the duplication of folders began to happen after that.
Allan Solomon Mejia 7,915 Reputation points

2026-08-31T02:26:30.28+00:00

Hello @Felipe Mayer Gomes @Hoang Tran @Mdg Rkb

Thanks for the updates. With multiple users now reproducing the same behavior, including Hoang after completely wiping and reconfiguring a MacBook, I agree this is becoming much less consistent with a simple local misconfiguration.

Other recent reports describe essentially the same behavior: adding another Teams/SharePoint library causes additional OneDrive - Shared Libraries sync roots to appear and previously synced libraries to stop working correctly.

Microsoft also documents that macOS OneDrive uses Apple's File Provider framework and places its sync roots under ~/Library/CloudStorage. Microsoft has documented scenarios where multiple/stale OneDrive File Provider locations can appear.

Since a reset, and even a full macOS rebuild, only resolves the issue temporarily, stop repeatedly resetting/reinstalling OneDrive. That is useful diagnostically, but clearly isn't a reliable fix here.

At this point, the best action is to have your IT/Microsoft 365 support case escalated to the OneDrive sync client team, providing the OneDrive version, macOS version, screenshots of ~/Library/CloudStorage, and the exact reproduction sequence: working normally → add another SharePoint/Teams library → additional Shared Libraries root appears → existing library sync breaks.

Avoid manually deleting any of these active CloudStorage roots until Microsoft confirms which File Provider domain is stale.

Hoang's clean-install reproduction is particularly useful evidence for the support case. If either of you receives a Microsoft case number or confirmation that this is a known issue, please share the update here. It would help establish whether this is a broader OneDrive for macOS/File Provider regression.

Help make this community better for everyone: if this answer resolved your issue, please accept it or leave an upvote. If not, share more details in a comment so we can continue the discussion and find the right solution.
Hoang Tran 0 Reputation points

2026-08-31T02:35:57.0933333+00:00

@Allan Solomon Mejia
I started a Microsoft support case on the 26th, a day after this forum post was created. Spent hours with them running resets and trying to delete duplicated folders inside of ~/Library/CloudStorage. We got stuck at some stage trying to delete some remaining folders, so we proceeded with a fully wipe.

After the wipe, I did an audit of the whole device to check for any remnants of files/folders/data from OneDrive that would maybe cause issues, and no evidence of OneDrive found. Reinstalled OneDrive, and like i mentioned, synced sharepoint folders were working a fine for about a day until they began to fail/duplicate again.

I have emailed this whole forum post to the M365 techs that were helping during the case I made on the 26th, so will await their response, and share any potential fixes they give me here.
Joost Bijl 0 Reputation points

2026-09-02T12:25:42.4333333+00:00

Looking forward to the response you get Hoang! I have exactly the same and it is a mess. I removed onedrive and cleaned up the "CloudStorage" location and all associated providers. For me it happens when i hit the sync button in sharepoint web.
Allan Solomon Mejia 7,915 Reputation points

2026-09-02T16:09:14.2733333+00:00

Thanks for the updates, @Hoang Tran . With multiple users now reporting the same behavior and Hoang reproducing it even after a complete macOS wipe and clean OneDrive installation, this increasingly points away from local cache/configuration corruption and toward a possible OneDrive for macOS / Apple File Provider issue involving SharePoint library synchronization.

At this stage, avoid further resets or manually deleting active folders under ~/Library/CloudStorage, especially since the problem returns after initially working.

Since you already have an active Microsoft 365 support case, I suggest asking Microsoft to escalate the issue to the OneDrive engineering team, especially since it persists after a clean macOS installation. Joost experiencing the same behavior further suggests that this may be a broader issue rather than something specific to a single Mac or configuration.

Please share any case updates or confirmed workarounds here. If Microsoft identifies this as a known issue/regression, that will save others from repeatedly rebuilding their OneDrive configuration.
Felipe Mayer Gomes 10 Reputation points

2026-09-02T21:36:50.41+00:00
I'm back with more information. Sorry for the delay.

Last friday i helped one of the designers in our team to solve this problem. Once again, cleaning the Cloud Storage helped but i tried also cleaning the GroupContainer files. I forgot to mention it but we tried doing it before and it seems like that's what causing the issue.

Looking at the folders, you can see the duplication is happening in both of them. This intriged me and, with the help of Claude i tried to understand why we have two cache folders for the same syncs. (mirrored folders below)

(I'm not a dev or someone with a deep programming knowledge, but hang with me while i try to explain the Onedrie + MacOs archtecture problem and please ignore any typos or mistranslations <3)

Basically when we sync a folder in macOS the File Provider Domain is is responsible for creating the folder in the OS inside ~/Library/CloudStorage/. On the other hand, the Onedrive software create the folder inside ~GroupContainers/UBF8T346G9.OneDriveStandaloneSuite/. The structure looks something like this:

macOS CLIENT (OneDrive Standalone Suite)

├── ~/Library/Group Containers/

│ └── UBF8T346G9.OneDriveStandaloneSuite/

│ ├── OneDrive.noindex/ ← Internal cache (old engine)

│ │ └── OneDrive/ ← sync raw data

│ ├── Library/ ← data base config.

│ └── [arquivos de estado]

│

├── ~/Library/CloudStorage/

│ ├── OneDrive-[Organização]/ ← Personal OneDriver (Finder)

│ └── OneDrive-SharedLibraries-[Org]/ ← Synced shared libraries

According to Claude, one of the possible causes is that, when syncing a new site/folder while the OneDrive software is updating, it identifies a different version then the File Provider Extension, so it creates a new domain.

It also suposed 2 other causes:

Corrupted SQLite database inside group containers

Obsolete Keychain credentials

I didn't deep dived enough on this two other possibilities cause, as i said, i'm not that knowledge in programming and some of that stuff is not making sense to me, so right now im banking on the Update line.

I asked Claude to make a summary of the conversation with all the details in case anyone here wants to try some of the terminal tests it proposed.
OneDrive-macOS-Architecture-Sync-Diagnosis.pdf
Allan Solomon Mejia 7,915 Reputation points

2026-09-04T13:37:12.8866667+00:00

Hi @Felipe Mayer Gomes

Thanks for the detailed investigation. The mirrored state you found under the OneDrive Group Container and ~/Library/CloudStorage is useful evidence and further supports that this is occurring at the OneDrive/macOS File Provider integration layer rather than being a simple duplicate SharePoint folder.

I would, however, treat the SQLite corruption, Keychain credentials, and version-mismatch explanations as hypotheses for now. Microsoft hasn't confirmed that any of those are the root cause.

There is also an interesting new data point in this thread: one user reproduced the problem when initiating Sync from Teams and found that resetting OneDrive and initiating Sync directly from SharePoint avoided it. However, other users have reproduced the same issue when syncing directly from SharePoint, so Teams doesn't appear to be the only trigger.

At this point, I don't recommend manually modifying SQLite databases, File Provider registrations, or Group Container contents. Microsoft's supported troubleshooting remains unlink/re-link or resetting OneDrive; resetting disconnects the existing sync relationships and rebuilds them without deleting cloud data.

Since the issue returns after those steps, the most valuable next step is to share this new evidence with Microsoft Support and request escalation to the OneDrive for macOS engineering team. The Group Container/CloudStorage screenshots, OneDrive build, macOS build, and exact reproduction sequence should be particularly useful.

If Microsoft confirms this as a File Provider regression or known issue, please share the case update here. That would help everyone experiencing the same behavior.

Answer 2

Bartłomiej Swojak 5

I have the same issue, I think it is because of the bug in one of the latest updates in OneDrive app:

User's image

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Answer 3

Diego Costacamps 0

Same issue across multiple clients and Sharepoint sites. No permanent fix. Microsoft please fix/address this issue.

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Answer 4

Michael Lin 0

We also encountered this issue. After extensive testing, we discovered the bug is triggered when starting a new sync directly from the Microsoft Teams app.

Workaround:

Reset your OneDrive app. (Run the ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command file)
Do not initiate the sync from within the Teams app.
Instead, select "Open in SharePoint" inside Teams.
Click the "Sync" button directly from the SharePoint website.

This method bypasses the recursive folder name issue (such as "OneDrive-SharedLibraries-OneDrive-SharedLibraries-OneDrive-SharedLibraries-...) for us.

Diego Costacamps 0 Reputation points

2026-09-04T13:15:44.3266667+00:00

As it turns out, that's not the only time this comes up. I've had it happen from Syncs from Sharepoint Online as well. Maybe Teams is part of it, since I don't know what users do 100% of the time, but in my experience it isn't just Teams that causes this.

Answer 5

Tyson Beard 0

Hi All - I am also having the same issue with about 10 of my staff - Exact same issue. The only work around that i've got my staff using is adding a shortcut to one drive, instead of the sync method. Its being investigated by a microsoft tech at the moment and they do not have a soution to the issue currently.

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