Can't access OneDrive in app

Question

Can't access OneDrive in app

Dylan Burrell 0

Hello, I am trying to log into the OneDrive app with my work account on my home computer and it is not working. The only message it is giving me is "Sorry, OneDrive can't add your folder right now Please contact support." with no information about why it isn't working. How can I figure out what the actual issue is so that I can fix it?

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2 answers

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Answer 1

For a work or school OneDrive account, the most useful way to narrow this down is to check the sign-in path, account type, app state, and network path in this order:

Confirm the correct account type is being used. If the sign-in is going to a work or school OneDrive site, it must use the work/school Entra ID account, not a Microsoft personal account. If the error includes messages like "Selected user account does not exist in tenant 'Microsoft Services'" or "cannot access the application '00000003-0000-0ff1-ce00-000000000000'", that indicates the wrong account type is being used.
Check whether the work account is already added in the OneDrive app. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area, open Settings > Account, and confirm the work or school account is listed. If it is missing, select Add an account and sign in with the work credentials.
Restart OneDrive. If OneDrive shows that it is not connected during sign-in, search for OneDrive from Start and restart it. If the app is missing or cannot be found, install the latest version of OneDrive.
Verify the credentials outside the app. Check that the username and password are correct by signing in to the Microsoft account sign-in helper or, for work/school accounts, reset the password if needed. If the work account still cannot sign in, contact the organization’s IT admin.
Check for firewall, VPN, or ISP blocking. If sign-in still fails, the issue may be caused by a firewall, VPN configuration, or the internet provider. A quick isolation test is to try another network, such as a mobile hotspot. If that works, the home network path is likely blocking required Microsoft 365 traffic.
Check service health. Review the OneDrive service status to rule out a current service issue.
If the app still shows only the generic message, escalate with the right support path. For a work or school account, contact the organization’s IT helpdesk, service desk, or admin. For personal Microsoft account issues, use Contact Microsoft Support.

The message "Sorry, OneDrive can't add your folder right now" is specifically associated with not being signed in, so the most likely causes are: the work account is not actually added in the OneDrive app, the wrong account type is being used, or the sign-in is being blocked by network conditions.

References:

Answer 2

Hendrix 990 Independent Advisor

Hi Dylan,

Based on your sharing, that message is truly vague. However, since this is a work account on a home computer, I suspect this could be due to an organizational restriction on unmanaged devices.

I suggest you first check your OneDrive in the browser, as it can help separate an account/company-policy problem from a local OneDrive problem.

Please open an InPrivate/Incognito browser window > sign in to onedrive.com with your work account and check the outcome:

If OneDrive opens and files are visible: Your account is provisioned, and the problem is probably with the Windows sync client, cached credentials, or the local folder.
If you receive an access, licensing, location, device-compliance, or “setting up OneDrive” error message: contact your company's IT admin and ask for their help.
OneDrive is missing from the app launcher: Your account may not have a SharePoint/OneDrive-capable license, or OneDrive may not yet be provisioned. Also, contact your IT admin in this case.

Please give it a try and let me know which outcome you fall into. With your help and more information, we can work together to investigate further and find a solution.

Thank you again for your cooperation and understanding. Hope to hear from you soon.

Note: Please follow the steps in the forum documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Dylan Burrell 0 Reputation points

2026-08-27T22:16:45.8266667+00:00

Hi Hendrix, thank you for responsding. I am able to access OneDrive through my web browser both in incognito at onedrive.com and through office365 as well.
Hendrix 990 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-27T22:50:48.39+00:00
Hi Dylan,

That’s very useful information. So, this failure is most likely caused by the Windows OneDrive client, cached work credentials, or a device-management policy.

I suggest trying these steps:

1/ Fully unlink your account

Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area and select Help & Settings > Settings > Account

If your work account is already shown, select Unlink this PC and quit OneDrive.

Then press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog > enter the path %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\settings and select OK.

Delete the "PreSignInSettingsConfig.json" file.

After that, restart your device and sign into OneDrive with your work account again to see if it works

2/ Reset OneDrive

Please follow the steps in this article Reset OneDrive | Microsoft Support

3/ Clear cached credentials

Quit OneDrive and type Credential Manager in the Windows Search bar > open Credential Manager > Windows Credentials

Look for entries containing: OneDrive, MicrosoftOffice, ADAL, AzureAD, or your work email address, and remove them

Restart Windows, then sign into OneDrive again

If you have done all these steps but the issue still persists, the remaining possible cause is that there is a company policy that blocks OneDrive access/synchronization on unmanaged home computers. In this case, you need to contact your company's IT department and ask for their help, as the administrator can validate and identify organizational access restrictions to check whether your home computer is permitted to access OneDrive through the desktop app.

If you are unsure who your IT administrator is, you can refer to this official Microsoft guide for assistance: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support
Dylan Burrell 0 Reputation points

2026-08-28T04:16:08.18+00:00

Hi Hendrix, I tried those steps and unfortunately still no luck. My work account did not show but I deleted the "PreSignInSettingsConfig.json" file and wasn't able to get in after restarting. Same with resetting OneDrive. None of my cached credentials contained any of those or anything with my work email so there was nothing I deleted there. I spoke with my work's technical support specialist and he thinks that the problem is that I'm using regular OneDrive app and not the OneDrive for business app but when I try to get it from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/onedrive-for-business I do not see an option to download it. When I sign in on that page it opens OneDrive in the web browser rather than gives me an option to get it as an app. I am really confused about what I can try next but I appreciate all your help so far.
Hendrix 990 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-28T22:45:19.34+00:00
Hi Dylan,

On current Windows versions, there is no separate OneDrive for Business desktop app to download. The current OneDrive.exe sync client handles both personal Microsoft accounts and work or school accounts.

To verify that you have the correct application, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager > go to Details and look for OneDrive.exe . If that process is present, you have the current supported synchronization client.

That said, you can reinstall a clean new OneDrive client to see if it helps resolve the issue:

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft OneDrive > Uninstall > restart Windows

Use this Microsoft’s official download page to download the OneDrive app and sign into your account to see if it helps resolve the issue.
Dylan Burrell 0 Reputation points

2026-08-28T23:25:11.9833333+00:00

Hi Hendrix, OneDrive.exe shows up in Task Manager when it is open and I am trying to sign in but goes away after the "Sorry, OneDrive can't add your folder right now Please contact support." error message pops up and I am forced to close it. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling OneDrive but it still does not work.
Hendrix 990 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-28T23:42:45.02+00:00

Hi Dylan,

Thanks for your update. Since a reset, reinstall, cached credentials, and correct OneDrive app and browser access have already been tested, the only possibility left is an organization-side sync restriction.

You need to contact your IT department and clearly tell them that you have done all these troubleshooting steps, and what's left is the company restriction/policy. You can take a look at this article IT Admins - Use OneDrive policies to control sync settings - SharePoint in Microsoft 365, which guides how to apply OneDrive policies using Group Policy or Intune that can control synchronization and corresponding registry settings.

You can ask your IT specialist to let you try signing into the OneDrive desktop app with your account on a company-managed device. If it works on the company device, that's the most convincing evidence that there is a company device-management/restriction and request your administrator to allow OneDrive desktop sync on a personal device if your company regulations permit.
Dylan Burrell 0 Reputation points

2026-08-29T17:47:33.4633333+00:00

Okay, thank you for your help.
Hendrix 990 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-31T23:05:34.8433333+00:00

You're welcome Dylan.

If you have any concerns or need further assistance in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out again. Not only will I be happy to assist you, but all users and moderators in the Q&A forum will also do their best to provide support and guidance.

Wishing you a wonderful day ahead.