OneDrive says I'm not connected to the internet - but I am!

Question

OneDrive says I'm not connected to the internet - but I am!

John Roddan 60

My One Drive doesn't want to sign in on my pc. It gives an error message that I am not connected to the internet. I am connected and have other internet functions running - and can sign on to OneDrive through my browser. I tried to quit one drive and sign in again, and tried all the recommendations I've seen online. However, the same problem remains. What can I do?

chuser 5 Reputation points

2026-03-17T00:53:46.5666667+00:00

Exact same problem here. I tried literally everything, but I still can't solve it. I believe it's something to do with Microsoft because earlier today I got the same problem trying to access my Outlook apps like Excel. The message says I do not have internet.
James Ellwood 5 Reputation points

2026-03-18T05:26:34.1233333+00:00

exact same issue here in UK, no WIFI, hardlink with perfect network, can sign in to microsoft account online, one drive has permissions through firewall.
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chuser 5 Reputation points

2026-03-17T00:53:46.5666667+00:00

Exact same problem here. I tried literally everything, but I still can't solve it. I believe it's something to do with Microsoft because earlier today I got the same problem trying to access my Outlook apps like Excel. The message says I do not have internet.
James Ellwood 5 Reputation points

2026-03-18T05:26:34.1233333+00:00

exact same issue here in UK, no WIFI, hardlink with perfect network, can sign in to microsoft account online, one drive has permissions through firewall.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Answer 1

EmilyS_726 15,880 Volunteer Moderator

For all of those with the same issue -

Can you go check your Windows Settings > Windows update, and see if you might have KB5085516 available to install?

KB5085516 was released on March 21st to address Microsoft account sign in issue among some apps caused by KB5079473 https://support.microsoft.com/topic/march-21-2026-kb5085516-os-builds-26200-8039-and-26100-8039-out-of-band-09e85404-1cb6-4ed4-9ca5-3e40d74307b9

Rebecca Z 0 Reputation points

2026-04-05T16:34:35.16+00:00

Thank you - this worked for me!

Answer 2

Craig Troska 10

I had the same issue on my machine, and I uninstalled the March patches and that resolved the issue for me.

cat 0 Reputation points

2026-03-27T04:08:24.53+00:00

Thank you. that fixed it for me too. I had already tried a bunch of other things and was getting pretty frustrated.

Answer 3

Khadijah Othman 5

Same issues; followed all the steps mentioned, but the problem still persists.
My productivity has gone way down since I've had to sync all the files I've been using.

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Answer 4

James Ellwood 5

ok I fixed this by uninstalling the app (after signing out), deleting the folder found under my username and local apps. (view hidden files in your user folder to see app data). then reinstalling one drive after a restart.

I had also signed out of microsoft by deleting my stored credentials in credential manager.

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Answer 5

John Jefferson Doyon 64,930 Independent Advisor

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

Do you have a VPN enabled? If so, try disabling it temporarily and see if that makes a difference. You can check by going to Settings > Network & Internet > VPN or looking for a VPN app running in the background.

In the meantime, if you haven’t already already:

Forget and reconnect to your Wi-Fi network:

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
Find your current Wi-Fi network and click "Forget" next to it.
Restart your main router/modem, then reconnect to the Wi-Fi and enter the password again.

Flush the DNS cache:

Press Start and search for CMD.
Right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
In the Command Prompt, type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each and wait:

ipconfig /flushdns

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

netsh winsock reset

Restart your PC and check if the issue persists.

If issue still persists try to enable IPv4:

Press Windows + R key to open Run dialog.
Type this and press Enter: ncpa.cpl
Right-click on your current Wi-Fi connection and select Properties.
Double click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
Under "Use the following DNS server automatically," use these values: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
Click OK to save and restart your PC and connection.

If the issue persists, please provide more details by answering my questions.

Click "Add comment" below to let me know.

Regards,

John J.D.

John Roddan 60 Reputation points

2026-03-16T15:04:12.0933333+00:00

Hi John.

I've tried everything you've suggested but still have the same issue.

I do use a VPN but have the same problem if it's on or off!
Lowri Goss 5 Reputation points

2026-03-16T15:32:18.35+00:00

I've started having the exact same issue today too, One Drive now not syncing, and cant log into Copilot - says I'm not connected to the internet - but I am! I have tried all the above too (no VPN), and nothing working.
John Jefferson Doyon 64,930 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-16T17:18:47.9766667+00:00

After disabling the VPN, please restart your PC and ensure IPv4 is enabled.

If the issue persists, it could be just a temporary problem. Please check the service status here for updates: https://status.cloud.microsoft/

Also, do you notice other Microsoft apps having the same 'no internet' issues?
David Carter 5 Reputation points

2026-03-16T19:08:29.52+00:00

Hi John,

This issue just started for me today. I have tried every troubleshooting suggestion I found on the internet, and all of your suggestions for this question. Including reinstalling OneDrive, resetting network settings, enabling IPv4, etc. I notice that there was a recent Windows update this weekend, so I'm a little suspicious of that.

I have the same issue as the OP, signing into OneDrive. When I click on the grey cloud and the blue "Sign In" button in the "Set up OneDrive" window I get the error box that says: "You'll need the Internet for this. It doesn't look like you're connected to the internet. Check your connection and try again. 0x800704cf"

Regards,

Dave
Alison NZ 5 Reputation points

2026-03-16T19:19:02.4166667+00:00

Exact same problem here. Everything was fine yesterday, and not fine after installing the latest Windows update.
John Roddan 60 Reputation points

2026-03-17T08:30:23.9533333+00:00

This morning I have tried to logon on to OneDrive not having done anything else since the last unsuccessful attempt yesterday - and it's now working! Nothing has been changed by me - just left my PC sitting there overnight. Very frustrating as I spent hours yesterday on this issue and lost a day's productivity.
John Jefferson Doyon 64,930 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-17T08:39:31.2966667+00:00

Great for you, John. It could be just a temporary issue, since the usual steps to help narrow down the problem didn't work for you yesterday.
John Jefferson Doyon 64,930 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-17T08:47:31.35+00:00

Hi Lowri, David & Alison, could you confirm whether the issue still persists or if you are now using OneDrive without issues? I'm collecting experiences before providing feedback to Microsoft and further investigating possible temporary issues that occurred yesterday. You're not alone, and your feedback matters.
John Roddan 60 Reputation points

2026-03-17T10:34:49.8933333+00:00

Whist I can now log back on to OneDrive, it now seems to be reloading everything from my PC's OneDrive folder back into the Cloud? It's acting as though I've set it up for the first time. Very strange.
John Jefferson Doyon 64,930 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-17T11:02:46.8566667+00:00

It likely reset the connection, so OneDrive is re-syncing your files back to the cloud.

For now, I recommend letting it finish syncing. Stopping it midway can cause conflicts.

Just keep an eye out for duplicate files or folders while it runs. If you notice any, let me know so we can fix it right away.
John Roddan 60 Reputation points

2026-03-17T12:08:08.8433333+00:00

Thanks John.
A B 0 Reputation points

2026-03-17T15:20:50.1433333+00:00

I'm having the same issue for the past 2 days and it still wont let me sync my phone to my computer or access any photos I've already downloaded from my phone on my computer. I need to submit a proposal and need those photos to complete it. Very frustrating!!
A B 0 Reputation points

2026-03-17T15:25:11.62+00:00

Also I did try to reconnect the sync but may have interrupted or it just froze at 47%. Now when I try to reconnect it goes back to the same 47% and doesnt progress. Ive tried to restart the computer several times, remove and reconnect the device and all suggestions above. Why does it let me log in here but wont let me access my own pictures?
David Carter 5 Reputation points

2026-03-17T15:34:54.74+00:00

Hello John Jefferson Doyon,

Unfortunately, my issue has not magically gone away, like it did for John Roddan. Yesterday I tried all the troubleshooting tips on the Microsoft website, and followed all your suggestions, but OneDrive is still giving me the same error that I'm not connected to the internet. I'd be happy to provide more information on the configuration of this particular PC, but it's pretty much a vanilla Windows 11 Pro system.

Regards,

Dave
Susan Buczkowski 0 Reputation points

2026-03-17T17:43:03.4133333+00:00

I am having the exact same issue after trying everything suggested. Very frustrating as I can't send out anything because it can't be uploaded from the server! HELP

Susan
Lowri Goss 5 Reputation points

2026-03-17T18:06:36.13+00:00

I can confirm same for me, spent ages trying to sort it, nothing worked. Turned the laptop on this working and all working fine again! With both One Drive and copilot is signed in again too. So must have been an annoying update glitch, as it did run one yesterday. Thanks for help suggestions John Doyon.
Alison NZ 5 Reputation points

2026-03-17T19:11:00.8866667+00:00

Hi JJD

Flushing the DNS cache seems to have done the trick for me.

many thanks

Alison
John Jefferson Doyon 64,930 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-17T19:44:14.33+00:00
Glad to assist you, John.

Hi A B,

It looks like a different issue (phone sync and photos), so it’s better to create a new thread for it. That way we can focus on your setup properly.

To David & Susan:

I understand. Since the issue is still ongoing on your side, let’s focus on what worked for others here.

Some users in this thread were able to fix it after going through the steps again, especially:

Flushing DNS

Restarting after changes

It may be worth trying those once more if you haven’t done them recently.

Also, this seems to be a broader/temporary issue affecting multiple users.

You can check similar cases and additional steps here:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5826290/only-microsoft-programs-say-i-have-no-internet?

https://learn.microsoft.com/ru-ru/answers/questions/5823777/problem-with-onedrive
John Jefferson Doyon 64,930 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-17T19:45:37.49+00:00

Hi Alison,

Thanks for confirming. Glad to hear flushing DNS helped on your end. That’s really helpful for others experiencing the same issue.
John Jefferson Doyon 64,930 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-17T19:50:14.5966667+00:00

For those still experiencing the issue, I recommend going through the steps carefully again, especially the command steps.

If you’re not comfortable running the commands, you may ask someone in your household who is familiar with computers to help you with them.
Candi Bishop 0 Reputation points

2026-03-17T21:02:06.37+00:00

I went through every step John Jefferson Doyon laid out above, to no avail. Still get the window saying that it doesn't look like I'm connected to the internet. Clearly I am, since I'm adding this comment to the thread. I can sign in with the browser, but it won't connect to sync my files. Very frustrating.
David Carter 5 Reputation points

2026-03-17T22:29:08.9966667+00:00

Hello John,

I've gone through all of your recommendations again (including flushing the DNS cache) but the issue still persists. Yes, I am comfortable with the command line, I was a C programmer and Unix administrator long ago :-) :-)

Regards,

Dave
Susan Buczkowski 0 Reputation points

2026-03-18T01:06:46.4566667+00:00

Same here, I've done all these recommendations twice and am still seeing the "not connected to the internet" error when I am connected
David Carter 5 Reputation points

2026-03-18T15:00:06.99+00:00

Hello John,

I am pleased to report that when I turned on my PC today, the issue has magically gone away. It is currently resyncing my entire 1TB drive, which will take hours, but at least OneDrive allowed me to sign in. I spent many hours troubleshooting (and I followed your suggestions) but unfortunately for others with the same issue, I have no idea which, if any, of these troubleshooting tips actually worked. I have a feeling the whole issue was a temporary glitch with OneDrive, since it wasn't working last night, and it worked this morning without changing a thing.

Thanks for your help, John, I really appreciate it.

Regards,

Dave
TVickery 0 Reputation points

2026-03-19T17:26:19.39+00:00

I am having the exact same problem. Onedrive says I'm not connected to the internet and I am.

I do not have a VPN enabled.

I have forgotten and reconnected my wifi network. Twice.

I have flushed the DNS cache. Twice.

I have enabled IPv4.

But when I try to sign into OneDrive to sync files, it says I need internet to do so. "It doesn't look like you're connected to the Internet. Check your connection and try again. 0x800704cf."

If I tried to send feedback, you guessed it, I'm not connected. "We're having trouble connecting. Before you can see and upvote feedback, we need to connect to the feedback service. You can still send feedback, and we'll make sure we get it when we reconnect."
Mathew Pitt-Bailey 5 Reputation points

2026-03-20T08:56:12.34+00:00

I had the same problem since the last quality update on Windows 10 on 17 March 2026. I solved it (temporarily?) by doing a system restore to before the update.
JayBeeke 5 Reputation points

2026-03-23T18:32:37.61+00:00

Exact same thing, also 1/1 after a Windows update. Clearly a Microsoft issue.
J Lewis 5 Reputation points

2026-03-30T21:38:06.27+00:00

I was out of town last week. I used OneDrive and Word/Excel all week long from my ipad. I came home yesterday to it not working on my desktop. Not sure what happened. It gives the same error message that it can't connect to the internet, although I can do everything else online easily. In fact, from the OneDrive website via Microsoft Edge I can access my documents (updated from my iphone or ipad), but I can't load Word, Excel, etc.

I do not use a VPN. I have gone through all of those steps a few times. I even waited overnight to see if things might straighten out on their own but they haven't. This seems a little ridiculous for such a widely used product.

The error code I got first was: 0x8004x4x3

After going through the steps above (flushing the DNS cache) the only thing that changed was the error: 0x800704cf

Not sure why I can't get this working again.

Any other suggestions?
paloma j p zaragoza 0 Reputation points

2026-03-31T18:48:16.52+00:00

Hello, same problem. Microsoft is so expensive and dont delivery what it promiss. cant log in! I have to re share it with google drive to have access to my files. I can see this issue is been happening more than 2 week now. SO frustating =( Did all that was needed here, no success

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OneDrive says I'm not connected to the internet - but I am!

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