Question about one drive process

Question

For the the past four days several hours after I turn on my laptop all of a sudden my fan starts running loudly and I notice microsoft one drive sync service is taking up a lot of CPU and once it shows up it never goes away and the CPU never lowers until I turn off the computer which is much later, up to eight hours later. What is causing this issue? I also noticed every time this happens I have up to 7-10 more GB of space created on my hard drive. It seems to possibly be repeatedly creating then deleting massive temporary cache files because its stuck in a corruption loop but I am unable to confirm if this is what's really happening or if it's something else with either onedrive or an issue on my computer. While one drive is linked to my computer I have never been signed in or have it set up to sync and the cloud icon I never have on. I always quit one drive and close it.

Any help on how to solve this would be appreciated!

Answer 1

Hello Jacquelyn McCoy

From what you described, this behavior can happen when OneDrive gets stuck processing changes. This is often related to temporary or hidden files, a large file, or a sync state issue, which can also lead to unusually high CPU usage and temporary disk space growth.

Since Q&A assist already provided several troubleshooting methods, I would like to add some additional methods for you to try:

• Make sure Windows and OneDrive are fully updated. If the issue continues, reinstalling OneDrive can help refresh the sync client.
• If you want to keep OneDrive installed, try resetting the app to see if this fixes the issue: Reset OneDrive
• If you do not use OneDrive on this PC, open the OneDrive settings and choose Unlink this PC. If preferred, you can also uninstall OneDrive. This does not remove files from your OneDrive account. Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive

Feel free reply back to this post if you need further assistance, I'll be happy to help.

Answer 2

High CPU and disk growth with OneDrive Sync typically indicates that OneDrive is repeatedly trying to process or sync content and never finishes, which can create and remove large temporary files and keep the sync engine active for hours.

From the described behavior, likely causes include:

1. Continuous or stuck synchronization
   OneDrive can get stuck in a loop when:
   • A file or folder never finishes synchronization because of:
     • Hitting item count or file size limits
     • Invalid characters in file or folder names
     • Exceeding the character limit for a SharePoint/OneDrive path
     • Exceeding the local path limit of 260 characters (for example, very deep folder structures starting from C:\)
   • A file contains a broken link to another file (for example, a PowerPoint file linking to a moved video), which can cause repeated processing.
   • Local disk space is low, so OneDrive keeps trying and failing to process files.
   These conditions can cause a “continuous sync issue” where OneDrive never completes, which matches the constant high CPU and repeated temporary disk usage being observed.
2. Files or folders that never complete sync
   When a file or folder never finishes synchronization, OneDrive may:
   • Keep the sync engine running
   • Repeatedly create temporary data while trying to process problematic items
   The documented causes include:
   • Restrictions and limitations on the number of items, file sizes, invalid characters, and path lengths
   • 0 KB files (in older versions)
   • Broken links inside files
3. “Processing changes” or “Sync pending” states
   Even if the OneDrive cloud icon is not actively used, the sync service can still run in the background and get stuck in states such as:
   • Processing changes for a long time when:
     • A lot of files or very large files were added
     • A OneDrive file is open
     • The user just signed in or the computer was updated
   • Sync pending on hidden or temporary files, including .TMP files, which can keep the sync engine busy.
   In these states, OneDrive continues to scan and process content, which can consume CPU and disk for extended periods.
4. Indexing and status issues
   In some cases, cached search or indexing layers can cause OneDrive items to appear as “syncing” even when they are not, leading to ongoing background activity until the index is rebuilt.

Because the question mentions never signing in or setting up sync, but OneDrive being “linked” to the computer, it is likely that:

• OneDrive was initialized at some point (for example, during Windows setup) and is still monitoring certain folders (Desktop, Documents, Pictures, etc.).
• There are files or folders in those monitored locations that hit one of the documented sync restrictions or are otherwise problematic, causing OneDrive to repeatedly attempt and fail to sync them.

To resolve this kind of continuous sync behavior, the documented guidance is:

1. Review files that never finish synchronization
   • Check for:
     • Too many items in a library
     • Files exceeding the size limit
     • Invalid characters in names
     • Paths longer than 260 characters
   • Remove or rename problematic files/folders.
2. Check for hidden or temporary files causing “Sync pending”
   • Show hidden items in File Explorer and look for hidden or .TMP files in OneDrive folders.
   • For .TMP files, either:
     • Upload manually to onedrive.com, or
     • Rename them with a different extension, or
     • Move them out of OneDrive folders, or
     • Delete them if certain they are no longer needed.
3. If sync still does not complete, repair sync connections
   • When continuous sync issues persist after fixing problematic files, the guidance is to repair the OneDrive sync connections using the documented repair process.

These steps address the underlying causes of continuous sync loops, which in turn should stop the OneDrive sync service from consuming high CPU and repeatedly creating temporary data.

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References:

• OneDrive stuck on Processing changes
• A OneDrive file or folder never finishes synchronization
• OneDrive is stuck on "Sync pending"
• The OneDrive sync status icon incorrectly shows "syncing" in File Explorer