How to fix OneDrive sign-out and automatic start issue on client device.

Question

The client environment is managed through Microsoft Azure and devices are enrolled in Microsoft Intune. We currently have a single end user experiencing an issue with Microsoft OneDrive.

Unlike other users in the environment, OneDrive does not automatically sign in or begin syncing when the user signs into Windows. Instead, OneDrive appears to be signed out after login and remains inactive until the user manually opens the OneDrive application and clicks Sign In. Once the user manually signs in, OneDrive authentication completes successfully and file synchronization begins as expected.

This issue is isolated to one user account/device, as other users within the same Azure/Intune-managed environment are not experiencing similar behavior. The problem appears to be related to OneDrive sign-in persistence or automatic account configuration during user logon.

Observed Behavior:

• User signs into Windows.
• OneDrive is not automatically signed in.
• OneDrive syncing does not start automatically.
• User must manually open OneDrive and select Sign In.
• OneDrive then authenticates successfully and begins syncing.
• User's OneDrive randomly signs-out and process repeats.

Expected Behavior:

OneDrive should automatically sign in using the user's Azure AD credentials during Windows logon.

• File synchronization should start automatically without user intervention.

Answer 1

Dear @Daniel E,

Good day, and I appreciate the clear explanation of your issue. I understand that OneDrive is not starting or signing in as expected for one specific user/device, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. As a forum moderator, I’m not able to access your account or review the backend systems directly to diagnose or resolve this for you. My role here is limited to providing general guidance and solutions that users can try on their side.

From your description and my research, since the issue appears to affect only one user or device while others are working normally, it may be related to the local OneDrive configuration, cached credentials, user profile, or device-specific policy/application settings rather than a tenant-wide OneDrive issue. Please try the following steps to see if they help:

1.Make sure OneDrive is set to start automatically

• Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray > Settings > Sync and backup > Ensure Start OneDrive when I sign in to Windows is checked.
• In Windows Task Manager > Startup tab, ensure OneDrive is enabled.

2.Reset OneDrive

• Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray > Settings > Account tab > Unlink this PC.
• Press Windows + R, type the following and press Enter: C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
• Wait for OneDrive to restart automatically. If it does not restart, open OneDrive manually from the Start menu.
• Sign in again using the affected work or school account.

For reference: Reset OneDrive - Microsoft Support

3.Clear related cached credentials

• Sign out of OneDrive completely.
• Delete the contents of these folders (do not delete the folders themselves): %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache
• Open Credential Manager (search in Windows) > Remove any entries under Windows Credentials and Generic Credentials related to OneDrive or aad (Azure AD).
• Restart the computer.

4.Check device and policy settings

• Confirm the Intune policy “Silently sign in users to the OneDrive sync app with their Windows credentials” is enabled and assigned to that user/device. For reference: How to Automatic Configure OneDrive with Microsoft Intune (This link is shared by community members for your convenience. It points to a third-party site that is not managed or verified by Microsoft. We can’t guarantee the quality, safety, or suitability of any content or software found there. Please review carefully and make sure you understand any potential risks before using it).
• Make sure the OneDrive sync client is up to date.
• Check whether any Conditional Access or MFA policy may be causing the user to reauthenticate repeatedly.
• You can also try removing and re-adding the work or school account from Windows Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
• If the issue continues only on this device, consider reinstalling the OneDrive sync client after completing the reset and credential cleanup steps.

I also recommend checking the answer and link provided by AI above, as they may contain useful context related to your issue.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this. Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments so I can continue to support you. I'm looking forward to your reply.

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Answer 2

The issue is consistent with cached or corrupted OneDrive/Office identity data on that specific profile. Use the following targeted steps on the affected device/user only.

1. Remove cached Office/OneDrive identities from the registry

Important: Editing the registry incorrectly can cause serious problems. Back up the registry first using the guidance in the linked article in the references.

1. Close all Office apps and OneDrive (right‑click the OneDrive icon in the notification area → Close OneDrive; verify OneDrive.exe is not running in Task Manager).
2. Open Registry Editor (regedit).
3. Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity
4. Right‑click Identity and select Delete.
5. If Shared Computer Activation is used on this device, also:
   • Run whoami /user in Command Prompt to get the user’s SID.
   • In Registry Editor, go to: HKEY_USERS\<user_SID>\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity
   • Right‑click Identity and select Delete.

This clears cached identities that can block persistent sign‑in and SSO.

2. Clear prior Office activation and stored credentials (if problem persists)

If the behavior continues after step 1, follow the steps in Section A: Remove Office licenses & cached accounts in the “Clear prior activation information manually” article (see reference):

• Complete Part 1: Remove previous Office activations.
• Complete Part 3: Remove Office credentials stored in Windows Credential Manager.

This removes stale tokens that can cause OneDrive to sign out or fail to stay signed in.

3. Delete OneDrive/identity cache folders for the affected user

If OneDrive still signs out or does not auto‑sign‑in:

1. Ensure the user is signed out of OneDrive.
2. In File Explorer, delete all subfolders in:
   • %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneAuth
   • %localappdata%\Microsoft\IdentityCache

These folders contain cached credentials used by OneDrive and Office; clearing them forces a clean re‑authentication and can restore normal auto sign‑in behavior.

4. Verify silent sign‑on (SSO) is working for this user/device

To confirm that the environment and this device are correctly configured for SSO and SilentAccountConfig:

1. Ensure OneAuth is enabled by clearing any failure timestamp:

reg delete HKCU\Software\Microsoft\OneDrive /v OneAuthUnrecoverableTimestamp /f

2. Close all OneDrive.exe processes (Task Manager → Details tab).
3. Start OneDrive from the Start menu. The Set up OneDrive screen should appear.
4. Enter the same email address used to sign into Windows (UPN form, e.g., alias@domain).
5. Select Sign in.
6. The dialog should show a brief “signing in” screen and then continue without prompting for a password.

• If no password prompt appears, the auth environment and SSO are correctly configured; OneDrive should auto‑configure and sign in at logon once caches are reset.
• If a password prompt appears, there is an SSO issue (e.g., domain join/ADFS/Entra Conditional Access or mismatch between Windows sign‑in account and OneDrive account) that must be resolved for persistent, automatic sign‑in.

5. Re‑test automatic sign‑in

After completing the above:

1. Restart the device.
2. Have the user sign into Windows with the Azure AD account.
3. Confirm that OneDrive starts automatically, signs in without manual action, and remains signed in across logons.

If the issue is resolved for other users but persists only for this profile after these steps, compare this user’s Conditional Access, device management, and sign‑in policies with a working user to identify any policy differences that might be forcing re‑authentication or blocking silent sign‑on.

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References:

• Error 0x8004dec5 when signing in to OneDrive
• Error AADSTS50020 when signing in to the OneDrive sync app
• Error 0x8004deef when signing in to OneDrive
• Silently configure user accounts
• Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in OneDrive
• OneDrive says I'm not connected to the internet - but I am! - Microsoft Q&A
• How to fix the issue with MS Office asking you to log in every time you open an Office app - Microsoft Q&A