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OneDrive Free Up Space still taking up space on local drive

Anonymous
2024-08-15T12:39:14+00:00

Hello, OneDrive and a synced SharePoint folder are taking up space on my hard drive. From File Explorer I have right-clicked the folder and selected Free Up Space. That opens a progress graph window that says it is "Applying Properties to XXXX items". When it is done, all the icons in Windows Explorer switch from green checks to clouds. However, when I look at the Properties for the folder, it shows that Size and Size on Disk are the same.

The files are not on my local drive. I can't access them when I turn off the wi-fi. When I am connected to a network, I can tell the file is being downloaded upon opening.

Even though the files are not on the local drive, they register as if they are and block space on the drive as if they were there.

I have uninstalled and re-installed OneDrive. I have tried disk cleanup, but nothing works. Neither worked.

There is a larger SharePoint folder that I need to sync to my Windows Explorer, but I can't because it is larger than my available storage, and it crashes every time I try to sync it.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

Thank you

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-08-15T14:13:09+00:00

    Dear Geordie Elkins,

    Good day! Thank you for posting in our community. The issue you're experiencing with OneDrive and the synced SharePoint folder, where the "Free Up Space" function isn't freeing up disk space as expected, can be frustrating. Here's a step-by-step guide to address the problem:

    1) Clear OneDrive Cache:

    Navigate to %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache, and delete the contents of the folder. Restart OneDrive and see if the space usage has changed.

    2) Use Disk Cleanup Utility:

    Type disk cleanup in the Windows search bar, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator. In the Disk Cleanup window, ensure Temporary Files and System Restore and Shadow Copies are checked, then click OK.

    3) Reset OneDrive:

    • Resetting OneDrive may resolve any sync issues or glitches in how it handles file storage.
    • Press Windows + R, type in cmd, and hit Enter. In the command prompt, type

    %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

    • Press Enter, and OneDrive will reset. Once done, restart your computer and check if the issue persists.

    4) Sync Files Selectively:

    • If the larger SharePoint folder is causing crashes, try syncing only the necessary subfolders rather than the entire folder.
    • Go to OneDrive settings > Account tab > Choose folders. Uncheck large folders that you don’t need immediate access to on your local drive.

    5) Consider Third-Party Cleanup Tools:

    If the problem persists, you might want to try a third-party disk management tool that can provide more detailed information about what's occupying disk space and potentially clear it.

    Thank you for your cooperation and have a nice day!

    Best Regards,

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-09-03T18:41:46+00:00

    This is a known issue with the 2024-07 Windows Update, I first reported it over a month ago but so far currently no fix.

    The fix is to uninstall OneDrive and reinstall from the version page OneDrive release notes - Microsoft Support

    I manage a large amount of users and its happening on all machines, luckily I have created a script to automate the uninstall and re-install which fixed it. Can find that and my research below.

    July 2024 OneDrive Client Disk Space Bug + Workaround/Fix - Tech Blog, News, How To's and More. (liam-robinson.co.uk)

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-08-20T07:21:10+00:00

    This issue resolved for me too, I downloaded the OneDrive from this site: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/onedrive-release-notes-845dcf18-f921-435e-bf28-4e24b95e5fc0

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-08-18T14:23:37+00:00

    I'm getting the same error and problem.

    This is new, when try to sync (even first time on a clean PC) the files being synced are on "on Demand" but still block my storage and fill the drive.

    Microsoft have to fix this bug, this is terrible.

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-08-15T16:01:44+00:00

    This is excellent. Thank you for the suggestions. I will try them.

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