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OneDrive Temp Folder

Anonymous
2020-05-12T16:53:15+00:00

I have a desktop with 512GB of storage, I am syncing my Documents and Pictures folders using OneDrive personal (Though OneDrive Business is installed, I don't use it). These take up a total of about 250GB.

There is a very large Virtual Hard Disc file called {94339EA8-ED5A-4998-AFAA-5F1E10C9835E}.vhdx in the 'OneDrive Temp' folder, so large that I only have 45GB space left. As a result, I cannot make manual backups to an external hard drive.

I cannot delete the vhdx file; Windows says it is 'in use by System'

I've read the threads that I can find on this issue, and the conclusion seems to be that this file will be deleted by OneDrive when it has finished syncing.

However OneDrive says it is up to date and has stopped syncing (although a few files and folders are still showing 'sync pending' in Windows Explorer, but that's a different question).

I'm running Windows 10 Business edition (the installation is supplied by my employer) not sure which flavour. My employer is also stumped.

Is there a fix for this? Unfortunately I cannot work around this problem even though there is still some free space, because it is preventing me making manual backups which I want to do, as an additional precaution.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-05-16T19:09:25+00:00

    Hi

    Eventually, I had to uninstall OneDrive completely. I then figured out the following, which suggest it was a very good thing I did not delete the virtualdrive:

    All the files from the Documents and Pictures folder, which I had been backing up to the cloud, had been 'virtualised' - they were placed in the Virtual Hard Disk and did not actually reside in the C: drive file system.

    The reason I was running out of space is that OneDrive had found a large number of picture files in the cloud, and downloaded them to the local machine. Many of these were duplicates.

    The curious thing is that I have not seen any technical explanation of this behaviour or technology in the documentation, though it's possible I did not study it carefully enough.

    For now, I'll do without OneDrive until it is less clunky and more reliable. Nothing wrong with the idea, but the functionality still seems to be 'coming soon'

    So this thread is finished for now.

    But thanks DaveM121 for the advice so far

    A

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  2. DaveM121 886.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2020-05-12T16:59:58+00:00

    Hi Alan

    Open Windows File Explorer, do you see a Virtual drive there, and if so, if you right click that, can you eject that form there?

    Open Disk Management, is there a virtual disk loaded onto a virtual drive?

    Or are you running a Windows 10 backup onto that same drive?

    Boot your PC into Safe Mode to see if you can delete that disk image from that environment . . .

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-05-12T19:28:02+00:00

    Hi Alan

    Hi DaveM121 and thanks. In response to your questions:

    Open Windows File Explorer, do you see a Virtual drive there, and if so, if you right click that, can you eject that form there?

    There was a drive called 'E:' which does not specify the file system and gives the storage size as 1024GB. I ejected it, since I don't know what it's for (it was bitlocked so I guess it was set up by my employer). However, the OneDriveTemp virtual hard disc file has not gone.

    Open Disk Management, is there a virtual disk loaded onto a virtual drive?

    There was, until I ejected 'E:'. Now there is no disc other than the hardware drives and partitions

    Or are you running a Windows 10 backup onto that same drive?

    Automatic backup and restore is off and Windows reports that it cannot find any previous backup. So I think the answer is no.

    Boot your PC into Safe Mode to see if you can delete that disk image from that environment . . .

    I'm a bit concerned about losing anything OneDrive needs. As noted my initial instinct was to delete it, but since it belongs to OneDrive I've had second thoughts on that. It would be handy to know why it's there...

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-05-13T12:13:24+00:00

    Hi DaveM121

    The path is

    C:\OneDriveTemp\S-1-5-21-4080303085-989376780-587240787-1002

    The file is the only one in that folder. Its name is

    {94339EA8-ED5A-4998-AFAA-5F1E10C9835E}.vhdx

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