OneDrive SharePoint Sync - rename folder

Question

Hi,

Running W10 22H2. OneDrive version: Build 23.153.0724.0003 (64-bit). I'm trying to understand the process for OD when handling renames and syncs. Pre-info: Folder name = Folder1

• From my SharePoint site: Choose Sync Folder1 > appears in my Explorer as expected (only 1 file in it so sync is immediate)
• Rename the folder in SharePoint to Folder2.

Screenshot of original folder

Screenshot of rename

Question: Synced folder does not update. Why is this?

• Right click above synced folder (still called Folder1) and choose Stop Sync > folder disappears from Explorer as expected.
• From my SharePoint site: Choose Sync newly renamed Folder2 > appears in my Explorer as expected as Folder2 but ALSO Folder1 pops back. I can browse both and they show the same content.
• Only Folder2 allows me to right-click Stop Sync (Folder 1 does not display that option)
• I can also see the two folders in my C:\profile[MYORGNAME].
• In my OneDrive settings I only see the one folder (Folder2) I just synced.

Why does Folder1 not get removed from my C:\profile[MYORGNAME]? That's clearly why it pops back to Explorer...

I have rebooted, quit OD, waited hours but there is no change. I was expecting OneDrive to resolve the issues but it doesn't seem like it is.

Any suggestions welcome (except resetting OD!) It seems to me the user experience is not great for handling changes...

Answer 1

Hi @NkCX ,

When you rename a folder in SharePoint that is synced with OneDrive, the synced folder in your local machine should also be renamed automatically. However, in some cases, the old folder name may still appear in your local machine. To resolve this issue, you can try the following steps:

1. Stop syncing the folder by right-clicking on the folder and selecting "Stop Sync".
2. Go to your OneDrive site and select the newly renamed folder to start syncing it.
3. If the old folder name still appears in your local machine, you can try unlinking OneDrive and then relinking it. Before you do this, make sure that OneDrive isn't syncing files. If OneDrive is syncing files, wait for the process to finish or pause the sync. To unlink OneDrive in Windows, select the OneDrive icon in the taskbar notification area, select Help & Settings, then select Settings. On the Account tab, select Unlink this PC > Unlink account. To unlink OneDrive in macOS, select the OneDrive icon in the menu bar, select More > Preferences, then on the Account tab, select Unlink this Mac > Unlink account.
4. If the issue still persists, you may consider removing the OneDrive folder through the registry before re-linking the account. Before you modify the registry, back up the registry for restoration in case problems occur. Start Registry Editor, locate the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\OneDrive registry key, right-click OneDrive, and then select Delete. When the Set up OneDrive window opens, close it instead of selecting Sign in. Go to your OneDrive site, and select Sync.

For your reference:

• Troubleshooting OneDrive for Business sync issues - Update OneDrive for Business to the current release
• OneDrive local folder name isn't updated after changing the organization name - Resolution

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