OneDrive not present\missing when deploying Microsoft 365 from a Task Sequence but Office 365 and MS teams install fine from the same Task Sequence

Question

We have a Child Task Sequence (see attached) that is used to deploy desktop application software from Configuration Manager as part of a general installation from a parent Task Sequence that installs Windows 11.

The child Task Sequence installs Microsoft 365 as one of the applications.

All installs ok, Windows 11, drivers and all applications including Office applications, Word, Excel etc and Microsoft Teams. The only thing is though OneDrive does not install and is not found after the build completes at all i.e. no entry in Installed Apps, no OneDrive showing in This PC with the default C: drive etc.. We can only access OneDrive via a web browser.

With exactly the same Child Task Sequence we used on Windows 10, all installs including OneDrive (found in Apps and Features)

In addition if we remove for the Windows 11 deployment the Microsoft 365 deployment and instead uses the same source files and deploy after the build completes, it appears in Company Portal and can be installed from there and in that scenario OneDrive installs along with Office and MS Teams.

Any ideas why during a Task Sequence OneDrive does not install as part f M365 ?

Answer 1

Hi @Graham Duffy  

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum for reaching out regarding why OneDrive may not appear after deploying Microsoft 365 via Task Sequence on Windows 11, despite working as expected on Windows 10. 

After some research and discussion with colleagues, we’d like to share a few thoughts that might help explain the issue. According to Microsoft’s documentation Deploy OneDrive apps using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager - SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn, OneDrive is installed per user by default. It can be installed per machine, but to fully initialize, it must run at user logon with admin permissions, for each user. This means OneDrive needs to know who the user is in order to complete setup.

This leads us to a key difference: Task Sequences in Configuration Manager typically run under the SYSTEM account, not under a logged-in user context. While the SYSTEM account can install software silently, it does not have access to user-specific folders or registry hives. As a result, applications like OneDrive that rely on user identity for configuration may not initialize correctly. 

In contrast, Windows 10 often includes OneDrive as part of the OS image or has tighter integration, so it may appear even without explicit initialization. Windows 11, particularly newer or enterprise builds, may not include OneDrive by default, which explains why it only appears when installed later via the Company Portal, where the process runs in user context. 

To summarize, OneDrive may be installed during the Task Sequence, but without a user context, it cannot complete setup or appear in the user environment. 

While our role as a forum moderator don't involve deep technical work with Task Sequences, these insights are based on official documentation and practical experience. We hope this helps clarify the behavior and provides a direction for resolving the issue. 

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