Why am i having duplicate files added to my OneDrive?

cheryl knowles 16 Reputation points
2021-08-03T11:44:45.437+00:00

The past 3 weeks i have noticed lots of duplicate files taking up space in my OneDrive, not only on my Windows 10 PC but on my android phone. I've had about 1000+ random logos appear & photos duplicated about 4 times. It has slowed up my devices, and my PC is constantly uploading whenever i use it. It also makes any synced devices run slow while it is uploading and i am constantly have to stop it or pause it. I am so confused and really annoyed at this. No idea why it is happening. It's like it is corrupted or something. I've spent days deleting unwanted files and there's still loads more. I think they still are appearing. Help!

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Windows
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  1. Emily Hua-MSFT 27,796 Reputation points
    2021-08-04T06:29:25.137+00:00

    @cheryl knowles

    According to your description, it's recommended to check statuses for your files in local OneDrive folder.
    Are they blue cloud icons?
    I suggest you you turn on Files On-Demand for each device where you want to use it.
    Then please go to OneDrive settings > Office tab > Under Sync conflicts section, please select "Let me to choose merge changes or keep both copies"

    Were duplicate files added with your computer name?

    • Please search "credentials," and then go to Credentials Manager.
    • Select the Windows Credentials tab.
    • Under Generic Credentials, look for any entries containing “OneDrive Cached Credentials” and remove them.
    • Restart OneDrive.

    I also suggest you reset OneDrive, this action could resets all OneDrive settings and won't let you lose any data.


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  2. Paolo Pugliese 1 Reputation point
    2022-07-21T21:15:13.25+00:00

    I know this will look like a shameless plug, but I created a free mobile app for iOS and Android that finds and removes duplicate files in OneDrive (and other cloud providers). It's very fast and pretty accurate! If interested, it's called DeDuplicate - Cloud Cleaner (link). The website has all the info you need about security, how it works, etc. (pay special attention to the FAQ) I initially made this app for myself but I improved it over time thanks to users' feedback. I hope it's useful for someone else.

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