Onedrive stuck as 'Looking for changes'

Question

For some context:. I tried to sync a shared folder and all was going well until it got randomly stuck half way through the processing. The 'Processing changes' randomly got unstuck a few times but the processing took way too much time for 1 file (15 seconds avg). I tried resetting Onedrive but that didn't fix it; instead, now I can't delete the shortcut to the shared folder (I can delete it online but that doesn't affect the one locally) and it's stuck at 'Looking for changes'.

I also tried renaming the shortcut folder, unlinking and relinking my Onedrive, restarting PC, etc. and nothing has helped unfortunately. Please advise on can be done (uninstalling then reinstalling Onedrive is not an option).

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello KJazem,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Community, Regarding on you issue/concern "Onedrive stuck as 'Looking for changes". This is a known issue that can happen when syncing shared folders in OneDrive, especially when something interrupts the sync process mid-way. Since uninstalling OneDrive isn't an option, You can Stop OneDrive Completely

Temporarily stop OneDrive to prevent it from interfering

%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe /shutdown

You can run this from the Run dialog (Win + R).

then after you shutdown try to delete the Stuck Shortcut Folder Locally to navigate it C:\Users<YourUsername>\OneDrive\

Locate the shared folder shortcut (it will have a shortcut icon).

Try deleting it. If it fails:

Rename it to something like To Delete.

Restart your PC and try deleting again.

once done try to check if it is still stuck,

(Optional)

You can Re-Sync the Shared Folder

If you still need access to the shared folder:

Go to OneDrive Web.

Navigate to Shared > Files shared with you.

Click the folder and choose “Add shortcut to My files” again

Please let me know if it works. I await your response.

Warm regards,

JayMark.D | Microsoft Community Support Specialist