Anyone else getting duplicate files with Teams + SharePoint + OneDrive?

Question

Hey everyone,

Is anyone else dealing with Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive constantly creating duplicate files? We keep getting random copies like filename (1).pdf or those “conflict” versions whenever two people open or edit something at the same time. It’s turning into a mess on our end, especially with big plan sets, PDFs, and other construction files we pass around.

For context, my team handles a lot of large project documents and construction estimating work, so clean versions are important. If you’ve seen the type of files we work with, here’s our site: https://clarkestimating.com

If you’ve figured out how to stop the duplicates, I’d love to hear what worked. Things like:

• Settings in SharePoint or Teams that actually help

• How you manage version control without the chaos

• OneDrive sync habits that avoid conflicts

• Folder setups that keep things clean

• Any automations or add-ons that make life easier with big files

Honestly, any tips or real-world tricks would help. I’m sure other people are running into the same thing.

Thanks!

Answer 1

It sounds like you're experiencing issues with file duplication and conflicts when using Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Here are some strategies that may help you manage these challenges:

1. File Versioning: Make sure that versioning is enabled in your SharePoint document libraries. This allows you to keep track of changes and revert to previous versions if needed, which can help manage duplicates.
2. Co-authoring: Encourage your team to use co-authoring features available in Office apps. This allows multiple users to edit the same document simultaneously without creating conflict versions. When a file is opened for editing, it will notify other users that the document is being edited, reducing the chances of conflicts.
3. OneDrive Sync Settings: Regularly update OneDrive for work or school to the latest version to ensure you have the most recent features and fixes. This can help with syncing issues that might lead to duplicates. Additionally, clearing cached files in the Microsoft Office Upload Center can resolve some syncing problems.
4. Folder Organization: Consider setting up a clear folder structure in SharePoint and OneDrive. This can help keep files organized and reduce the chances of creating duplicates. For example, use specific folders for different projects or versions of documents.
5. Conflict Resolution: When conflicts occur, use the options available in OneDrive to resolve them. You can choose to keep your version, the server version, or both. This can help you manage the files better and avoid confusion.
6. Training and Guidelines: Provide your team with guidelines on how to use Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive effectively. This can include best practices for file naming conventions and how to handle document sharing and editing.

By implementing these strategies, you may be able to reduce the occurrence of duplicate files and manage your project documents more effectively.

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References:

• Troubleshooting OneDrive for work or school sync issues
• Intro to file collaboration in Microsoft 365, powered by SharePoint

Answer 2

Hi,

Duplicate files and conflict versions happen because OneDrive and SharePoint can’t merge simultaneous edits on non-coauthorable files like PDFs, CAD drawings, and large plan sets. When two people save changes at the same time, the sync engine creates a copy to prevent data loss.

The most effective way to reduce this is to combine SharePoint versioning, check-out policies, and smart OneDrive sync habits pause sync during edits, use Files On-Demand. For extra control, set up structured folders and consider Power Automate flows to archive or clean up conflict copies.

 

I hope this helps!