OneDrive Instability

Question

I have Windows 10. Periodically, all of my desktop icons will suddenly get a green check mark. I have to jump through hoops to fix this every year or so. I have OneDrive disabled. I do not have a OneDrive account. I do not have the cloud icon in my system tray. I have not yet tried to just uninstall the OneDrive app, but that probably won't make a difference anyway.

Why does this keep coming back ? Why do I have to fix something continuously ? How can I get this to stop permanently ?

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Mod moved from : Windows for home | Windows 10 | Apps

Answer 1

The issue you're experiencing with the green check marks on your desktop icons is likely related to the OneDrive sync status indicators. Even if you have OneDrive disabled or do not have an account, the OneDrive application may still be installed on your system and configured to interact with your file system, which can lead to these indicators appearing intermittently.

To resolve this issue permanently, you can consider the following steps:

1. Uninstall OneDrive: If you haven't already, uninstall OneDrive completely from your system. This can be done through the Control Panel or Settings app in Windows 10.
2. Check Registry Settings: Sometimes, registry settings can cause issues with file synchronization. You can check for policies like UseFindFirstFileEnumeration that might be affecting how Windows interacts with OneDrive. If this policy is set to True, it can lead to incorrect sync statuses.
3. Reset Internet Explorer Settings: If you have any custom Internet options that might be interfering, resetting Internet Explorer to its default settings can help.
4. Regular Maintenance: Ensure that your system is regularly updated, and perform maintenance checks to prevent issues from recurring.

By following these steps, you should be able to prevent the green check marks from appearing on your desktop icons in the future.

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References:

• Troubleshooting OneDrive for work or school sync issues
• The OneDrive sync status icon incorrectly shows "syncing" in File Explorer

Answer 2

If you have a Microsoft account, you have at the very least a free OneDrive account with 5GB of cloud storage.