Syncing files

Question

I'm saving files and the saved file doesn't have a cloud under status. That indicates that other members with access can't view it. Can you show me how to fix it?

Answer 1

Hi @Rose - Rock Builders Inc, 

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.  

Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your experience and screenshot. I understand how inconvenient it can be when OneDrive sync status icons are not displayed correctly in File Explorer. This issue may occur due to several factors, such as local cache corruption, Windows icon overlay handler limitations (Windows only supports a limited number of overlay icons), or misconfigured OneDrive or system settings. 

Before proceeding, please ensure that OneDrive is running and signed in successfully, and that the affected files are located within the active OneDrive sync folder. 

To help resolve the issue, please try the following troubleshooting steps in order: 

1. Reset OneDrive 

• Press the Windows key and R at the same time to open the Run dialog box.  Copy and paste the command below, then press OK:  %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset 
• If you see a "Windows cannot find…" message, try one of the following instead:  C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset  or  C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset 
• After the reset completes, manually restart OneDrive by going to Start, typing OneDrive, and opening the OneDrive desktop app. 

2. Restart Explorer.exe 

• Right-click the Windows icon and select Task Manager.   

• On the Processes tab, right-click Windows Explorer and select End task. 

 

• Restart File Explorer. 

3. Check Files On-Demand status 

If Files On-Demand is misconfigured, sync icons may not appear as expected. 

• Open OneDrive Settings, select Advanced settings. 
• Under Files On-Demand off, select Free up disk space, then select Download all files. 

This action refreshes the sync icon state. 

4.  Edit OneDrive policy registry key 

Important: Editing the registry incorrectly may cause system issues. Please consider backing up the registry before making changes. 

• Press Windows key and R, type regedit, and press Enter. 
• Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive 
• If the OneDrive key does not exist, right-click and create it. 
• In the right pane, locate DisableFileSyncNGSC. 
• If it exists, right-click it and choose Modify. 

 

• If it does not exist, right-click the right pane, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it DisableFileSyncNGSC. 
• Set the Value data to 0 and click OK. 

• Restart the computer. 

5. Check and enable OneDrive overlay icons via Registry 

Windows supports only a limited number of icon overlay handlers. If OneDrive entries have lower priority than third-party applications (such as Dropbox, SVN, or backup tools), the sync icons may not appear. 

• Open Registry Editor and navigate to:  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers 

 

• Look for OneDrive-related entries (for example, OneDrive1, OneDrive2). 
• If OneDrive entries are missing or appear low in the list, you may rename conflicting third-party entries to push OneDrive higher (for example, rename them to Z-IconName). 
• Restart the PC and check File Explorer again. 

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow the steps above and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can continue working together to resolve the issue.  

Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out so I can continue to support you. If you found the response useful, please consider marking it as accepted, as this may help other community members who are looking for similar guidance.  

I look forward to continuing the conversation.   

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