Moving a shortcut Causes Sync Error With OneDrive

Question

I moved a clutter of shortcuts from my desktop into a folder away from view - OneDrive has been showing errors ever since. I have no words.

Answer 1

Hi @=D,  

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you very much for reaching out regarding the OneDrive sync errors you've encountered. I appreciate your patience and the detailed screenshots you shared. 

After reviewing the issue, it appears that the errors are caused by the shortcut (.lnk) files that were moved from your Desktop into another folder. The folder you moved them into is located in a SharePoint / Teams / OneDrive location where your account does not have Edit/Contribute permissions. 

Because of that, OneDrive is trying to upload these shortcut files, but the server is rejecting the upload.  
Here are my recommendations, please follow the steps below: 

1/ Move the shortcut files (.lnk) to a folder where you have full permissions

Such as: 

• Your main OneDrive “My files” 
• Your Desktop 
• A local non‑synced folder (e.g., C:\Users<name>\Shortcuts) 

2/ If you need the files to stay in the current folder 

You may request the site owner to grant Edit/Contribute permissions. 

3/ After adjusting the files, you can refresh the sync by: 

• Clicking the OneDrive icon > Pause syncing > wait a moment > Resume syncing. 
• 

Once the shortcut files are moved to a location you fully control, the sync errors should disappear automatically. 

For additional information, you can refer to these articles: 

• OneDrive shows "This file can't be synced" - Microsoft Support 
• No access permissions to the item OneDrive [Fix] 

Please note that this information is being provided by the moderator solely for your convenience. The referenced sites are not managed or overseen by the moderator, and therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy, security, or suitability of any software or content available there. We recommend reviewing all information carefully and ensuring you understand any associated risks before following suggestions from the provided link.  

4/ Best practices to avoid this behavior in the future 

You might consider: 

• Avoid placing files “temporarily” into SharePoint or Teams libraries if you're not certain about your access permissions. 
• Create a dedicated Shortcuts folder within your OneDrive My files (where you have full ownership), or use a local folder outside of OneDrive for system shortcuts. 
• For Teams folders you access frequently, use “Add shortcut to My files” instead of dragging and dropping .lnk shortcut files directly into the Team’s document library. 

I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out.    

Thank you again for your patience and cooperation. 

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