Onedrive stuck at "Downloading files"

Question

Onedrive stuck at "Downloading files"

145a 450

My Onedrive has been sticking at "Downloading files" with excessive CPU usage. I tried waiting (for it to finish, but it never does), restarting the client, and resetting it.

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My Onedrive version is: 26.022.0203.0006 (64-bit)

My Windows version is: 10, 22H2

UPDATE:

It finally finished "downloading" after a whole day and a whole night… still using high amount of RAM&CPU.

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UPDATE:

NOOOOOO it's now "Looking for changes" 😱

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Answer 1

Nam-D 2,000 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @145a,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on the information you provided, it appears you are experiencing an issue where OneDrive is not syncing to your local computer and remains stuck on the “Downloading” stage for an extended period of time. I understand how inconvenient this situation can be, and I am here to assist you with the investigation.

To help us better understand the issue, could you please provide the following details:

What is the full location path you selected for syncing your OneDrive to your local computer?
Does your OneDrive contain many subfolders or folders with long names?
How many items are stored in your OneDrive? Are you syncing only your personal OneDrive, or also any SharePoint document libraries?
When did this issue first occur? Were you able to sync OneDrive successfully in the past?

In the meantime, please try the following steps:

Reinstall the OneDrive sync application to ensure you are using the latest version.
Unlink your OneDrive and choose a different folder location to start syncing again.
Clear the OneDrive cache by closing the OneDrive application, pressing [Windows + R] to open the Run dialog, entering: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\cache, and then removing all folders inside the cache directory.

Once you have completed these steps or gathered the requested information, please update me with the results. Your feedback will help us narrow down the issue more accurately and determine the next best steps for the issue

I appreciate your cooperation, and I look forward to your update so we can continue working together toward a solution.

145a 450 Reputation points

2026-02-19T09:43:32.2633333+00:00
C:\Users\Austi\OneDrive - Microsoft 365

Yes, there are many subfolders.

I'm syncing Onedrive for Business account

Since yesterday. It could have occurred before that though, just that I wasn't aware of it.

The path %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\cache doesn't seen to exist on my computer.
Nam-D 2,000 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-23T08:07:29.0833333+00:00

Hello @145a,

Thank you for your prompt response.

Could you please help by copying the full path of the file that is stored inside the multiple subfolders? This will allow us to calculate and check the path length more easily, as the issue may be related to a long‑path syncing limitation.

I’ve also sent you a private message regarding this matter. Please refresh the page, and you should see a pop‑up at the top of your thread. You can click “View Messages” to see the details I’ve shared with you.

If you need any further assistance, please feel free to let me know.
Nam-D 2,000 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-24T15:17:18.44+00:00

Hello @145a,

Is there any update from you? If yes, please feel free to let me know.
145a 450 Reputation points

2026-02-26T12:14:22.7366667+00:00

My Onedrive stopped downloading and looking for changes after several days, and as I'm still unable to find the cause of this issue, that's the best we have for now. Thanks for your time and patience!
Nam-D 2,000 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-26T12:38:22.8+00:00

Hello @145a,

Thank you so much for your update.

I’m very glad to hear that the issue has now been resolved on your side. It’s always great to know when things are working again. However, please be aware that this type of issue may occasionally reoccur. If the problem happens again in the future, I would recommend reaching out directly to the Microsoft Support team. They will be able to provide you with the most accurate assistance and help you resolve the issue more efficiently, which can save you valuable time.

Thank you very much for your understanding. If you have any other questions or need further support, please feel free to let me know.

Answer 2

Quentin 5

Hello,

i have a very similar issue. I created through a python script several folders and subfolders with the deepest being somewhat similar to this one:

and it used to always work like that but for some reason my onedrive gets stuck at "Downloading 7 Files, 651.2KB out of 651.2KB" and doesnt do anything. Quitting and restarting onedrive as well as my pc didnt help.

Running on windows version:
26.012.0126.0002 (64 bit)

It is pretty annoying so I'd be grateful for any help

Nam-D 2,000 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-26T12:10:48.14+00:00

Hello @Quentin,

Thank you for letting me know.

After reviewing the situation from my side, the issue will require additional investigation from the Microsoft back‑end support team. They have the necessary internal tools and deeper access to check the OneDrive sync log that are beyond moderator's permission, so they are best equipped to identify the issue.

Please follow these steps to contact the Microsoft Support team so they can assist you directly with this issue.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, and I appreciate your patience and understanding.

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Onedrive stuck at "Downloading files"

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