My PC doesn't have the files I have In my laptop

Question

In my PC Onedrive is fine but on my laptop it is still syncing and with the stuffs i have in my laptop the files won't go to my pc. both my pc and laptop are using onedrive personal. I kept restarting onedrive but didnt work.

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Mod moved from : Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

Answer 1

Hi Ethan Kim,

Good day. I'm Jhun an independent advisor. Let's get straight to the solutions.

A. Confirm your devices (PC and Laptop) if they are logged in on the SAME account.

B. Check for Sync errors.

1. Click the OneDrive icon.
2. Click “View sync problems”, if available.
3. Look for: File name too long. Invalid characters (* : ? " < > |). File size too large. Storage full.
4. 1 bad file can freeze the sync.

C. Try a hard reset. Restarting OneDrive is might not be enough. Let's try a full reset.

1. On Laptop, Press: Windows Key+R.
2. Paste and enter: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset Nothing may happen for 30–60 seconds. That’s normal.
3. After 1 minute, if OneDrive doesn’t restart automatically, Pres Win+R again
4. Paste: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe
5. Sign back in again. This will not delete your files in the cloud.

D. Check OneDrive web.

1. Go to https://onedrive.live.com
2. Do you see the files from your laptop there?
3. If YES: The laptop is not uploading properly.
4. If NO: The files were never uploaded to the cloud. or They are only LOCAL ON YOUR LAPTOP.

Check your folders. Laptop OneDrive folder might not the same folder you are saving into. If they are outside OneDrive folder they will never sync.

example: OneDrive\Documents.

E. Check your storage status. If Onedrive storage us full, it will stop uploading future files.

1. Right-click OneDrive icon.
2. Settings.
3. Account tab.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Jhun

Answer 2

It sounds like your laptop's OneDrive is experiencing syncing issues, which could be preventing your files from transferring to your PC. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Check Sync Status: Ensure that the OneDrive icon in the taskbar shows that it's syncing properly. If it shows "syncing" for an extended period, there might be an issue.
2. Hidden and Temporary Files: Sometimes, hidden or temporary files can cause syncing issues. Check for these files in your OneDrive folder and remove any that are not needed. You can show hidden files in File Explorer to check this.
3. Clear Office Document Cache: If you have Office files, they might be causing the sync issue. Close any open Office files and clear the Office document cache to see if that resolves the problem.
4. Windows Search Index: An incorrect cached status in the Windows Search index can also lead to syncing issues. You might want to disable the Windows Search service temporarily to see if that helps.
5. Reboot OneDrive: Sometimes, simply restarting OneDrive can resolve syncing issues. You can do this by right-clicking the OneDrive icon in the taskbar and selecting "Close OneDrive," then reopening it.
6. Check for Updates: Ensure that both your PC and laptop are running the latest version of OneDrive and Windows.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to consider resetting OneDrive or checking the Microsoft support page for further assistance.

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References:

• The OneDrive sync status icon incorrectly shows "syncing" in File Explorer