OneDrive macOS sync issues when Pages.app is set to open docx files

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OneDrive macOS sync issues when Pages.app is set to open docx files

Rodion Pavlov 20

I have OneDrive running on my MacBook Air M1, macOS Tahoe 26.0, and I mainly use the Pages app for working with docx files. Although, I am using Word to work with documents on my OneDrive, where I right-click the document, select open with -> Word. Whenever I modify a document on one of my Mac devices and go back to another, sometimes, duplicate files with the name of my device are created, seemingly when opening the file that has been modified on another device, although sometimes the duplicate files are created randomly, without opening files.

I have done some troubleshooting, and it seems like this is not the case if I set Word as the app to open docx files. Although, I would like to keep Pages as the editor for docx files.

I have obtained OneDrive from the Microsoft website, version 26.032.0217.

I have tried to reinstall the app, relogin to my account, unlink and relink my account, but it did not seem to fix the issue

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Answer 1

Hendrix-C 14,575 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Rodion Pavlov,

Based on your sharing, can you confirm the duplicate file you have is similar o this:

User's image

If that's the case, combining with the inconsistency of the issue, this is highly a OneDrive sync-conflict and it is often tied to cached OneDrive credentials. The suggested workaround is to remove OneDrive cached credentials from Keychain Access: Command + Space to open Keychain Access > search OneDrive and delete the "OneDrive Cached credentials" > then restart device and run OneDrive again.

For reference: Duplicate files in OneDrive - Microsoft Support

Hope this information will help. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments so I can continue to support you.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward to your reply.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it.

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Rodion Pavlov 20 Reputation points

2026-03-13T20:32:34.1633333+00:00

Hello, Hendrix. Thanks for the reply.
The files do, indeed, look like the proveded screenshot. In fact, I did run into this exact article around a week ago, and following those steps unfortunately did not help me. As stated previously, the issue seems to be tied entirely to the viewer for docx files. I do not even need to restart the OneDrive app to see the change. I have played around with it the past couple of hours, and the steps are as follows:
OneDrive is running
Set Pages as editor for docx files
Open a docx file with MS Word on my OneDrive folder
Modify the file on one device
Modify the file on another device (might need to repeat these two steps a couple of times)
After coming back to the first device I see that a duplicate file is created just like on the screenshot you provided.

At the same time, if I follow these exact steps, if MS Word is the editor for docx files, no matter how many times I repeat the steps, the duplicate file is not created. Again, just to reiterate, the Pages.app does not come into play in any way here other than being the editor for docx files. It never opens any file, never even starts up on the device.
Hendrix-C 14,575 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-13T23:37:11.18+00:00

Hi @Rodion Pavlov,

Greatly appreciate your detailed sharing.

If that's the case, this issue is likely due to incompatibilities between the Page app (exclusive for Apple digital ecosystem) and the Microsoft Office environment. I have also researched through product help and other official information sources of Microsoft and Apple but there is no article or announcement provide clearly statements and also no troubleshooting guidance addressing this issue.

As a community moderator, I may not have influence product design decisions and have limited access to internal development details, for you receiving the most appropriate explanation, I kindly recommend contacting your IT administrator to open a support ticket through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center for further assistance from Microsoft Support. A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis.

For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. If you don't know who your IT administrator is, please refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support

Moreover, you can also post your situation in Official Apple Support Community for further assistance and the most appropriate support. This forum is dedicated to Apple devices/MacOS/iOS and is actively monitored by power users and experts who can provide more in-depth knowledge/experience and share their best practices.

Apologies for redirecting you to a different community as my primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources/support channels and I also may not have the depth of expertise needed for your questions.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this process. If you have any concerns or questions in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Not only will I be happy to assist you, but all moderators in the Q&A forum will also do their best to provide support and guidance.

I hope everything gets sorted out soon. Wishing you a fantastic day ahead.
Rodion Pavlov 20 Reputation points

2026-03-13T23:41:14.1833333+00:00

Thank you so much for your answer!
Will try to get a support ticket going

Answer 2

Colin Grinham 0

Pages modifies .docx files in a way that OneDrive sometimes treats as file corruption or conflict.

Fix

Right‑click a .docx → Get Info → change Open with to Microsoft Word → Change All

In OneDrive settings:

Disable Files On-Demand temporarily

  Ensure **Office Sync** is enabled (if using Word)

Why this works

Pages rewrites the file structure, causing OneDrive to think the file changed externally. Using Word avoids this.

Rodion Pavlov 20 Reputation points

2026-03-13T17:22:06+00:00

Hi, Colin. Thanks for your reply!
Just to reiterate, I am not using Pages app to modify the docx files on my OneDrive location. I am manually opening the docx files via Word.
The only thing that changes from my end, is the default viewer for .docx files. When I set it to Word, as you advised, everything syncs fine. While, if the Pages app is the default viewer I get duplicate files even without opening the docx from my OneDrive after it has been modified on another device.

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OneDrive macOS sync issues when Pages.app is set to open docx files

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