Syncing My Documents Folder to One Drive changed the name of the folder and broke Outlook PST links.

Question

Syncing My Documents Folder to One Drive changed the name of the folder and broke Outlook PST links.

PB 0

Syncing My Documents FOlder to One Drive changed the name of the folder and broke Outlook PST links and search index. This is a terrible design flaw. Backup utilities should never manipulate source files/folders.

After undoing this change, some files are lost (not even on the One Drive online folder)

From: C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents

To: C:\Users\USERNAME\OneDrive - [Moderator note: personal info removed]\Documents

Setting enabled:

0 comments

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Ian-Ng 11,320 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @PB,

Thank you for providing a detailed description of the issue.

The behavior you are experiencing is likely caused by the OneDrive "Sync and Backup" (Known Folder Move) feature. This setting redirects standard Windows folders, such as Documents, into the OneDrive path. Because Outlook .PST files are continuously updated and locked while in use, they are not compatible with cloud-synced folders. This often results in file in use errors, sync delays, or broken file paths within Outlook.

To resolve this and improve application stability, I recommend moving your .PST files to a local directory outside of OneDrive. Please follow the steps below:

Phase 1: Relocating the .PST file

Close Outlook and wait for OneDrive to complete any pending syncs.
Locate the file: In File Explorer, navigate to the current path (typically C:\Users[Username]\OneDrive\Documents\Outlook Files).
Copy the file: Copy the .pst file to a new local folder (e.g., C:\OutlookData).
Rename the copy: Provide a distinct name for the new file (e.g., Archive_Local.pst) to avoid confusion.

Phase 2: Reconnecting to Outlook

Open Outlook and navigate to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
On the Email tab, select your account and click Change Folder.
Select New Outlook Data File, browse to your new local folder, and select the renamed .pst file.
Switch to the Data Files tab. Select the old entry pointing to the OneDrive path and click Remove.

Note: If this is set as the "Default" file, you must set the new local file as the default before the old one can be removed.
Kindly follow for more details: How to remove an Outlook .pst data file from OneDrive - Microsoft Support

Phase 3: Recovering missing or damaged data

If folders appear missing or the file was corrupted during the redirection:

Repair the File: Run the Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST.EXE) to scan and fix the local .pst file. Please refer to Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost) - Microsoft Support
Check the OneDrive Recycle Bin: Sign in to OneDrive on the web. Items deleted during sync changes are often held here for up to 93 days.
Check the Windows Recycle Bin: Verify if any files were deleted locally during the path change.

To prevent this from recurring, you can disable the redirection of your Documents folder by going to OneDrive Settings > Sync and Backup > Manage Backup.

Once the .PST file is stored locally, Outlook should demonstrate significantly better performance and search reliability. Please let me know if you require further assistance with these steps.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Ian-Ng 11,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-27T15:04:28.53+00:00

Hi @PB,

Have a good day. May I kindly ask whether you have had a chance to review my previous response?

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you.
PB 0 Reputation points

2026-03-27T15:26:47.2966667+00:00

Hello - thank you for the response. I understand what you are saying regarding Outlook. However, the concerning point is that several folders within My Documents have missing files (PowerPoint, Word, etc) within folders. The files are not in the One Drive location or local location after switching off the sync.
PB 0 Reputation points

2026-03-27T15:28:10.7566667+00:00

As I stated in the original message - an backup application deleting / taking over a folder is very dangerous. Backups should be one way filtered for safety
Ian-Ng 11,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-27T22:35:09.44+00:00
Hi @PB,

I understand your concern, and I apologize for the stress this has caused. It is unsettling when files like PowerPoint or Word documents which represent hours of work seem to disappear after a setting is changed.

You make a very fair point about backup logic. Ideally, a backup should act as a safety net that doesn't interfere with your local folder structure. However, OneDrive behaves more like a mirror than a traditional one-way backup. When it takes over a folder, it physically moves the location of your files to the OneDrive path. When you turn off the sync, Windows sometimes points you back to an empty local folder, making it look like the data is gone when it’s actually just "sitting" in the old sync location.

To help get your files back, you can check these specific spots where they usually hide:

1/ You may check the local OneDrive folder

Even though sync is off, the files often stay on your hard drive in the folder OneDrive was using.

Open File Explorer and go to: C:\Users[YourUsername]\OneDrive\Documents

Usually, the files are still sitting right there.

If they are, you can simply select them and move them back to your standard C:\Users[YourUsername]\Documents folder.

2/ Look for the "Where are my files" shortcut

Sometimes, when you disable the backup, OneDrive leaves a shortcut in your Documents folder titled "Where are my files." If you see that, double-click it—it should lead you directly to the folder where your Word and PowerPoint files are currently stored.

3/ The OneDrive web recycle bin

In case you don't see them anywhere on your computer, please log in to OneDrive.com in your browser.

Check the Recycle Bin on the left.

Because OneDrive treats "unsyncing" as a move or delete action, it often stores those files in the cloud bin for 30 to 93 days as a "safety net."

I understand your point that this “takeover” behavior can be confusing in the context of a backup service. The design places a strong emphasis on cloud integration, which may lead to misunderstandings around the local experience.

Please keep me posted if you find the files in that local OneDrive folder path. Should you have any further concerns, please let me know.

Hope you have a nice day.
PB 0 Reputation points

2026-03-28T02:36:07.3233333+00:00

Thanks for the reply

It turns out, this sync changed my file explorer shortcut paths and actually DID NOT DELETE My Documents folder (or any files within).

So what I see in my shortcuts is actually a link to the partial One Drive cloud folder. I will just need to redo all my folder shortcuts..
Ian-Ng 11,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-30T22:57:35.6933333+00:00

Hi @PB,

I am very relieved to hear that your data remains intact. It appears OneDrive orphaned your files by redirecting your library paths to a specific local OneDrive folder, which remained active even after the sync was disabled. This explains why your shortcuts now point to a partial or seemingly empty location.

To consolidate your data, please navigate to C:\Users\USERNAME\OneDrive - [Company Name]\Documents in File Explorer. Manually copy any files found there and paste them into your standard C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents folder. To fix your broken sidebar shortcuts, right-click the Documents folder, select Properties, go to the Location tab, and click Restore Default.

When you click Apply on the location change, Windows will ask if you want to move all files from the old location to the new one.

Select Yes to ensure a clean merge. Finally, please verify that Outlook is pointed to the new, permanent local path for your PST files to prevent any "file not found" errors.

Please let me know if you encounter any further issues during this transition.

Answer 2

PB 0

This remains a design flaw, despite the answer

0 comments

Share via

Syncing My Documents Folder to One Drive changed the name of the folder and broke Outlook PST links.

2 answers

Your answer