Unlocking OneDrive Personal vault required sometimes 2 unlocks to work

Question

Hi,

Since recently (I don't remember when it happened first), unlocking my personal vault requires to unlock twice before working. The credential input seems to work and the different scying steps from 1 to 14 run, even if sometimes it take a while and the OneDrive icons shows that it is scying) but nothing happens! I need to redo the process a second time to get the personal vault unlocked. Furthermore when the files are modified and scynced back to the vault, the button usualy displayed in the OneDrive menu is not showing anymore, I need to open the menu under the wheel icon and select lock to lock the vault.
Is it a OneDrive bug or what should I do to solve this issue?

Best regards,

ID d’appareil OneDrive : 37a3a7a2-<removed PII>

Version de OneDrive : Build 26.051.0316.0004 (64 bits)

Answer 1

Hi,

This appears to be a Windows Hello issue.

Could you please remove Windows Hello Credentials i.e. PIN/Fingerprint/face, setup them again and check?

I’m eager to hear back and work together to find a solution.

Answer 2

Also another OneDrive Personal issue that started about 6 months ago, on my office computer OneDrive enterprise will work just fine but OneDrive Personal when I'm at work doesn't reliably connect and my Vault is almost completely unusable except via the web.

But soon as I come home and connect from home it works fine, OneDrive Enterprise/O365 works reliably in either location.

Answer 3

I'm having this same exact issue, started about 2-3 months ago and on two different computers same issue, first time after a reboot it will login properly.

However, after it locks after normal timeout the first time you try to open it OneDrive Personal crashes or just doesn't do anything, on the 2nd unlock attempt it opens the personal vault.

Very annoying and frustrating!

Answer 4

The described behavior is consistent with OneDrive Personal Vault not being fully synced or up to date when first unlocked. This can require an additional unlock and can affect how the lock button appears.

Use the following steps to stabilize Personal Vault so it unlocks and locks correctly in one pass:

1. Make sure Personal Vault is fully up to date
   1. Unlock the Personal Vault.
   2. Close any files stored in the Personal Vault so nothing is open or in use.
   3. Wait for OneDrive sync to complete. Watch the OneDrive icon until it shows that sync is finished (no spinning/sync icon).
   4. When sync is complete, lock the Personal Vault again.
   This sequence is the recommended way to clear the “not up to date” state and ensure the vault contents and metadata are fully synchronized.
2. Temporarily extend the auto‑lock time while troubleshooting If there are many or large files, extend the Personal Vault auto‑lock time so sync can complete before the vault locks:
   1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
   2. Select the OneDrive Help and Settings icon, then Settings.
   3. Go to the Account tab.
   4. Under Personal Vault, increase the lock wait time.
   This reduces the chance that the vault locks mid‑sync, which can lead to repeated unlock attempts.
3. Verify normal unlock/lock behavior After completing a full sync cycle:
   1. Unlock the Personal Vault once and confirm that files are immediately accessible.
   2. Confirm that the lock option appears as expected (either directly in the OneDrive menu or under the settings/gear menu, depending on the client UI).

If the issue persists after ensuring the vault is fully synced and the auto‑lock time is extended, collect logs and contact Microsoft Support, as this may be a client‑side bug specific to the current OneDrive build.

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References:

• OneDrive personal vault is not up to date
• Protect your OneDrive files in Personal Vault