OneDrive Sync

Question

Why can I not sync all the folders from my one drive to file explorer? I have included an screenshot of the folders I am having issues with:

Answer 1

Hi @Jason,

From your screenshot, the folders “02 TBL Home” and “Desktop” are greyed out with the message: “We are unable to stop syncing some folders.”

This usually happens when those folders are currently protected or managed by OneDrive backup, are still in use, or the sync process is stuck.

Please try these steps first:

1/ Right-click the affected folder in File Explorer: Select OneDrive > Free up space (if available) 2/ Make sure all files inside those folders are closed: Word, Excel, Outlook attachments, PDFs, etc.

3/ Pause and resume OneDrive sync: OneDrive icon in taskbar > Help & Settings > Pause syncing > Resume syncing

4/ Restart OneDrive completely: Right-click OneDrive icon > Quit OneDrive Then reopen it from the Start menu

5/ Check if Desktop backup is enabled: OneDrive Settings > Sync and backup > Manage backup

If “Desktop” is being backed up by OneDrive, it may not allow you to uncheck it directly from the "Choose folders" screen. Microsoft mentions that important Windows folders such as Desktop/Documents/Pictures can have sync restrictions: Choose which OneDrive folders you want to sync on Windows or macOS

You can also review Microsoft’s general guidance here: How to cancel or stop sync in OneDrive

There is also a known behavior where protected folders (especially Desktop/Pictures) may need backup settings adjusted first before selective sync will work correctly. A similar case is discussed here: Microsoft Q&A - OneDrive can't stop syncing folder

If the issue continues, could you please share:

• Whether these folders are from personal OneDrive or a SharePoint/Teams library
• Whether your organization uses Intune or OneDrive policies
• A screenshot of: OneDrive Settings > Sync and backup OneDrive Settings > Account

Before posting screenshots, please remove or blur any personal or company-sensitive information. Looking forward to your response.

Answer 2

The screenshot shows the OneDrive “Choose folders” dialog. This dialog only controls which cloud folders are visible and stored locally in File Explorer for that OneDrive library. It does not allow choosing arbitrary local folders on the PC to sync up to OneDrive.

Only folders that live inside the OneDrive folder (for example, C:\Users\<user>\OneDrive - <Org>\…) can be synced by OneDrive. Local folders that are outside this path (such as other locations on C: or other partitions) cannot be added directly to this list and therefore cannot be synced in the same way.

A supported workaround to sync content that is stored elsewhere on the same drive is to create NTFS symbolic links (symlinks) inside the OneDrive folder that point to those other locations. OneDrive then syncs the content that appears through the symlink. When using this approach, note the documented restrictions:

1. Sync indicators (green check, red X) appear only in the original OneDrive folder, not on the linked location.
2. Symlinks must be on the same drive and partition as the target.
3. System directories (for example, Documents) and application/protected folders are not recommended for syncing this way because of OneDrive limitations (path length, characters, file size, metadata issues).
4. Syncing application or protected system folders via symlinks can lead to issues.
5. Folders on other partitions or disks cannot be synced with this method.
6. The original (target) folder must be inside the OneDrive directory; the workaround cannot be used in reverse.

Because of these design limits, only folders that are actually under the OneDrive path—or that are safely exposed there via symlinks under the above restrictions—can be fully synced and managed from the OneDrive “Choose folders” dialog.

---

References:

• Can't synchronize OneDrive files and folders from a local file location other than the default OneDrive path
• Can you only sync the folders one drive gives you? - Microsoft Q&A