Transition from the previous OneDrive for Business sync app

Important

Support for the previous OneDrive sync app (Groove.exe) ended on January 11, 2021. As of February 1, 2021, users can no longer sync OneDrive or SharePoint files in Microsoft 365 by using Groove.exe. Groove.exe will continue to work only for files in SharePoint Server.

This article is for global and SharePoint admins who want to transition their users off of the previous OneDrive sync app (Groove.exe) so that they sync with only the new OneDrive sync app (OneDrive.exe).

If you're not an IT admin, to learn how to begin syncing files using the new OneDrive sync app, see Sync files with the new OneDrive sync app in Windows.

Note

If your organization never used the previous OneDrive sync app, or had fewer than 250 licensed Office 365 users in June 2016, your users are already using the new OneDrive sync app to sync files in OneDrive and SharePoint.

Syncing files with OneDrive sync app to OneDrive sync app

When users who are syncing files with the previous OneDrive sync app (Groove.exe) sign in to the new OneDrive sync app (OneDrive.exe), the following things happen:

• If the new OneDrive sync app can take over syncing a library, the previous sync app stops syncing it,, and the new OneDrive sync app takes over syncing it without redownloading the content. If the new OneDrive sync app can't sync the library, the previous sync app continues to sync it. If a library requires checkout or has required columns or metadata, it's synced read-only.

• The previous sync app stops running and removes itself from automatic startup, unless it's still syncing libraries that the new OneDrive sync app can't sync.

When SharePoint libraries begin syncing with the new OneDrive sync app, the folder hierarchy that appears in File Explorer may be simplified.

Limits

The following library types aren't yet supported by the new OneDrive sync app, and won't transition from the previous sync app:

• On-premises locations in SharePoint Server 2016 or earlier. Learn about using the OneDrive sync app with SharePoint Server 2019

• SharePoint libraries that people from other organizations shared that your users are syncing with the previous sync app.

For more info about sync restrictions and limitations, see Invalid file names and file types in OneDrive and SharePoint

Requirements

To transition users off of the previous sync app, first make sure users have:

• Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows 7.

• A current version of the new OneDrive sync app installed. For info about deploying the new OneDrive sync app, see Deploy OneDrive apps using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. OneDrive.exe must be deployed and configured before you try the takeover command. Download the latest version of the new OneDrive sync app that's fully released to production. To learn about the versions that are rolling out to different rings, see New OneDrive sync app release notes.

• The following versions of Office or higher installed. For info about deploying Office, see Choose how to deploy Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. Make sure you don't install the previous OneDrive sync app. For info, see Changes to OneDrive sync app deployment in Office Click-to-Run.

  Office version	Minimum version
  Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise	16.0.7167.2*
  Office 2016 MSI	16.0.4432.1*
  Office 2013 MSI/C2R	15.0.4859.1*

  Note

  If any users have Office 2010 installed, we strongly recommend removing the SharePoint Workspace component. If users previously set up SharePoint Workspace (even if they're no longer using it), it will cause problems syncing team sites. Before starting OneDrive Setup, either Uninstall Office from a PC or modify the installation. To do this by running Setup, first create the following XML file:

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <Configuration Product="ProPlus">
     <Display Level="none" CompletionNotice="no" SuppressModal="yes" NoCancel="yes" AcceptEula="yes" />
     <Logging Type="standard" Path="C:\Windows\temp\" Template="MicrosoftSharePointWorkspaceSetup(*).txt" />
     <Setting Id="SETUP_REBOOT" Value="Never" />
     <OptionState Id="GrooveFiles" State="absent" Children="force" />
  </Configuration>
  

  Then run Setup:

  Setup.exe /modify ProPlus /config RemoveSharepointDesigner.xml
  

  For more info, see Setup command-line options for Office 2010 and Config.xml file in Office 2010.

• The latest Rights Management Service (RMS) client if you want users to be able to sync IRM-protected SharePoint document libraries and OneDrive locations.

Configure takeover

When the required software is installed on your users' computers, you can configure automatic takeover of syncing silently (review the prerequisites and steps), and then use this policy.

After you install and configure OneDrive.exe, Groove.exe should no longer be able to sync. If the takeover didn't succeed, or your users are stuck in a hybrid state (some content syncing with OneDrive.exe and some with Groove.exe), try running: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe /takeover.

Tip

Make sure to run the command in a user context, rather than as admin, or the error "OneDrive.exe cannot be run with Admin privileges" appears.
To affect all users on the computer, configure the command to run on every user account so it will run for any user who signs in.

If the takeover didn't succeed, the previous OneDrive sync app (Groove.exe) may be an older version that can't successfully transition to the new client. To patch the previous sync app, update groove-x in Office 2016 or Office 2013, and then try again.

See also

To help your users get started with the OneDrive sync app, you can refer them to the following articles:

• Sync files with the new OneDrive sync app in Windows

• Get started with the new OneDrive sync app for Mac

• Sync SharePoint files with the new OneDrive sync app