OneDrive / SharePoint — files not syncing
A sync icon spinning forever, a red exclamation mark on the cloud icon, or two files labeled "copy" instead of one shared document — these are the most common symptoms of OneDrive and SharePoint sync problems.
What to check, step by step
Check your account status and cloud storage space
Syncing quietly stops working when your allotted OneDrive storage runs out, or when your Microsoft account password has expired and needs re-entering. Click the cloud icon in the system tray — it usually shows a message right away if either of those is the case.
Recognize a version conflict instead of fighting a "stuck" sync
If two people edited the same file offline at the same time, OneDrive doesn't overwrite either version — it creates a copy labeled with a name and date. That's not a bug, it's a safeguard against data loss, but it means you'll need to manually merge the changes from both versions.
Check the file path length and special characters in the file name
OneDrive and SharePoint still enforce limits on the total length of a file path and on which characters are allowed (like #, %, or symbols such as : or *). A file buried deep in several nested folders with a long name can simply refuse to sync, without a clear error message.
Reset the sync client before assuming your files are corrupted
The OneDrive app on Windows and macOS has a built-in "Reset OneDrive" option (available from the app settings or the command line) that clears the local sync state without deleting anything from the cloud. It surprisingly often fixes persistent, unexplained freezes.
When it's a SharePoint issue, not OneDrive itself
If the problem only affects files in a shared SharePoint library (while your private OneDrive files sync fine), check the access permissions for that specific document library — a permissions change made by an admin sometimes requires signing in again on the device before syncing starts working correctly.
Files still won't sync?
We'll check your account setup, sync client, and SharePoint permissions remotely — without putting your data at risk.