OneDrive Sync Pending: 7 Fixes for Windows 11 (2025)
OneDrive sync pending issues on Windows 11 can stop your files from uploading to the cloud, leaving important documents unprotected. When OneDrive displays ‘Sync pending’ or ‘Preparing to upload’ indefinitely, your work remains vulnerable to data loss and collaboration grinds to a halt. This comprehensive guide provides seven proven solutions to resolve OneDrive sync pending problems, restoring your cloud backup and file synchronisation within minutes.
TL;DR
OneDrive sync pending errors on Windows 11 typically stem from network issues, storage quota problems, or corrupted cache files. Quick fixes include restarting OneDrive, checking storage space, and pausing then resuming sync. For persistent OneDrive sync pending issues, unlinking and re-linking your account or resetting the OneDrive client resolves 85% of cases within 15-25 minutes.
✅ 85% success rate
📅 Updated November 2025
Key Takeaways
- OneDrive sync pending problems affect file uploads and AutoSave functionality in Office applications
- Network connectivity, storage quotas, and account mismatches cause most OneDrive sync pending errors
- Restarting OneDrive and checking storage space resolves 60-70% of sync issues within 10 minutes
- Unlinking and re-linking your OneDrive account clears corrupted cache with 80-85% success rate
- Advanced troubleshooting including security software checks and system repairs fixes persistent cases
At a Glance
- Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate
- Time Required: 10-30 mins
- Success Rate: 85% of users resolve sync issues
- Tools Needed: Windows 11 admin access, Internet connection
What Causes OneDrive Sync Pending Issues?
OneDrive sync pending errors occur when the synchronisation engine cannot complete file uploads to Microsoft’s cloud servers. Windows 11 users encounter this problem when OneDrive displays perpetual ‘Sync pending’ or ‘Preparing to upload’ messages without progress. The OneDrive system tray icon shows continuous syncing animation, but files never receive the green tick indicating successful upload.
Several factors trigger OneDrive sync pending problems. Network connectivity issues rank highest, particularly on corporate networks with restrictive firewalls or when using VPN connections that block Microsoft 365 endpoints. Storage quota exhaustion prevents new uploads when your OneDrive cloud storage reaches capacity or local disk space falls below critical thresholds. Account authentication problems arise when Office applications and OneDrive use different Microsoft accounts, creating conflicts that stall synchronisation.
File-specific limitations also cause OneDrive sync pending states. Files exceeding 100 GB, paths longer than 260 characters, or filenames containing invalid characters (* ” : ? / \ |) cannot sync and block the upload queue. Corrupted OneDrive cache, outdated client versions, and interference from security software round out the common causes. Understanding these root causes helps target the most effective solution for your specific situation.
Microsoft OneDrive integrates deeply with Windows 11, providing cloud storage and file synchronisation for personal and business accounts. Learn more about Windows 11 features and troubleshooting on Microsoft’s official support site.
OneDrive Sync Pending Quick Fix
Restart OneDrive and Check Storage Easy
Time Required: 5-10 minutes | Success Rate: 60-70%
- Check OneDrive account status
Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your Windows 11 system tray (bottom-right corner). Verify which account is signed in and note any error messages displayed. Ensure this matches the account used in your Office applications by opening Word or Excel, selecting File → Account, and comparing the signed-in account. - Pause and resume synchronisation
From the OneDrive menu, select Help & Settings → Pause syncing → choose 2 hours. Wait 30-60 seconds, then select Help & Settings → Resume syncing. This clears transient ‘preparing to upload’ states and re-establishes the sync queue. - Restart the OneDrive application
From the OneDrive menu, select Help & Settings → Quit OneDrive. Wait 10-20 seconds for the process to fully terminate. Press the Windows key, type ‘OneDrive’, and launch the application. The sync engine restarts with fresh process state. - Verify storage quotas
Right-click the OneDrive icon → Settings → Account tab to view cloud storage usage. Check that you have available space. Also verify local disk space by opening File Explorer → This PC and ensuring at least 5-10 GB free space on the drive containing your OneDrive folder. - Test network connectivity
Open your web browser and navigate to OneDrive.com to verify you can access Microsoft services. If using VPN, temporarily disconnect it and test sync again. On corporate networks, verify other Microsoft 365 services are accessible. - Restart Windows 11
Save all open work, then click Start → Power → Restart. After restart, allow OneDrive to start automatically and observe the sync status for 5-10 minutes to confirm uploads resume.
Warning: Do not force-quit OneDrive during active uploads as this may corrupt files in transit. Always use the Quit OneDrive option from the menu to ensure graceful shutdown.
More OneDrive Sync Pending Solutions
Fix Problematic Files and Paths Easy
Time Required: 10-15 minutes | Success Rate: 70%
- Identify files causing sync problems
Open File Explorer and navigate to your OneDrive folder (typically C:\Users\[YourName]\OneDrive). Click View → Show → Status column to display sync status. Sort by the Status column to identify files with red X icons or perpetual sync arrows. - Check for invalid filename characters
Look for files containing these forbidden characters: * ” : ? / \ |. Right-click problematic files, select Rename, and remove or replace invalid characters with hyphens or underscores. - Verify path lengths
Right-click a file with sync issues, select Properties, and check the Location field. If the full path exceeds 260 characters, move the file to a folder closer to the root of your OneDrive directory or shorten folder names in the path. - Check file sizes
Right-click files stuck in OneDrive sync pending state and select Properties. If any file exceeds 100 GB, OneDrive cannot sync it. Consider compressing the file, splitting it into smaller parts, or using alternative transfer methods like SharePoint or Teams. - Close files locked by applications
Ensure no applications have the problematic files open. Close Office applications, Adobe products, or any software that might be accessing the files. Check Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) for background processes holding file locks.
Unlink and Re-link OneDrive Account Intermediate
Time Required: 15-25 minutes | Success Rate: 80-85%
- Update Windows and OneDrive
Navigate to Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates. Install all pending updates including optional ones. OneDrive updates automatically via Windows Update on Windows 11. Restart if required before proceeding. - Verify Office and OneDrive account consistency
Open any Office application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Go to File → Account and check which account is signed in. If multiple accounts appear or the account differs from your OneDrive account, sign out of extra accounts. Ensure only one account matches your OneDrive. - Unlink OneDrive from this PC
Click the OneDrive icon in the system tray → Help & Settings → Settings → Account tab → Unlink this PC button. Confirm the action when prompted. Wait for OneDrive to close completely (the icon will disappear from the system tray). - Restart and re-link OneDrive
Press the Windows key, type ‘OneDrive’, and launch the application. Sign in with your Microsoft account or work/school account credentials. Follow the setup wizard, choosing which folders to sync. Select Files On-Demand settings according to your preferences. - Monitor initial sync progress
After re-linking, click the OneDrive icon and select ‘View sync progress’ or check the Activity tab. Allow 10-30 minutes for initial synchronisation depending on file count. Verify previously stuck files now show green tick marks indicating successful upload.
Important: Unlinking OneDrive does not delete your cloud files or local files. It only removes the sync relationship temporarily. All files remain safe in both locations during this process.
Reset OneDrive Client Intermediate
Time Required: 10-15 minutes | Success Rate: 85%
- Execute OneDrive reset command
Press Windows + R to open the Run dialogue. Type or paste:%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /resetand press Enter. A command window may briefly appear then close. - Wait for reset completion
The OneDrive icon will disappear from your system tray. Wait 1-2 minutes for the reset process to complete. OneDrive is clearing all cached data, sync database, and configuration settings. - Restart OneDrive manually if needed
If OneDrive doesn’t restart automatically after 2 minutes, press the Windows key, type ‘OneDrive’, and launch the application manually. - Sign in and reconfigure
Enter your Microsoft account or work/school account credentials. Complete the setup wizard, selecting folders to sync and Files On-Demand preferences. Your previous settings are not retained after reset. - Verify sync restoration
Check the OneDrive icon for sync activity. Open File Explorer and navigate to your OneDrive folder to confirm files are syncing properly. Previously stuck files should now upload successfully.
Advanced OneDrive Sync Pending Fixes
Check Security Software Interference Advanced
Time Required: 15-20 minutes | Success Rate: 75%
- Identify security software
Check your system tray and installed programs for antivirus, endpoint protection, or firewall software. Common UK business solutions include Sophos, ESET, Kaspersky, and Windows Defender with enhanced protection. - Temporarily disable security software
Right-click your antivirus icon in the system tray and select disable or pause protection for 10-15 minutes. For Windows Defender, go to Settings → Privacy & security → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → toggle Real-time protection off. - Test OneDrive sync
With security software disabled, check if OneDrive sync pending issues resolve and files begin uploading. Monitor for 5-10 minutes to confirm sync progress. - Add OneDrive exclusions
If sync works with security software disabled, re-enable protection and add exclusions. In your antivirus settings, exclude: your OneDrive folder path (C:\Users\[YourName]\OneDrive), OneDrive.exe process, and FileCoAuth.exe. Consult your security software documentation for specific exclusion steps. - Configure firewall rules
If using third-party firewall software, ensure it allows OneDrive.exe and FileCoAuth.exe full network access. Add rules permitting outbound connections to Microsoft 365 endpoints on ports 80 and 443.
Warning: Disabling security software temporarily exposes your system to threats. Only disable protection briefly for testing, and re-enable it immediately after identifying the issue.
Repair Windows System Files Advanced
Time Required: 30-60 minutes | Success Rate: 80%
- Run System File Checker
Right-click Start → Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin). Type:sfc /scannowand press Enter. Wait 15-30 minutes for completion. This scans and repairs corrupted Windows system files affecting OneDrive shell integration. - Review SFC results
When complete, SFC displays results. If it reports ‘found corrupt files and repaired them’, restart Windows and test OneDrive sync. If it reports ‘found corrupt files but could not repair’, proceed to DISM repair. - Run DISM repair tool
In the same elevated Terminal or PowerShell window, type:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthand press Enter. Wait 20-40 minutes for completion. DISM repairs the Windows component store that SFC uses as its reference. - Re-run System File Checker
After DISM completes, runsfc /scannowagain. This allows SFC to repair files it couldn’t fix previously, now that DISM has restored the component store. - Restart and test OneDrive
Restart Windows 11 after all repairs complete. Allow OneDrive to start automatically and monitor sync status for 10-15 minutes to confirm OneDrive sync pending issues are resolved.
Clear OneDrive Cache Manually Advanced
Time Required: 20-30 minutes | Success Rate: 90%
- Close OneDrive completely
Click the OneDrive icon → Help & Settings → Quit OneDrive. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and verify no OneDrive.exe or FileCoAuth.exe processes remain running. End any lingering processes. - Navigate to OneDrive cache location
Press Windows + R, type:%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDriveand press Enter. This opens the OneDrive application data folder containing cache and configuration files. - Delete cache and settings
In the OneDrive folder, locate and delete the ‘settings’ folder and any .dat files (such as ClientPolicy.dat, GroupPolicy.dat). Do NOT delete folders named after your account or containing actual synced files. Only remove cache and configuration files. - Clear additional cache locations
Press Windows + R, type:%localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCacheand press Enter. Delete all files in this folder to clear Office upload cache that may be causing OneDrive sync pending conflicts. - Restart OneDrive and reconfigure
Press the Windows key, type ‘OneDrive’, and launch the application. Sign in with your credentials and complete the setup wizard. OneDrive will rebuild all cache and configuration from scratch.
Critical Warning: When manually deleting OneDrive cache, be extremely careful not to delete your actual OneDrive folder containing synced files. Only delete cache and configuration files in the %localappdata% locations specified above.
Preventing OneDrive Sync Pending Problems
Proactive maintenance prevents most OneDrive sync pending issues from occurring. Keep Windows 11 and OneDrive updated through Windows Update to receive the latest sync engine improvements and bug fixes. Microsoft releases regular updates addressing known synchronisation problems, making updates your first line of defence.
Monitor your OneDrive storage quota regularly by checking Settings → Account in the OneDrive application. Upgrade your storage plan or clean up unnecessary files before reaching capacity. Maintain at least 10-15% free space on the local drive containing your OneDrive folder, as the sync engine requires temporary cache space for upload operations.
Use valid file naming conventions to avoid sync conflicts. Avoid special characters (* ” : ? / \ |) in filenames and keep total path lengths under 260 characters. When working with large files over 50 GB, consider using SharePoint or Teams for direct upload rather than syncing through OneDrive, as this reduces the risk of OneDrive sync pending timeouts.
Configure security software properly from the start. Add your OneDrive folder path and OneDrive.exe process to antivirus exclusion lists during initial setup. This prevents real-time scanning from interfering with sync operations whilst maintaining overall system protection. On corporate networks, work with your IT department to ensure Microsoft 365 endpoints are whitelisted through firewalls and proxy servers.
Maintain account consistency across applications. Use the same Microsoft account for OneDrive and all Office applications to prevent authentication conflicts. Avoid signing into multiple accounts simultaneously unless absolutely necessary for accessing different tenants. Regularly restart OneDrive and Windows to clear temporary issues before they accumulate into persistent problems.
For users of OneDrive Personal Vault, unlock the vault regularly if you store files there. Locked vaults cannot sync and will display OneDrive sync pending status until unlocked. If you don’t actively use Personal Vault, consider moving files to regular OneDrive folders for more reliable synchronisation.
OneDrive Sync Pending Summary
OneDrive sync pending errors on Windows 11 disrupt cloud backup and collaboration, but systematic troubleshooting resolves most cases quickly. Start with basic solutions like restarting OneDrive, checking storage quotas, and verifying network connectivity. These quick fixes resolve 60-70% of OneDrive sync pending issues within 10 minutes.
For persistent problems, unlinking and re-linking your OneDrive account or resetting the client clears corrupted cache with 80-85% success rates. These intermediate solutions rebuild OneDrive’s local configuration from scratch, eliminating most sync engine corruption. Advanced troubleshooting addresses security software interference, Windows system file corruption, and profile-specific issues affecting the remaining difficult cases.
Prevention through regular updates, proper file naming, adequate storage management, and correct security software configuration keeps OneDrive sync pending problems from recurring. By understanding the root causes and applying appropriate solutions systematically, you can restore reliable OneDrive synchronisation and protect your important files in the cloud.
If all solutions fail to resolve your OneDrive sync pending issue, the problem may be server-side or account-specific. Contact Microsoft Support with OneDrive logs (Help & Settings → Settings → About → Export logs) for deeper investigation. For work or school accounts, your IT department can check for organisational policies or conditional access rules blocking synchronisation.
