Fix sync problmes on One Drive

Daniel Kucinski 0 Reputation points
2026-06-10T20:13:55.7166667+00:00

I'm getting some message errors about permissions and can't find how or where to change them.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Other
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  1. Jay Tr 13,455 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-10T20:58:58.3133333+00:00

    Hi @Daniel Kucinski,

    Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your concern.

    To better understand the issue and assist you, could you share a screenshot of the error message you're seeing? If a screenshot isn't possible, the exact wording of the message would work just as well.

    With the full error message, it can help me understand the situation clearly to provide the best possible and appropriate guidance for your concern. 

    Thank you for your time and understanding. Looking forward to your response.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.     

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-10T20:14:28.2366667+00:00

    To fix OneDrive sync problems caused by permissions errors, adjust the file permissions and then restart sync.

    1. Check and fix file permissions in File Explorer
      1. Open File Explorer and browse to the file that shows the sync or permissions error.
      2. Right-click the file and select Properties.
      3. Select the Security tab.
      4. Under Groups or user names, select the account that is being used with OneDrive.
      5. In Permissions for that user, make sure Read and Write (or Full control) are checked in the Allow column.
      6. If they are not, select Edit, then enable Read and Write (or Full control), select Apply, then OK.
      7. Close the dialog and, if prompted, allow Windows to apply the permissions.
    2. Ensure OneDrive has access to the file
      1. If the error says the file is in use, close any app that might be using it (for example, Word, Excel, or an image editor).
      2. After closing the app, wait for OneDrive to sync again.
    3. Move the problem file out of OneDrive and back
      1. On the taskbar, right-click the OneDrive cloud icon and select Close OneDrive.
      2. In File Explorer, move the file with the sync issue to a folder outside your OneDrive folder (for example, **C:**).
      3. Start OneDrive again from Start by typing OneDrive and selecting Open.
      4. Wait until OneDrive shows Up to date.
      5. Copy the file from the non-OneDrive location back into your OneDrive folder and let it sync.
    4. If permissions errors persist when uploading to OneDrive for work or school
      1. If uploading to a SharePoint or OneDrive for work or school location, verify that the account has edit permission on the library. If only read permission is granted, contact the administrator to grant edit permission.
      2. If uploading special file types (such as .aspx, .master, .xap, .swf, .jar, .asmx, .ascx, .xsf, .htc), ensure the account has Add and Customize permission; typically only admins have this.
      3. Confirm that the correct work or school account is signed in when using Microsoft 365 apps to save to OneDrive.
    5. If sync still fails
      1. Use the OneDrive sync troubleshooter from Fix OneDrive sync problems.
      2. If needed, unlink and re-link the OneDrive account as described in the same article.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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