Microsoft OneDrive Stopped Working? Easy Steps to Fix It

If you are someone who does not know what to do if the Microsoft OneDrive has stopped working start by closing and reopening the app. You can also accompany it with the age-old shutdown and restart computer advice. If this does not fix the issue, visit the OneDrive folder using File Explorer.

If you keep an online copy of files, you can copy them and move them to another internal location. This does not fix OneDrive but lets you retain the data that can be put back in OneDrive if we have to perform an app deletion or other hard reset.

As the app itself becomes non-functional you can’t use it to copy OneDrive files to another OneDrive account. If you desire access to OneDrive, you can use the web app or mobile app until the issue is resolved. These are just some early, non-intrusive methods to regain some functionality, data access, and soft repair. Moreover, before you begin troubleshooting, check if OneDrive is down globally. Visit Microsoft’s Service Status page to rule out server-side outages.

Next, we discuss how the Task Manager helps us.

If Microsoft OneDrive has Stopped Working use Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc together. You can open Task Manager in other ways too, like the security options list, the search bar, or the Run module. Once you have Task Manager open, scroll to find the OneDrive instance, right-click, and select End Task.

You can also visit the Details tab to see more advanced options that will allow you to diagnose the problem in a better manner. Task Manager doesn’t outright fix the issue but helps you to close down non-responding instances.

Use the Task Manager to make additional diagnoses such as whether your PC has enough free memory to run the OneDrive App.

Although memory in modern machines is massive it is not infinite if you have a ton of apps open in the background all-consuming a huge chunk of the RAM it’s possible that when you try to open OneDrive it fails.

If your OneDrive app closes on its own, Task Manager won’t show it, so you will have to use some other way of fixing the issue.

On Task Manager, you might see the Services tab. Let’s see how this option helps us to fix the problem.

How Services Can Help to Fix the Non-Working OneDrive App?

If you have closed Task Manager, you can access the Services portal via the Run module:

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter.

This launches the dedicated Services module from where you can fix the Microsoft OneDrive stopped working error. Here you can stop, start, pause, resume, or restart a service. Note that this is not the OneDrive app but the modules and repositories that help it function.

The services are arranged in alphabetical order. Scroll until you see the OneDrive Updater Service. This service is responsible for checking for any app updates or version releases and installing them automatically. You can try to change its current status by selecting either Stop > Start, Pause > Resume, or Restart. All these options are available by right-clicking.

There is also a Properties option, which you can use if you wish to perform more in-depth repairs.

If this doesn’t solve the problem, move on to trying other methods.

Try A Different Mode if You Cannot Open OneDrive via the Default Way

Toggle Admin Mode if You Cannot Open OneDrive in the Default Manner

• Run the OneDrive app as an administrator.
• Click on Start
• Scroll till you see the OneDrive App right-click > More > Run as administrator.
• A popup appears with the text “Do you want this app to make changes to your device”
• Click on Yes.

Registry Editor to Fix Microsoft OneDrive Stopped Working Issue

This is perhaps the most critical step, as making any changes can permanently dismantle not just OneDrive but other Microsoft apps on your machine. So, be extra careful. If you still feel that tweaking these settings is not worth the potential breakdown, you can simply ignore this troubleshooting method and move on to another method in this list.

Those who still wish to attempt it can follow these steps:

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type regedit and press Enter.
3. This may trigger a UAC alert; accept it.
4. On the main Registry Editor page, navigate to:
   Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OneDrive

 Here, you can make changes to the following values:

• Startup: HKLM\Run: Edit/Delete the “OneDrive” module entirely.
• Sync: HKCU\OneDrive: Set sync flags to 0 to disable sync.
• Cache: HKCU\OneDrive\Accounts: Delete all subkeys to make it a hollow shell.

Get Help to Repair OneDrive Errors

The Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant app has been decommissioned, and its functionality has been transferred to a built-in app called the Get Help app for Windows machines.

So if you still have an old SaRA on your PC you can uninstall it. To use the Get Help feature Press the Windows Key and Type Get Help on the Search bar then open the first result from the list.

Inside the new window, you will see the text “We’re here to help” and a search box below that. Type your problem, press Enter, and follow the official instructions.

This is essentially a search engine that limits the results to Microsoft website responses so if you are unable to get the correct response try other methods.

Toggle Settings in OneDrive App that Stops Working

In case your OneDrive app opens, you can use the internal settings options to repair the damage:

1. Open the OneDrive app (not the folder) via the Windows taskbar.
2. Click on the cog icon at the top right.
3. Open Settings.

Here, you can:

• Start/stop sync.
• Toggle notifications.
• Unlink and relink your PC.
• Set the upload/download limits.
• Alter privacy settings.
• Remove and add your account again.

If none of this works, uninstall and reinstall the application.

It could be that your current OneDrive version has exceeded its limit. The free version only allows 5 GB. If your budget allows it, you can subscribe to the premium edition, which offers more storage and may allow OneDrive to function again.

Use the Run Module for OneDrive Repairs

Press and R to launch Run dialog box

In the Open tab type

wsreset.exe

Press Enter

This launches a blank command prompt window which closes on its own within a few seconds. Another unintended side-effect of this command is that a Microsoft Store instance opens on your computer. No need to worry you won’t have to install anything close to the store and open the OneDrive app to see if it working or not.

If you still can’t open OneDrive then proceed with the next repair method which is also done via the run module. So press and R keys. then copy and paste the following command into the search bar.

%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

Press Enter or Click OK.

In case the command does not work and you see a “Windows cannot find…” message then use an alternative command.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

If this does not work and you get a “Windows cannot find…” message use the following.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

You should see that the OneDrive folder launches in the File Explorer and a Windows alert message that OneDrive is resetting appears.

Wait for the process to complete and then manually restart the OneDrive application via the default cursor method.

What to Do if  OneDrive App is Not Opening on Mobile?

If you have already restarted your phone and still the OneDrive app won’t open perform these steps in an Android mobile:

• Go to Settings.
• Tap Apps > Manage Apps.
• Find and open OneDrive options.
• Force Stop(only if the app is open), then Clear cache and Data.
• Once done uninstall OneDrive
• Open Google Play and reinstall > complete account setup.

iPhone Users have to perform a similar uninstall and reinstall process:

• Press and hold the OneDrive app icon.
• Tap the ‘X’ in the corner.
• Accept the confirmation message to delete it.
• Then, do a “soft reset” by pressing and holding both the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons together for at least 10 seconds.
• You can let go of the buttons as soon as you see the Apple logo on the screen.
• Once your iPhone is on reinstall the OneDrive app from the App Store.

What to Do If OneDrive Stops Working Again and Again?

Such a situation shouldn’t be taken lightly. If an organization faces this type of app outage, it’s better to shift to a different platform. The SysTools OneDrive Migration Tool is your go-to solution for that. It can not only migrate OneDrive for Business to Another Tenant but its simplistic GUI allows admins to pull data out of the faulty OneDrive app and deposit it into Google Drive as well.

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You can also use a sister application to back up OneDrive data to a different local folder.

Admins can use these applications to manage the data transfer of all users organization-wide from a single command-and-control workstation.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we provided users with ample options to fix the OneDrive “stopped working” error. From a simple restart to the registry settings, we covered every possible way to regain OneDrive functionality.

However, if such downtimes increase in frequency, OneDrive is no longer a reliable storage option. That’s why we also provided users with tools to back up the files externally or migrate out of the M365 environment entirely. Organizations whose users face such issues can use any one of the external solutions as an alternative to fixing the app.