5 Fixes for OneDrive Creating Duplicate Files and Folders on Windows

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Fix 1: Remove OneDrive Cached Credentials

A common reason why OneDrive may keep creating duplicate files with the computer name added to the filename is due to its cached credentials. You need to remove the OneDrive’s cached credentials from theCredential Manager. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1:Click the search icon on the taskbar, type incredential manager, and pressEnter.

Step 2:SelectWindows Credentialsat the top. UnderGeneric Credentials, locate and select theOneDrive Cached Credentialsentry. Then, click theRemoveoption.

Restart the OneDrive app after this and check if it still duplicates files and folders on your PC.

Fix 2: Check and Resolve OneDrive Sync Conflicts

At times, Microsoft OneDrive may identify a conflict while syncing office files on your Windows computer. As a result, you may see multiple entries for the same Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files. When this happens, you will typically see a red X icon on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.

Here’s how you can resolve such sync conflicts and get rid of duplicate files OneDrive created.

Step 1:Click theShow hidden iconsarrow on the taskbar and click theOneDriveicon.

Step 2:Click theThere is a sync issue in OneDrivealert at the top.

Step 3:Click theResolvebutton.

Step 4:SelectOpen in Office to merge changes.

Step 5:Follow the on-screen prompts to merge the problematic office files.

Fix 3: Pause and Resume OneDrive Sync

Another thing you can do to stop OneDrive from creating duplicate files and folders on Windows is to pause the sync operation and resume it. Here’s how:

Step 1:Click the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.

Step 2:Click thegear-shaped iconin the top right corner, selectPause syncing, and select any duration.

Step 3:Click thegear iconagain andResume syncing.

If pausing and resuming sync proves ineffective, you can try unlinking the OneDrive account from your PC and relinking it. This should re-establish your account’s connection to the server and fix any issues caused by authentication issues.

Step 1:Click theOneDrive iconon the taskbar.

Step 2:Click thegear-shaped iconin the top-right corner and selectSettings.

Step 3:Switch to theAccounttab and click theUnlink this PCoption.

Step 4:SelectUnlink accountto confirm.

Sign back in with your account and check if the issue is still there.

Fix 5: Reinstall OneDrive

If nothing else works, you can consideruninstalling OneDrive from your PCand installing it again. Here are the steps for the same.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog box. Type inappwiz.cpland pressEnter.

Step 2:Select Microsoft OneDrive on the list and selectUninstall.

Follow the on-screen prompts to finish removing OneDrive from your PC.Download and install the OneDrive appon your PC after this and check if the issue is still there.

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Last updated on 12 August, 2024

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