How to Reset a Windows OneDrive

How to Reset a Windows OneDrive

Apart from bad connection, OneDrive synchronization problems are typically resolved by restarting the service. Here's how to go about doing that.  Although we will walk through the procedure in Windows 11, it should also function on Windows 10 because, in contrast to certain other parts of the OS, OneDrive has not undergone significant changes. However, you should also confirm that a bad internet connection is not the only cause of your syncing problems on both.

What Happens When You Reset OneDrive? 

Does Your Data Get Deleted? To be clear, nothing that is already in your OneDrive folder on your Windows PC gets erased when you reset OneDrive. Already-synchronized files are not impacted in any way.  Resetting the device just restarts the OneDrive service and any related applications. This enables it to overcome any transient issue hindering correct synchronization. Following a reset, it will simply attempt to compare the contents of your OneDrive folder with the cloud storage, downloading (or uploading) any necessary files to correct any discrepancies.

You will need to re-specify any custom folder locations if you have them set to sync with OneDrive, as this will also reset the settings to default. You will need to use an alternative technique if you wish to completely stop OneDrive.

How to Reset Windows Computer's OneDrive

Press Win + R, or use the Start Menu to search for Run, and enter the following in the dialog box:

wsreset.exe

After you click the OK button, the Microsoft Store program will launch and a brief command prompt window will show up. You can exit the application now that OneDrive has been restarted. Remember that you can still accomplish this by using the OneDrive folder in the Windows file explorer even if you do not have the OneDrive program installed on your machine.

You might try giving the OneDrive exe file a reset argument if that does not work for any reason. There are three possible file paths that could work because the location of this exe file varies:

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

One at a time, try pasting each of these paths into the Run dialog box and choosing OK. If it is unable to locate a file, it will indicate that you should try a different route with an error. The right one will simply end the Run application without any problems.

Is There Another Way to Resolve Problems with OneDrive? There is not a single, foolproof way to resolve every issue that can occur when using OneDrive because there are so many different kinds of them. 

Having said that, most frequent problems can be resolved by just restarting OneDrive.  

This includes things like reinstalling the OneDrive software and the often advised restarting of your computer. Since we are discussing a cloud storage service, it is also worthwhile to take the time to examine your internet for issues.