OneDrive mysteriously stopped working on my Windows 10 laptop. I have no idea what went wrong, I tried reinstalling it even though it’s now part of Windows 10. Nothing worked. I finally came across this post and wanted to repost it in case it ever disappears. My situation was the same, the GPO setting was unset, which should have had the same effect, but I had to disable it to get One Drive working again.
User ‘pirwen’ posted the solution that worked for me at this link in the Microsoft Community.
“I remembered seeing an option to prevent the usage of OneDrive via the Group Policy editor, seems that there is also an option to force enable it. Here are the steps I followed:
On your keyboard hit Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog and type: gpedit.msc and hit Enter to open Local Group Policy Editor.
Next navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\OneDrive. In the right panel, double click Prevent the usage of OneDrive for File Storage.
Then here instead of selecting Enabled (as many tutorials suggest to disable OneDrive on Windows 10) I selected Disabled, and saved my changes. This option was originally unset, which should have worked just as if it was disabled, except it didn’t.
After doing this I opened OneDrive again and got a notification for an update. After a few seconds it opened, and was finally working again.”
Hi Patrick,
thank you a lot – this was a real help – I can’t imagine how I could find a solution myself.
Bless you.
Worked instantly. You’re a life saver.
Thank you so much it worked like a charm =)
thank you
Thanks so much. It is fantastic.
Bless You! Helped me too 🙂
3 years later this post is still helping people! thank you!!
It’s still my most popular post and all I did is repost and link back to the original location. It vanished from the Microsoft website for a while but it’s back out there now.
Bingo, worked for me. Thanks.
This worked for me as well! Thank you!
God blessed you mate.
It worked perfectly!
FINALLY! Worked first time like a charm. Much appreciate your help on this one.
Thank you!
This is exactly the fix I needed!
Thank you very much for this information!
This fix worked for me! Thanks so much!
Thanks! Must have been DropBox that disabled using OneDrive.
Thanks for this write-up! It fixed the problem for me.
That worked for me too, well done.
Thanks. You save me a load of time in our enterprise environment!
Bingo! Nearly 3 years since you posted this… if its still the fix.
Thanks
Thanks! That worked for me! I solved Disabling that policy.
YES!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Thank you – this fixed it for me too!
Excellent find!!
Wow, all I had to do was this? I’ve been stuck on this problem for hours, pulling my hair. Thank you!!!
Thank you…
It make the magic.
Wow, thanks. Really bizar it should come to this to fix it, but it works!
Worked Perfectly. Thanks for the post. Will keep this in our arsenal for later. Two thumbs up.
FINALLY A FIX!!! You are awesome!!! Thank you!
Thanks! Worked like a charm… Would have pulled my hair out, if it wasn’t already gone!!!
It works for me.
Tried many other suggestions, just failed.
Try no others.
Thank you,
This really helped me.
Great solve detective!
Worked like a charm. Saved me loads of time trying to fix it. Glad this was one of the top results when I searched for my issue.
It’s my #1 most commented blog post and the content isn’t even mine. But thankfully I chose to copy and paste as well as link to the content, because it’s now gone from the original link.
Glad it worked for so many people!
I’m not sure why you say that, but I can confirm it’s still available on the original link.
MS did some kind of redesign of their communities and it blew up their links. I don’t know how long it was unavailable, but the link was definitely broken when I posted in March.
Thank You very much!!
Yep! this is the fix.
THANK YOU!!! 😀
Great fix! Only thing that worked, thanks a lot.
Great ! Thanks heaps it worked 🙂
Super fix thanks
Thank you so much! This was exactly the fix I needed
Fixed, thanks a ton for posting!
Yep, this did it for me as well. Thanks a lot.
this fixed the issue only after the next PC restart. I need to do this every time!!!
Thank you so much. It’s working!!!
Fixed it! Awesome! Thanks
This worked for me as well, running Windows 10 Pro, Onedrive had been working fine for weeks, then suddenly I noticed the icon was missing and nothing had synced for a while
Tried to launch it from the start menu, nothing, no popups, nada
I tried so many steps like resetting, reinstalling and registry hacks etc, nothing helped
I did eventually get it to the login box, but it just stuck at Logging in…
But this fixed the issue
Thank you.. I struggled to much before reading this article.
This was so helpful!
Thank you!
However, I do not understand why these policies were not configured from the start, a new laptop, a fresh OS, the first install of all software … wonder!
P.S.
And in the same circumstances, the OneDrive version from the Microsoft Store for mobile cloud use – worked without problems.
LOve U man
Thanks!. The solution worked. I had to configure this policy to disabled.
Worked like a charm, Thanks you VERY much!!!
Perfect, thanks!
You’re a God send! Thank you ! I was ripping my hair out trying to get into OneDrive.
Yes !!! Thanks ! As you said I disable it long time ago and now needed it and forgot about this option !!!
Great post !
You DA MAN! Worked immediately, no update even needed here. Thank you!!
…and I must say: most Microsoft advice these days is awful, time-consuming, useless drivel. I hesitate to say that the MS online help from the sub-continent is almost all boilerplate. One in twenty-five posts from there has any relevant, let alone salient, information. They must be scored by the post or such, rather than by the usefulness of their existence on the support websites. I am so sorry to admit this, having worked with entirely capable colleagues from the regions. ;-(
Thanks a lot, it really helped!
In fact, there is nonsense, since a Policy denying access set as Not Activated should be the same effect as Disabled, but it happens not.
I wonder if this is a bug of 1803 update of Windows 10.
Cheers!
Didn’t work for me. Onedrive still wont load when I start my laptop up. Any ideas??
Jerry
I don’t have any other ideas… I dug this one out of the bottom of the barrel 🙂
I found this on another site. My OneDrive wouldn’t open, kept saying OneDrive.exe couldn’t be found… this fixed it for me.
“Open the Command Prompt, type the onedrive uninstall command, depending on your system architecture.
If you are using a 32-bit system, use the following command:
%Systemroot%\System32\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall
If you are using a 64-bit system, use the following command:
%Systemroot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall
Done this use the following command to reinstall the OneDrive application, depending on your system architecture, again.
If you are using a 32-bit system, use the following command:
%Systemroot%\System32\OneDriveSetup.exe
If you are using a 64-bit system, use the following command:
%Systemroot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe”
This resolved my persistent issue.
Thanks
This was so helpful! Thank you!
Amen, it works. Thank you.
Great!!!
I really appreciate that!
Worked great and thank you.
Thanks a lot
THanks a lot
Thanks
Thank so much! It worked
TOP!!!!
Thank you, now it works perfectly
Woo hoo! You got my OneDrive back up and running!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Legend!
First hit on google when you search for “windows 10 onedrive doesn’t start”. And it works too, thank you so much!
Wow I can’t believe one of my posts is #1 on Google 🙂
Thank you! It works so well! My one drive has dead for 10 days I was not able to restart it again, but this work!!!!!
Just showing more love for writing this post. Worked for me as well on Windows 10 version N. My settings were on ‘Not configured’ and I changed it Disabled and sure enough it now lets me launch it.
There is no HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive key in my W10Pro registry. What is the complete key so I can add it?
I found it in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\System\DisableOneDriveFileSync
What do I do when I get on this place?
That’s the only existing path on my machine too.
Thanks a lot !!!
Very helpfull.
THANK YOU SIIIR YOU ARE A FUCKIN JEDI
I saw a recommendation to check in local GP but not the registry. That wasn’t configured but the Registry was. Changed from 1 to 0 and OneDrive is back! Thanks for sharing this info.
OMG I have been trying to sort this for hours!
thank you!
Another thank you – saved a headache!
Many thanks,
Mark
For Windows editions without gpedit.msc:
1) Open regedit.exe
2) Navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive”
3) Delete the subkey “DisableFileSyncNGSC” (or change value from 1 to 0)
4) Start Onedrive.exe again
Ya, this worked
Thanks Much !!!!
Thank you,
It worked for me!
OMGGGGGGooodness searched for 2 days total of 7 hours before finding this and IT WORKED! Thank you sooooooooo much.
Thank you very much you saved my time.
Appreciate if we know how this registry was changed.
Oh man I tried so many things Mr. Internet said to try. This was the one that worked!
I have ZERO idea what I’m doing here but, the suggestion Patrick had didn’t work. My laptop does not have gpedit.msc so I used your suggestion next. I found HKEY LOCAL MACHINE…that is all it says, not the rest and I definitely can’t find the next thing under any of the listed subkeys. Any other suggestions?
TIA
Maybe you don’t have administrative privileges? Windows can’t function with the entire HKML/SOFTWARE registry branch missing.
This is perfectly working. Thanks a lot!
Worked like a charm!
This is the real solution!! Worked after everything else failed!!
I work perfectly, Thanks !!!!
You sir, are a legend!
Thanks a lot!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
After one year with problems in Onedrive, it is solved!!
And before August I contact MicroS… and one person “technical” not solved after 4 email’s, and after four email he not answer more email’s and I forget this issue. But today some friend insist to use… and search, search… and find you!!!
Thanks
Obrigado!
Jo
This method worked for me as well!
For those with a Windows Home Edition which does not have Group Policy Editor, you can use Policy Plus (https://github.com/Fleex255/PolicyPlus) which works just the same.
Thank you Patrick!
Thanks for the Tip
You are my f***ing hero.
This worked perfectly!
Thank you so much! This saved my evening – my wife is going to appreciate it 😉
Brilliant, thank you! This had me stumped
thanks so much!!
The problem I have is this and that Onedrive isn’t listed under Windows Components. I’ve tried reinstalling it and it still won’t start or show up for me to try this solution.
Hi Patrick, thanks a lot. Your tip solved my problem to use onedrive on windows 10.
I spell better when I’m less frutrated.
Hah!
Thanks. Saved some unknown quantity of further frutration. 🙂
Glad it helped!
THANK YOU
omg thank you. It works.
THREE HOURS i’ve been fighting with this goddamned beast from hell.
How to buy you a nice dinner?
Happy that this post helped! I’m blessed with a great job, home, and plenty to eat. I’d love it if you took that money and donated it to help feed struggling folks in your community.
You are welcome!
It took me 3 whole days to find a solution.