OneDrive Shared Folders no longer functioning in Windows File Explorer

Wendy Gordon 165

I access my work files via a Shared Folder in OneDrive. Previously, I was able to access and interact with the shared folder within my Windows File Explorer. About 2 weeks ago, the shared drive in my File Explorer started malfunctioning. Now when I click on the shared folder in my Windows File Explorer this takes me back to the web browser. I have had an IT professional investigate the issue and he and I believe that a recent Microsoft update has inadvertently caused this sync to stop working.

I have seen posts bu other OneDrive users experiencing the same problem in the last 2 weeks but Mircrosoft has not yet posted a solution. I have researched the issue extensively - the only advice given is to 'Add Shortcut to My File' and then click on the sync button. Problem - there is no longer a sync button at either file or folder level anywhere in the web-based OneDrive. The shortcut shows up in file explorer but this just takes you back to the web browser.

Urgently seeking a solution. This is making my work extremely inefficient and almost impossible in some instances.

Jiajing Hua-MFST 15,780 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2024-06-24T08:59:22.8+00:00

Hi，

Sorry for the inconvenience caused to you.

The same issue in Microsoft Answers Forum: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/shared-folders-content-are-not-showing-up-on-my/0c5334fd-803f-4011-8d4b-8934dd254f74

This may take a while to fix. Thanks for your understandings.
Paulo Henrique 140 Reputation points

2024-06-28T13:14:10.7+00:00

This is a global flaw that has been reported for weeks and until now Microsoft has not officially acknowledged the problem and gone public with its retraction. It is no longer possible to synchronize shared folders on Onedrive in Windows Explorer. They show as a shortcut to the internet. In other words, clicking on the folder will not open the files directly, but will instead take you to Onedrive online in the browser. This flaw is impacting thousands of offices that mainly use the "Microsoft Family" or "Personal" license to share files between employees . Because now they can only work 100% through the browser, which completely reduces productivity. And it's not just this problem that was found, Microsoft's services and websites are crashing all the time, several bugs in the processing of files directly in Onedrive were also found, but the worst thing is that Microsoft hasn't fixed this yet.

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Tania Kitshoff 25 Reputation points

2024-07-01T10:57:29.96+00:00

Has Microsoft acknowledged this problem as yet and have they given an ETA on fixing the problem?
Roselle Jung 15 Reputation points

2024-07-25T10:14:48.3833333+00:00

I cannot believe that this problem has still not been fixed by Microsoft. Complaints have been coming in for months now, and Microsoft has obviously still not found a solution. If this problem is a bug originating from the last update, it should not take more than a few days to correct. This is not acceptable!
Todd Franzen 10 Reputation points

2024-07-25T16:18:49.6233333+00:00

Well, after spending a few hours Googling to find out what the heck has happened to folder sharing on OneDrive I finally encountered this - which explains what's been going on. I did a whole of deep dives down dead end rabbit holes!
Jeff King 0 Reputation points

2024-08-28T11:06:44.84+00:00

I have this issue for over 12mths now and MS still havent resolved the issue...
Helen Groves 10 Reputation points

2024-08-28T11:18:43.6333333+00:00

I believe they have deliberately removed this function from the "Family subscription" and now only have it on the "Business subscription" a deliberate ploy by Microsoft to create an inefficient process to access folders and files, so as small business using Microsoft Family, either suck it up or sign up to the business package, which is 10 times the cost.
Todd Franzen 10 Reputation points

2024-08-28T11:55:09.49+00:00

I finally just gave up and started using DropBox for files and folders that need to be shared with other users. Their file sharing still works just fine. Thanks for nothing MS!
Hywel Jones 35 Reputation points

2024-08-29T09:43:48.9066667+00:00

This issue to taking far too long to fix. I'm also starting to think that MS have purposely removed the sync using folders functionality from the Family Subscription.
Stefano Foresi 15 Reputation points

2024-09-10T12:21:14.5666667+00:00

I use both OneDrive Personal and OneDrive (Business) on my Windows 11 pc.

I can confirm that the business version has folders that can be accessed directly thru file explorer, while Personal has links for shared folders.

I think this is by design, and not an issue of software... I mean, I have 2 onedrive.exe in task manager, it sould work the same way in both accounts! Microsoft change my mind!
Eduardo E 15 Reputation points

2024-09-10T12:31:24.2666667+00:00

Could be by design, only affecting the new users.

The old shares, at least for me, are working normally on Windows Explorer, showing as files. But if I try to share the same folder to another person, then it goes in as a shortcut.
Luca 10 Reputation points

2024-10-22T20:47:01.9566667+00:00

Any updates on this?
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Aromacream 0 Reputation points

2025-02-20T12:14:56.6033333+00:00

It seems that after the update two or three days ago, OneDrive re-synced all my files, and today, out of nowhere, this issue suddenly occurred.

Has this really still not been fixed? If so, and there’s still no ETA, I’ve been a subscriber for over 10 years, but I’ll be moving to Google Drive.
Junho Lee 0 Reputation points

2025-02-21T07:30:39.1133333+00:00

This problem suddenly occurred to me on 2025.02.20, even during syncing.

The original shared folder has been removed from the local directory, so each of the two PCs using files from the shared folder is creating its own version of the folder.

I've tried removing and reassigning the link to the shared folder, but it does not work.

Is anyone else experiencing this issue?
Eduardo E 15 Reputation points

2025-02-21T10:21:12.71+00:00

One drive unfortunately became useless after this bug or new feature. We moved to dropbox, it has a much better sharing mechanism.
Mike Williams 226 Reputation points

2025-02-27T19:28:02.58+00:00

I can't believe that this is still happening 8 months later...
Alberto Billi 5 Reputation points

2025-02-28T10:41:45.2466667+00:00

I have the same issue.

For the past few weeks, the shared folders I had been using for months in Windows Explorer have stopped working. They now only appear as shortcuts and not in the tree structure on the left. If I click on them, they open in the web browser.

On the other hand, other shared folders that I have been using for years still work perfectly.

Note: in the shortcut of the shared folder that still working, the Status shows a green checkmark and a little figure. When I hover the mouse over it, it says "Available when Online, Shared". However, for the folders that are giving me problems, when I hover the mouse over them, it says "Available when Online, Shortcut".

Update: I just asked the person who shared the folder that is still working to share a new one with me, and it works! However, the other folders still don't work.

The shared folders that are only added as shortcuts and can only be accessed through the web browser were created on Mac devices. Could this be the cause of the issue?
Whitney Smith 5 Reputation points

2025-03-01T16:12:43.5633333+00:00

WTF? This is still broken nd randomly appears on different computers. Microsoft are incompetent fools who don't understand how their customers use their software.
Todd Franzen 10 Reputation points

2025-03-01T17:46:35.2833333+00:00

It's not a Mac issue. It's the same problem on all the Windows machines I've tried it on.
Mike Williams 226 Reputation points

2025-03-04T08:18:30.2966667+00:00

My support case was closed yesterday.

Does this mean a fix is iminent, maybe...
STF413 0 Reputation points

2025-03-04T18:16:21.11+00:00

It's March 2025 already and you (Microsoft) still have not fixed the problem that you found in June 2024. Something is really wrong with Microsoft.

You should have source control and I suppose you use Git. You should be able to trace back who did that and how to revert back.

Can't you employ qualified software engineers?

When you found out the cause, you should fire the person(s) responsible for this chaos!
Randy Wagner 0 Reputation points

2025-03-05T03:23:52.8633333+00:00

The ability to view in File Explorer OneDrive Folders and OneDrive Files shared with me has worked fine for my wife and me until this week when, all of a sudden, the shared folders and files have disappeared from both her and my File Explorer (our own OneDrive folders and files can be viewed in File Explorer just fine). I can access them fine in a web browser, but that interface is unacceptable for our purposes. Based on this thread, this is a long-standing problem that affects some but not all users.

This has become a critical productivity issue for us, and unless we are provided a fix ASAP, we will have to find another solution (presumably with a non-Microsoft product).
Yusef 0 Reputation points

2025-03-05T15:19:58.5166667+00:00

I have had the same exact issue for over a week now. It is severely impacting my business and making it almost impossible to work. Will be forced to migrate away from Microsoft products if the issue persists.

Has anyone confirmed if switching over to a business account resolves the issue?
Todd Franzen 10 Reputation points

2025-03-05T16:08:00.32+00:00

I attempted to test this a couple of days ago, but was unable to even recognize a share I attempted to make from the business account to my personal account or vice versa. No web link or anything. At that point I gave up. Perhaps the sharing only works between different "employee" subaccounts. If anyone else wants to try testing this out, I'd like to know if and how they make it work.
Charlie Ball 0 Reputation points

2025-03-06T02:26:14.07+00:00

The problem of OneDrive shared folders only being available through a shortcut instead of being available locally in file explorer has just reared it's ugly head in my workflow. I am also concerned that about this issue. Currently this appears to be not all shared folders, but need to do a more in depth exploration when I have computers in the same location to diagnose. Not performance by Microsoft!!
Sebastian Dez 0 Reputation points

2025-03-07T13:57:43.26+00:00

Hi there,

March 7, 2025. I see this is a year old issue. Can we have @microsoft comment on any progress?

Productivity has been cut 90% with this issue.

Thanks,
Joshua Flory 0 Reputation points

2025-03-07T19:11:00.6433333+00:00

This has been going on for an unreasonable amount of time. One of the primary purposes of cloud storage is to be able to share and edit files easily. This function is a necessity for a majority of the users and Microsoft has done NOTHING to fix it.

8 answers

Brendan Penny 20 Reputation points

2024-09-26T06:31:59.83+00:00

Guys, just move your files over to Google Drive
All you need to do is create shortcuts to "My Drive"
Slightly different but works perfectly fine for me and everyone I am sharing too
I have uninstalled OneDrive now, I dont need to be constantly harassed to back up my desktop, documents and pictures every other day when I reboot my PC.
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4 people found this answer helpful.
Flavian Imlig 0 Reputation points

2025-02-26T19:59:32.67+00:00

Same here!! Not possible to access a shared folder in Windows file explorer, starting this week!!
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Neuvi Jiang 1,540 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2024-06-28T08:02:34.6266667+00:00

Hi Wendy Gordon,

Thank you for posting in the Q&A Forums.

Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and is actively seeking a solution.

Efforts are underway to restore proper access to the affected shared folders. Initial steps include investigating the root cause of the issue and implementing fixes to ensure that the shared folder displays correctly as a folder in File Explorer.

A full analysis is being conducted to determine the exact cause of the issue. Initial findings indicate that there may have been a configuration error or a recent update that affected the shared folder handling and synchronization process.

Please wait for Microsoft engineers to fix this vulnerability and then normal work can proceed.

Best regards

NeuviJ

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2 people found this answer helpful.
Hywel Jones 35 Reputation points

2024-08-21T22:07:31.0333333+00:00

Has there been any progress on fixing this issue?

Jeff King 0 Reputation points

2024-08-28T11:07:32.88+00:00

Where is MS with this.... its unworkable at the moment....

Eduardo E 15 Reputation points

2024-09-04T11:36:49.5166667+00:00

We use dropbox here and it has worked flawlesly sharing documents since 2010. I just tried one drive to see how it would compare and spent a few hours trying to make this work thinking it would not be possible that this feature does not exist in Onedrive.

Hope this is fixed soon.

Wendy Gordon 165 Reputation points

2024-09-10T23:20:18.6266667+00:00

Hi NeuviJ,

2.5 months later and no progress OR any kind of communication of update from Microsoft. Do you honestly think this is acceptable?

Hywel Jones 35 Reputation points

2024-09-12T16:46:41.09+00:00

Either Microsoft aren't interested in fixing the issue, or its been purposely removed from the Family subscription and they can't be honest about it with paying customers.

Luca 10 Reputation points

2024-10-22T20:45:51.1133333+00:00

It's 4 months later and still nothing has happened. I was going to use OneDrive for a group study project, but we will move to Google Drive now, at least it integrates better with windows. Is there any update on this issue?

Whitney Smith 5 Reputation points

2025-03-01T16:13:50.0533333+00:00

Neuvi Jiang - you are a liar. This is still broken 8 months later.

Jana W 0 Reputation points

2025-03-08T07:32:15.0633333+00:00

This is unacceptable. We are changing to a competitor. Thank you to give us one additional reason to leave the Microsoft ecosystem.

Joshua Flory 0 Reputation points

2025-03-08T08:56:15.3666667+00:00

Microsoft needs to get it together. This is ridiculous. One of the key points of a cloud service is sharing files. We can't do that when they are not even trying to fix the issue. There is no way it takes a year to undo a screwed-up update or whatever migration thing they are claiming. This needs to be fixed.
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JPS92 6 Reputation points

2025-02-27T07:46:51.3466667+00:00

I never experienced this issue until today. It's ironic because it looks like it was an old issue that was fixed for some.

The local folder that I had on my own computer which was shared with another person got emptied. First I thought that the content was gone, and I was kind of pissed, but then I checked the online version of the folder and everything was there.

Still, I havent found a way to get my files back locally, but I suspect this might be related to something happening last Friday on my computer where OneDrive was sneakily "processing changes" of more than 1M files in my onedrive.

Onedrive should acknowledge what it is doing to your files before pushing faulty patches messing with your files.

As a paying customer I am not happy about this.
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Lowenna Luke 0 Reputation points

2025-02-27T10:57:10.7+00:00

And today this happened to me too.

Todd Franzen 10 Reputation points

2025-02-27T12:19:43.3933333+00:00

Well, here is something that may add some "spice" to this discussion on OneDrive shares no longer being accessible through File Explorer (except as links to the OneDrive webpage).

I experienced the same issue, beginning sometime early last summer. The only answer I came up with was to use DropBox (or some other service) for true file sharing.

However, and I don't think I've seen anyone else commenting on this, file shares that are older still work just fine. It's just I can't create new shares that work properly.

Now, if I was really smart, there is probably a way to look into the intimate details of these older shares and perhaps figure out why they are still working. Unfortunately, I'm not that smart.

But maybe someone else who's had this issue is smart enough - at least to know where to start looking! I've a feeling that an answer lies in this.

Eduardo E 15 Reputation points

2025-02-27T12:28:22.0866667+00:00

Yes. This is the same case for me. Older shares work correctly. But if you try to share the same files to somenone new, you get into this issue.

I think this is a new feature/business model for One Drive personal edition. This makes one drive a very bad option for file sharing.

Lowenna Luke 0 Reputation points

2025-02-27T12:47:02.6133333+00:00

@Todd Franzen My shares are old and they've given up. As Outlook for Mac is almost unusable for multiple accounts, I'm seriously considering Google Workspace now.

Martijn van den Brink 0 Reputation points

2025-02-27T19:57:02.0733333+00:00

I noticed this problem since today too. Not too happy about it..

Teej 0 Reputation points

2025-02-28T00:45:03.9266667+00:00

Exactly the same issue for me. Just started happening this morning

Kaye Davis 0 Reputation points

2025-02-28T11:04:36.99+00:00

This has happened to us, need to now find a solution to enable us to work as using the web browser is just not going to work long term. Any suggestions for alternative?

Eduardo E 15 Reputation points

2025-02-28T11:12:43.26+00:00

Unfortunately the only alternative is to use another service: I'm using Dropbox. But you will need to pay an extra subscription as the free plan is very limited in space.

@JanetA 0 Reputation points

2025-03-02T10:53:45.5233333+00:00

This is impacted our family this morning. All of our shared folders are no longer accessible from OneDrive and we now only get a link to the share via the browser. This is a real pain as working in the browser is far less efficient than using Windows Explorer and the MS desktop apps. @Microsoft - what happened? This is a feature that has been working well for years. What can be done?

Zacc Cooley 0 Reputation points

2025-03-08T00:32:20.27+00:00

Just happened to me last week. WEAK!
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Ira Skop 5 Reputation points

2025-03-07T13:34:40.19+00:00

This is a nightmare. I spent two days trying to figure out where my files are disappearing, searching for answers, until I finally came across this. My workflow is based on sharing one MS personal account that I use for Office 365, and which has the terabyte of storage, with another that I use for my PC that doesn't have the extra storage. It worked beautifully for years, and now it is a crisis.
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Diwas Shrestha 75 Reputation points Student Ambassador

2024-06-24T11:53:08.0666667+00:00

Can you make some tweak to these setting in Onedrive settings and check if it works?
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Steven Hartline 0 Reputation points

2024-07-17T15:32:04.4933333+00:00

I'm assuming this is a Windows 11 feature?
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OneDrive Shared Folders no longer functioning in Windows File Explorer

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