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Why is there a Microsoft Office 2010 Upload Center?

  • Article

The Microsoft Office 2010 Upload Center enables you to monitor files that you’re uploading to a server. In particular, the Microsoft Office Upload Center uses a feature known as Efficient File Transfer (EFT) to help reduce bandwidth usage between SharePoint 2010 and Office 2010 applications. After a file is fully uploaded to the SharePoint 2010 site, a local copy of the file is kept in the Microsoft Office Upload Center (in the Office Document Cache), where it is broken into smaller units for editing. This breakdown of the file also takes place to the file that is uploaded on the SharePoint site. When you make changes to the local copy of the file, EFT sends only the changes to the SharePoint site. As a result, files open more quickly and you can start using the file before the download is complete.

You can access the Microsoft Office Upload Center by either clicking the Microsoft Office Upload Center icon in the notification area or by opening it from the Start menu (StartMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft Office 2010Tools Microsoft Office 2010 Upload Center).

Upload Center

The Microsoft Office Upload Center lists all files that have been cached.  Users can monitor the status of files that are in the process of being uploaded. Users can also manage cache settings to determine how long cached files are retained and to delete all cached files, if necessary.

Removing the Microsoft Office Upload Center icon from the desktop

When you install Office 2010, the Microsoft Office Upload Center installs automatically. If you wish, you can remove the icon from  the desktop:

  1. In the Taskbar or System Tray, right-click the Office 2010 Upload Center icon.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Under Display Options, clear the check box for Display icon in notification area, and then click OK. The icon will no longer display in the Taskbar or System Tray.

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For more information about how to use the Microsoft Office Upload Center, see Microsoft Office 2010 Upload Center.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi Em, Why the Upload Center is there is well explained. Whether or not it can be removed completely is another story. It's a tool of Office, not SharePoint, which explains why removing SharePoint doesn't have the effect you desire. Unfortunately, I'm not a designer, just the technical writing messenger. At least the icon can be removed from the desktop. Sorry more cannot be done at this time. Cheers, Darryl

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Is there a way to turn this off / on by default at all?

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi Neil, The Upload Center was designed to make it easier to update and monitor changes to Office 2010 files that you have chosen to upload to a SharePoint 2010 site. As I told Em, I'm not a member of the Office 2010 design team, simply a writer of TechNet articles. And yes, I wholeheartedly understand your frustration at feeling you have less control over the situation. However, you don't have to jump through hoops over this feature, simply don't use it. And if you don't like seeing the icon on your desktop, at least you can remove it. I hope this helps, Darryl

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    I it only allows me to "monitor files that you’re uploading to a server," then it shouldn't be running at all. I use OneDrive, but I don't use anything related to SharePoint or remote servers on my home PC.

    The question: Why is the upload center constantly working and giving messages (or even errors) if I'm not doing any uploading other than OneDrive syncing?

  • Anonymous
    August 16, 2011
    You still haven't answered the basic question, why is it there?... the removal of SharePoint should also remove that thing that is useless for a lot of us and it doesn't. File it under a bug of the Office installer.

  • Anonymous
    September 07, 2011
    Why on earth wouldn't there be a option to disable this or uninstall it? Simply removing it from the notification area is just a cosmetic change. When did Microsoft decide it was OK to take away our ability to manage what runs on our computers? Not to shoot the messenger, but these 'features' are the reason people are reluctant to 'upgrade' to new versions of Office or Windows - with each successive release more and more power and control is taken away from the user and replaced with ribbons and pretty icons. Darryl, as a part of the team, do you, personally, think it is a good idea that this 'feature' (however happy the Office team are with it,) requires jumping through hoops just to remove it? Would really like to know. n.

  • Anonymous
    October 27, 2011
    In response to Darryl's 8 Sep 2011 8:39 AM post: Well said. Upgrades are a package deal. In response to Neil's 7 Sep 2011 5:59 PM post: Use Linux; all the control you need, without most of the ribbons and pretty buttons. Your two birds with one stone.

  • Anonymous
    October 29, 2011
    To Marc - I use Open Office at home. Not as pretty as Office 2010 but no weird uploader programmes that I don't use installign and staying resident. (And no ribbons either, thank goodness.) The problem is work systems that we're stuck with upgrading and then trying to make work.

  • Anonymous
    July 18, 2012
    Look at MSConfig - look for MSOSYNC.exe -  this relates to the document caching the Upload Center manages.  Stop it from starting automatically and reboot.  See if Upload Center starts up then. www.addictivetips.com/.../what-is-msosync-exe-process-delete-document-cache-in-office-2010

  • Anonymous
    December 20, 2012
    There has to be a service that runs it.  Search deep and hard. Unless they bundled it under system service I suspect (because that's how they work) it's able to be turned off.

  • Anonymous
    February 10, 2013
    You can try deleting this Reg Key, which should stop it from loaded. [HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun] "OfficeSyncProcess"=""C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\MSOSYNC.EXE""

  • Anonymous
    February 14, 2013
    Do I need the Office Upload Center even if I have the Skydrive desktop application? Both seems to work when I save a Office file in my Skydrive folder. Thanks.

  • Anonymous
    July 25, 2013
    hey i just wanted to know that is this uploader upload the files or it can even uplod the pics or personal data on the server

  • Anonymous
    September 30, 2013
    You can block its startup by unchecking it in msconfig> startup, the MSOSYNC entry,   Also it can be blocked in a registry edit: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun Remove the "OfficeSyncProcess" DWord entry

  • Anonymous
    November 08, 2013
    Just use task manager to find MSOU in Processes. Right click on it and click 'Open File Location'. Simply delete the file. Now do the same with the other file beginning MSO.. UAC may ask you to confirm. Do so. Voila. And another extra bit of software from Microsoft you never asked for has gone. It probably messes up something in Office, but nothing I've found to concern me yet! All my Office apps run exactly the same as they did before I removed this.

  • Anonymous
    February 06, 2014
    I just did this "fix" by renaming the files. (added .stop to the filename) Just in case it causes an issue I can rename them back.

  • Anonymous
    August 29, 2014
    The latest version of windows has a feature called OneDrive. It seems to do similar but not equal things as the upload center. Files that were upload with skydrive succesfully seem to hang in UC. How do the two interact?

  • Anonymous
    February 02, 2015
    The above article does NOT address why the upload center is there. The Upload Center should have a manual disable/enable switch as it is just useless overhead.

  • Anonymous
    February 20, 2015
    OFFICE has been an entirely exasperating experience for me. Surely I have set it up totally wrong. Files come back as jibberish, often as not. Heck, this is my own simple records at home. I knew before I bought, Microsoft Works was all I needed. So now........... I avoid microsoft and its products.

  • Anonymous
    March 05, 2015
    Not only that Microsoft takes the files from out systems. Totally no clue.

  • Anonymous
    March 16, 2015
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    March 31, 2015
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 02, 2015
    I'd disagree with DarrylMo. One would not normally ask generally why Upload Center exists, but would ask the question meaning why is it running on my machine taking up resources without legitimate reason when I haven't asked for it. The related question regarding how it can be stopped would be part of the same thing, although the real question is why someone has the cheek to start it on other folks' machines at all. Some of us, I think the responsible cautious ones, do not go uploading our documents to the world, and think activating by default is just plain wrong.

  • Anonymous
    April 03, 2015
    I see it as a security risk. Where is it uploading things to? It should bother everyone to have stuff appear on their computer, doing stuff that they did not initiate and have not control over.

  • Anonymous
    April 11, 2015
    i have already installed the Office365. do i have no need for the former Office 2010?

  • Anonymous
    April 20, 2015
    And that's why no one like Microsoft and they are dying.

  • Anonymous
    April 23, 2015
    Enterprise CIO says it all.

  • Anonymous
    April 29, 2015
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2015
    following the latest updates from MS, I get a constant error with "cmigrate.exe", it seems to be trying to turn it self on, or something. It is using a large amount of CPU. After trying a few things, such as reverting back to an earlier disk image, as soon as I update the same error occurs. Anyway, by turning off UC the error stops, (though the task manager). until I turn on the pc the next day , then it starts all over again. Just dam irritating that I can't just get rid of the thing permanently.

  • Anonymous
    July 21, 2015
    If you rename Microsoft Office Upload Center executable file it won't run. In C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice15 rename MSOSYNC.EXE to MSOSYNC.EXE.bak or whatever. That's how I've "solved" the problem. Sometimes it reactivates after an Office update (because it makes a new MSOSYNC.EXE file) then you just have to rename it again.

  • Anonymous
    October 19, 2015
    Windows 7 + OneDrive + MSOUC really can't work together. The syncing of files named docx xlsx can hang up for hours when MSOUC is running.

    Test: if you change the unsyncing file name from file.docx to file.whatever, these files are synced in OneDrive in an instant.

    Sad question: Why force upon users something that is not working and completely destroys the usability.