OneDrive - unable to find folder with invalid character

Question

OneDrive - unable to find folder with invalid character

Alistair 20

I have an intermittent issue where OneDrive is reporting an invalid character in an item. Below is a screenshot. I've searched in Explorer and using OneDrive online for the folder but cannot find it. If I narrow the search to the final four characters, it seems to find xml files, but not a folder with any of those characters in the name.

It seems to be stopping files uploading to OneDrive, whilst this issue exists. Clicking the rename option has no effect. Starting / stopping OneDrive does nothing.

Windows 11 Pro. OneDrive for Business.

Any help would be gratefully received.

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Answer 1

Jess-Q 9,675 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Alistair

Regarding your issue, may I kindly ask a few questions to help understand it better?

When you select the “Rename” option, do you receive any additional error message, or does nothing happen after clicking it? Could you provide a screenshot if possible (make sure to hide personal information)
Have you tried resetting the OneDrive sync client to see if it makes any difference with this issue? For more details, please refer to: Reset OneDrive
Have you tried switching to OneDrive classic by going to OneDrive on the Web > OneDrive settings > Return to classic OneDrive, and then checking if you can find the affected file or folder from that view
Once the website opens, use the Search bar at the top and type the file you want to rename
If the folder appears in the web results, Rename it there
Wait 60 seconds. Your computer should see the change in the cloud.
Try opening the file in OneDrive again to see if it changes its name.

Hope to hear back from you soon. 

The initial response may not fully address your needs, but it will help me better understand your situation. Once I get the information, I will try my best to find the next steps.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Alistair 20 Reputation points

2026-04-02T13:22:17.13+00:00

Hi @Jess-Q

Thanks for offering some help. When I click rename, it usually pops up with a notification saying it will rename it and then I see this:

I can keep clicking rename and the it produces the same response each time.I've now reset OneDrive, took almost 24h in total and whilst it didn't fix the issue, it has inadvertently helped me find the problem folder. It took a long time to process all the files but when some uploaded, I looked where they were stored and stumbled across the aforementioned folder.

OneDrive is reset but the message is still there. The problem I'm having is deleting the folder.

The folder does not show up in OneDrive online and also does not show up in Windows Explorer. It does show up in Opus Directory (Explorer alternative I have been using). The problem folder is a sub-folder of another and trying to delete the subject folder in Opus Directory does not work, or if I try and delete the parent folder in Windows Explorer, that won't work either. I have just managed to delete the parent folder online, however, so will do some reboots to see what happens locally.
Alistair 20 Reputation points

2026-04-02T13:46:28.5866667+00:00

Looks like it's still stuck! The renaming issue is popping up on OneDrive. The folder shows as not there online but it's still here locally and no syncing happening at the moment, despite some reboots.
Jess-Q 9,675 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-03T14:44:59.4066667+00:00

Hi @Alistair,

Since this issue involves Opus Directory, which is a third‑party application and not a Microsoft product, it falls outside the scope of this forum. I wouldn’t want to risk providing incorrect guidance that could affect your files, so I recommend posting your question in the Opus Directory forum, where their community or support team can offer more accurate assistance.

(This link is shared by community members for your convenience. It points to a third-party site that is not managed or verified by Microsoft. We can’t guarantee the quality, safety, or suitability of any content or software found there. Please review carefully and make sure you understand any potential risks before using it.)

Once again, I apologize for redirecting you to a different forum, and I appreciate your understanding.
Alistair 20 Reputation points

2026-04-04T08:51:27.8866667+00:00

Hi @Jess-Q

Thanks for the advice. I uninstalled Opus Directory and that did not resolve the problem. I think all it was doing was showing me the problem folder whereas Explorer isn't. When I try to delete the parent folder in Explorer locally, I get the following error:

If I go to the same folder online, it doesn't show up at all.

The OneDrive syncing error is still showing up. Might you be able to help?

Thank you.
Jess-Q 9,675 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-07T16:05:46.2566667+00:00
Hi @Alistair,

If you’re unable to delete a folder through File Explorer and continue to see “Directory is not empty”, this usually indicates a file system–level issue (such as corrupted metadata or an out‑of‑sync index).

Here are a few steps you can try:

Removing the folder directly using Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

Select Start, type cmd, then choose Run as administrator.

Enter the following command, making sure to replace the path with the actual location of the affected folder: rd /s /q "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Foldername"

If you’re not certain about the folder path, navigate to the folder in File Explorer (for example, under your OneDrive directory), then click the address bar at the top. The full folder path will appear and can be copied directly.

Run a disk check so Windows can rescan and repair the file system.

If the command fails with “Directory is not empty”, it typically means the file system index is out of sync. In that state, forcing the deletion may not succeed because Windows is working with inconsistent disk metadata.

In the same Admin Command Prompt, run: chkdsk /f C:

When prompted, type Y to allow the check to run on the next restart.

Restart the computer and allow CHKDSK to complete.

After the disk check finishes, try deleting the folder again either through File Explorer or using the rd /s /q command.

Hopefully it will help resolve your issue effectively.
Alistair 20 Reputation points

2026-04-07T17:05:02.1+00:00

Hi @Jess-Q

The file is on a documents drive, rather than C, so presumably I'm replacing the drive name in the disk check option. These are the results I get:

Not sure how to proceed unfortunately. Can you assist?
Jess-Q 9,675 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-08T16:01:06.8333333+00:00

Hi @Alistair,

Since the drive is currently in use, you will be prompted with a message asking whether to force a dismount or schedule the disk check. When prompted, select Y and then restart your PC to allow the disk check to complete.

Before the restart, pause OneDrive sync to ensure files are not actively being accessed.

Next, please note that the quotation marks (" ") are intended to be included in the command. When running the command, make sure it is entered exactly as shown below, including the quotes.

This is required because the folder path contains spaces: rd /s /q "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\FolderName"

Once the command has been executed, check whether the folder has been successfully removed.

If the folder still remains after completing these steps, please share the outcome or any error messages you encounter.
Jess-Q 9,675 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-09T14:55:20.4566667+00:00

Hi @Alistair,

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue. Have you had a chance to check the replies provided? Any update would be appreciated.
Alistair 20 Reputation points

2026-04-09T15:08:25.2033333+00:00

Hi @Jess-Q

I was off yesterday but tried it this morning. I must apologise, you gave me clear instructions first time and I skimmed over them, rather than paying full attention!

Anyway, I had a go earlier and all seems to be resolved. The folder has gone from my local drive and with a reboot, OneDrive then started syncing and uploading 1GB of files from the last few weeks and everything now seems to be online and on my laptop, as well as main desktop PC.

Thank you very much for your assistance, you've saved me a complete reinstall and the hassle that would have involved.

Thanks again,

Alistair
Jess-Q 9,675 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-09T15:15:48.88+00:00

Hi @Alistair,

I'm glad the issue has been resolved for you! If you ever run into any other problems while using Microsoft 365 & Office products, feel free to post on our Q&A forum. I'm always happy to help. If you think my suggestion helped with your issue, feel free to click "Accept Answer" so that this post can be pinned to the top as it will make it easier for others in the community who are facing similar issues to find the information quickly.

Answer 2

OneDrive is blocking sync because there is at least one item whose name contains characters that are not allowed for syncing. Until that item is fixed, other files in the same scope may remain stuck.

Key points from the error:

OneDrive for Business does not allow certain characters in file and folder names when syncing: " * : < > ? / \ | and leading/trailing spaces.
Some names and file types are also blocked, such as desktop.ini, names starting with ~$, and certain reserved device names.

Because the built‑in Rename button is not working and the item is hard to locate, use a systematic approach:

Confirm what is invalid
Check that the problem is not one of these additional restrictions:
- Name is one of the blocked names (for example .lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0–COM9, LPT0–LPT9, _vti_, desktop.ini, or starts with ~$).
- The name starts or ends with a space.
- The name contains any of the invalid characters: " * : < > ? / \ |.
Search locally where OneDrive is syncing
In File Explorer, go to the root of the OneDrive for Business folder that is showing the error and:
- Sort by Name and look for any folder or file that visually shows one of the invalid characters.
- Pay special attention to folders whose names start or end with a space, or that look unusual when compared with the same content in OneDrive on the web.
Check for reserved or hidden items
Some items may not be obvious in a normal search:
- Turn on viewing of hidden items in File Explorer and look for desktop.ini or similar system files inside the affected folder tree.
- Look for names that match the blocked list (for example _vti_ anywhere in the name, or forms if it is at the root of a library).
Rename the offending item manually
Once the item is identified:
- In Windows, select the file or folder in File Explorer and press F2 to rename it.
- Remove or replace any invalid characters and ensure the name does not start or end with a space.
- Avoid using any of the blocked names or patterns listed above.
Let OneDrive resync
After renaming, allow OneDrive to run. The sync client should now be able to upload the item and clear the error. If sync still does not complete, check for additional items with invalid characters or blocked names and repeat the process.

If the error persists even after all visible items are corrected, review the library for other sync limitations (for example, path length or item count) as described in the OneDrive sync troubleshooting guidance.

References:

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OneDrive - unable to find folder with invalid character

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