One Drive Issue

Hello @Mohamed Ahmed Elsayed Ali

From what you described, it sounds like OneDrive stays on “Looking for changes” for a long time and then the syncing does not continue as expected.

This type of OneDrive behavior usually happens when the app is having trouble completing a background check of files. Some common situations that often lead to this include:

• A temporary interruption in the internet connection, even if the connection looks fine now
• A file that is very large or has a name with special characters
• OneDrive needing a gentle refresh to recheck your folders correctly

To narrow down the issue, might I confirm a few points first?

• Are you using a personal OneDrive account or one provided by a school or work organization?
• Have you noticed if this happens after a specific change, like moving a large folder or updating your computer?
• Roughly how many files are you trying to sync at the moment?
• Are you using OneDrive on Windows or Mac?

Along the way, I’d also like to suggest a few steps to help you double-check this issue:

1. Restart the OneDrive Application

The goal here is to refresh the connection without affecting your actual files. Sometimes the app just needs to start its processes over from scratch.

• Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon.
• Select Close OneDrive.
• Open the Start menu and type OneDrive.
• Click the OneDrive app to open it again.

After reopening, give it a few minutes to check for changes.

2. Check for file name issue:

OneDrive can sometimes pause if it encounters a file name that contains characters it cannot easily process. We want to ensure all files are in a format that the service can read smoothly.

• Look through the folders you recently added to OneDrive.
• Ensure that no file names start or end with a space.
• Check that file names do not include special characters like quotation marks or slashes.

Restrictions and limitations in OneDrive and SharePoint - Microsoft Support

3. Reset the OneDrive App

If the app is still stuck looking for changes, resetting it can help clear out any temporary data that might be causing the loop. This will not delete your files, it simply tells OneDrive to re-examine your folders.

• Press the Windows+ R on your keyboard at the same time to open a small box.
• In that box, type or paste the following text: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
• Press Enter.
• If the icon doesn't reappear in your taskbar after a minute or two, manually open OneDrive from your Start menu again.

Reset OneDrive - Microsoft Support

Since every system setup is unique, let us see if these steps help. If not, please share more details or error codes so we can explore other angles together. 

Looking forward to hearing from you for further assistance! 

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