Error message for OneDrive

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Could you please share the exact error message you receive when you launch OneDrive on your desktop PC?

Is it a OneDrive app or an account-related error?

Meanwhile, are you able to access all of your files and documents on the OneDrive web normally?

Open an incognito tab and sign in with your Microsoft account here- https://onedrive.live.com/

See if you can access all of your files.

The safest way to clear most OneDrive client errors without risking files is to repair the local app and its configuration, not the cloud data. The files in OneDrive are stored in the cloud and are not deleted by reinstalling or resetting the sync app.

Use these steps in order:

1. Install all Windows updates
   • Open Start → type updates → select Check for updates.
   • Install all available updates and restart the PC if prompted.
2. Manually update OneDrive
   • Press Windows logo key + R.
   • Enter:

          %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\update
     

   • Select OK.
   • Double‑click OneDriveSetup.exe to install/repair the latest OneDrive version.
   • This updates the sync client only and does not remove files from OneDrive.
3. If the error is about Known Folder Move/backup setup
   • Some errors (for example 0x80070005 when setting up Desktop/Documents backup) are caused by a Group Policy that blocks folder redirection.
   • On a personal PC with access to Local Group Policy Editor:
     1. Open Start → type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
     2. Go to User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Desktop.
     3. Double‑click Prohibit User from manually redirecting Profile Folders.
     4. Set it to Not Configured → OK.
   • If this is a work/school device, the organization may enforce this policy and the backup feature cannot be enabled.
4. If sign‑in or sync still fails
   • Reset OneDrive (this clears the local cache and re‑downloads from the cloud; it does not delete cloud files): follow the steps in Reset OneDrive.
   • If problems persist, uninstall and reinstall OneDrive using the guidance in turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive and then reinstall from the official download page.

Before doing any of these, confirm files are safe in the cloud:

• Sign in to https://onedrive.live.com in a browser and verify that important files and folders are visible there. This ensures that even if the local sync folder is rebuilt, the cloud copies remain intact.

References:

• Error 0x80070005 when you install or access OneDrive
• Error 0x80070005 when setting up Known Folder Move in OneDrive for work or school
• Error 0x8004def4 when signing in to OneDrive
• What do the OneDrive error codes mean?