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OneDrive for Mac failed to launch after update

Tom 115 Reputation points
2026-05-20T16:49:50.1933333+00:00

Hi,

My OneDrive failed to launch after the latest App Store update (version 26.078.0426). It said 'OneDrive can't start - there's an error with this application, please download the application on this computer and try again'.

Any idea?

Thanks.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | MacOS

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Answer recommended by moderator

Edgar Adamyan 15 Reputation points
2026-05-21T12:38:24.4466667+00:00

I tried reinstalling OneDrive several times, but nothing worked. The solution is quite simple: download the app from the Microsoft website instead of the App Store: OneDrive

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  1. Winkelmann 41 Reputation points
    2026-05-21T13:26:51.47+00:00

    The Mac App Store version of OneDrive is simply broken right now, it looks like Microsoft pushed a faulty update.

    The problem appears to be that they have a system that checks if the app is complete by checking for the presence of items listed in OneDrive.app/Contents/Resources/OneDrive.app.manifest. The current version of this file has references to items that, to my understanding, get stripped during the Mac App Store publishing process, such as OneDrive.app/Contents/OneDrive File Handler.app/Contents/embedded.provisionprofile.

    I was able to find the string MacManifestValidationFailed in one of the ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.OneDrive-mac/Data/Library/Logs/Personal/*.odl log files from a failed launch.

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  2. Frisho 10 Reputation points
    2026-05-21T05:25:46.1833333+00:00

    Same issue here. I was using the installation from the Apple App Store and ended up deleting OneDrive and reinstalling it as a standalone package available from Microsoft. That seemed to solve the issue for me.

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  3. Farrell 20 Reputation points
    2026-05-21T08:41:02.67+00:00

    Same experience here as Frisho described above. I was using the App Store version of OneDrive, and it updated along with the rest of my Office apps through the App Store. Everything initially seemed fine, but when I clicked the OneDrive menu bar icon, there was a green “UPDATE AVAILABLE” button showing. That seemed odd since I had literally just updated it via the App Store.

    Out of curiosity, I clicked the Update button inside the OneDrive menu bar app — and that’s when the error occurred.

    Resetting OneDrive didn’t fix it, so I ended up deleting OneDrive from Applications, restarting my iMac, and downloading/installing the standalone version directly from Microsoft. After that, everything worked again.

    The only lingering issue is what I assume is a large leftover cache folder located at:

    Username → Library → CloudStorage → OneDrive Personal

    My guess is that these are locally downloaded files from the previous App Store installation that are now abandoned by the new standalone install. As a test, I had a 500 MB Photoshop file stored locally in that folder. When I opened the same file through the new OneDrive installation, it downloaded the file again from the cloud — so now I effectively have two copies taking up space on my drive.

    I’m tempted to delete the old CloudStorage folder, but I’m leaving it alone for now since storage space isn’t an issue and I don’t want to accidentally break the new OneDrive installation if it’s still referencing it somehow (although I doubt it is).

    Hopefully the standalone OneDrive app updates cleanly and automatically going forward. One of the reasons I switched to the App Store versions in the first place was because I really disliked Microsoft Auto Updater.

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  4. AI answer

    2026-05-20T16:50:24.5933333+00:00

    OneDrive for Mac not launching after an update is commonly resolved by restarting the app, updating to the latest standalone sync client, or resetting OneDrive.

    Try these steps in order:

    1. Confirm OneDrive is running
      • Look for the OneDrive cloud icon on the right side of the macOS menu bar.
      • If it is not there, use Spotlight (Cmd+Space) and search for OneDrive, then open it.
    2. Restart OneDrive
      • If the icon is visible, select the OneDrive icon on the menu bar and choose Quit OneDrive.
      • Use Spotlight to search for OneDrive and reopen it.
    3. Update to the latest OneDrive sync app
      • OneDrive and macOS are frequently updated; installing the latest sync app can fix launch and sync issues.
      • If you installed from the Mac App Store, consider installing the standalone sync app instead by downloading the latest version from the official OneDrive download page referenced in the documentation.
      • If the latest version is already installed, the installer will exit automatically.
    4. Reset OneDrive (if it still will not start)
      • Open Finder and go to the Applications folder.
      • Right-click OneDrive and select Show Package Contents.
      • Navigate to Contents > Resources.
      • Double-click ResetOneDriveApp.command (or ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command if using the standalone app).
      • After the reset completes, start OneDrive again from Applications and complete the setup.
      • Note: Resetting removes local OneDrive cache and forces a full resync; any files not yet synced to the cloud may be lost.
    5. If upgrading from macOS 12.1 or later with Files On-Demand
      • If OneDrive shows errors like “OneDrive couldn't start” or mentions a required system component, restart the Mac and try launching OneDrive again.
      • Ensure macOS is updated to the latest version.
      • If you see “A required system component is unavailable on this version of macOS,” perform the reset procedure above to clear the Files On-Demand migration state and then set up OneDrive again.

    If OneDrive still fails to launch after these steps, reinstalling the latest OneDrive sync app (standalone) after fully quitting and resetting the current installation is the next supported action.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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