upload pending

This usually points to a OneDrive or Office upload cache problem, or to files that Word still thinks exist in a synced location even though the local path is no longer available.

Try this in order:

1. Check whether the files are still in OneDrive on the web.
   If the files are visible there, the issue is likely with local sync or Word’s cached file list rather than the documents being gone.
2. In Word’s upload queue, look for pending or failed uploads.
   In the Office Upload Center, check Pending Uploads and Recently Uploaded. For any affected file, use Resolve or Actions and try:
   • Upload to retry the upload
   • Open to Resolve to see the specific problem
   • Sign In if the upload failed because sign-in is required
   • Discard only if the pending local changes are not needed
3. If uploads are paused, resume them.
   In the Upload Center, select Resume Uploads.
4. Clear the Office document cache if the queue is stuck.
   In Upload Center Settings, select Delete cached files.
   This removes document content from the cache. If a file still has unsaved changes pending upload, clearing the cache can remove those cached changes.
5. If OneDrive shows Sync pending but no file is visible, check for hidden files.
   In Finder/File Explorer terms, the equivalent step is to make hidden items visible and inspect the affected folder. If no hidden file is causing it, create a new folder, copy the files from the stuck folder into the new folder, and then delete the old Sync pending folder.
6. If the stuck item is a temporary file, handle it carefully.
   For .TMP files, possible fixes are:
   • upload manually to onedrive.com
   • rename the file with a new extension
   • move it out of OneDrive
   • delete it
   Deleting, moving, or renaming a TMP file can cause data loss if the original app is still using it.
7. If Word says a file was moved, renamed, or deleted, confirm the local file path still exists.
   OneDrive can show this when it can’t find the file locally. The file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted before upload, or Word may be pointing to a stale synced path.
8. If a file cannot be replaced because it is open, close it first.
   If needed, save or download it with a new name, delete the original, and rename the new file back to the original name.

If the main problem is that recent files in Word cannot be removed and show upload errors, the most relevant next step is resolving or clearing the Office upload cache first, because Word’s recent list can keep pointing to failed cloud-upload entries.

• Microsoft Office Upload Center | Microsoft Support
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• Fix problems uploading files on the OneDrive website | Microsoft Support