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Problem guide · 6 fix-it guides · Last reviewed · By Harry
Files, sync and sharing problems (OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox)
OneDrive paused, Drive stuck, Dropbox conflicted copies, SharePoint access denied or an Excel file locked? Fix it safely without losing the only good copy.
File tickets carry a risk the others do not: a wrong "fix" can destroy the only good copy of someone's work. In MSP land the expensive incidents were rarely outages. They were a well-meaning reset that put an old version back over a new one, or a user deleting "duplicate" conflicted copies that were actually the latest edits.
Sync clients such as OneDrive, Google Drive for desktop and Dropbox are local programs talking to a cloud service. When they stall, the cloud copy is almost always fine, so check the web version first: if the file is correct there, you are fixing a client, not recovering data. Sharing errors are a separate family again, usually the wrong account, a link type that excludes the person, or an admin policy rather than a broken site.
Which guide fits your symptom?
Sync stuck or paused
- OneDrive not syncing or 'sync paused': how to fix itOneDrive says 'Processing changes' or 'Sync paused', or shows red crosses.
- Google Drive for desktop sync not workingGoogle Drive for desktop is stuck, files are greyed out or streaming errors appear.
- Dropbox Business sync conflict or files not updatingDropbox shows conflicted copies, sticks on syncing, or team files go missing.
Files missing, locked or won't open
Sharing and permissions
Also worth a look
These guides live under another problem type but often turn up with this symptom.
- Mapped network drive disconnected or red X in File ExplorerYour files live on a mapped network drive that shows a red X.
- Conditional Access: device not compliant or not joiningSharePoint or OneDrive blocks you because the device is not compliant.
Related status pages
Live vendor status, checked every five minutes. If the vendor has posted an incident, the guides above become a waiting game rather than a fix.
FAQ
- Is OneDrive or SharePoint down?
- Open the same file in OneDrive or SharePoint on the web. If it loads, the service is up and the sync client on the PC is the problem. A real incident appears on the SharePoint and OneDrive status page and in Microsoft 365 Service health.
- Will resetting OneDrive or Google Drive delete my files?
- A reset re-syncs from the cloud, so files already uploaded are safe. Files that never finished uploading can be at risk: copy anything showing a sync error to another folder first.
- What is a conflicted copy?
- Two versions of the same file changed before sync could reconcile them, so the client kept both. Open both, keep the right content, then remove the extra copy. Do not bulk-delete them.
- Why does a shared link say access denied?
- Usually you are signed in with a different account from the one invited, the link only works for people inside the sender's organisation, or an admin blocks external sharing. Ask the sender which link type they used.