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Fix OneDrive File Extension Exclusion Not Working
Question details
Users are experiencing an issue where OneDrive continues to synchronize excluded file types, such as .lnk shortcuts, ignoring configured exclusions.
- Product
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Configuring file extension exclusions via Group Policy or OneDrive settings to prevent specific files from syncing.
- Observed behavior
- OneDrive ignores exclusion rules and continues to sync excluded files, occasionally causing sync errors when those files are locked by other programs.
Before manually editing configuration files, ensure that you have administrative privileges on your Windows PC and create a backup of your current ClientPolicy.ini file.
Edit ClientPolicy.ini to Manually Exclude File Extensions
Manually add the desired file extensions to the exclusion list within the OneDrive settings configuration file to bypass the sync bug.
Because the exclusion feature in OneDrive may contain a synchronization bug that ignores Group Policy—especially on personal accounts—manually updating the ClientPolicy.ini file is the most effective workaround.
Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, type '%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\settings\Personal', and press Enter.
In the folder that opens, locate the file named 'ClientPolicy.ini'. Right-click the file, select 'Open with', and choose Notepad.
Find the 'FilenameExclusionList' parameter in the text file. Append the file extensions (like .lnk) or folder names you wish to exclude. Save the file and restart the OneDrive application.
Report the Bug via OneDrive Help and Feedback
Report the persistent synchronization bug directly to Microsoft to help expedite an official patch.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does OneDrive still attempt to sync files locked by other programs?
When a program locks a file (such as a database or a temporary working file), OneDrive cannot read it, which causes a synchronization error. Although excluding these file types is supposed to prevent the error, a known sync bug causes OneDrive to ignore the exclusion and attempt to back them up anyway.
Does Group Policy work for excluding files in a OneDrive Personal account?
Group Policy configurations for OneDrive file exclusions are primarily designed for OneDrive for Business. Personal accounts frequently ignore these Group Policies, making it necessary to manually edit the ClientPolicy.ini file to enforce exclusions.
Will updating to a Windows Insider Preview build fix the OneDrive sync exclusion bug?
Not necessarily. Many users have reported that the file extension exclusion bug persists even when testing the latest Insider Preview builds of Windows and OneDrive. Manually modifying the ClientPolicy.ini file remains the most reliable workaround.
