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Fix OneDrive Free Up Space Not Working in Personal Vault
Question details
The user is unable to use the 'Free up space' feature for files inside the OneDrive Personal Vault, and the sync status remains pending.
- Product
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Device & OS
- Windows 11
- Scenario
- Trying to free up local disk space by making Personal Vault files online-only.
- Observed behavior
- The 'Free up space' option doesn't work or seems missing, and files remain in a 'Sync pending' state for hours.
Ensure your Windows 11 is up to date and that your OneDrive application is currently running and connected to a stable internet network before troubleshooting Personal Vault sync issues.
Select Files Inside Personal Vault Directly
Instead of trying to free up space on the Personal Vault folder itself, apply the action directly to the files inside.
Only files marked as locally available use local disk space. Online-only files do not need to be freed manually. Often, the 'Free up space' option is missing or ineffective if you try to apply it to the main Vault shortcut rather than its actual contents.
Open OneDrive and unlock your Personal Vault by double-clicking it and completing the authentication prompt.
Click inside the Personal Vault folder and press Ctrl+A on your keyboard to select all files and folders.
Right-click the selected files and choose 'Free up space' from the context menu to make them online-only.
Move Files Outside Personal Vault (Workaround for Slow Sync)
If files are stuck in 'Sync pending' for hours, move them out of the Vault to force the status update.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Personal Vault show 'Sync pending' for a long time?
This usually happens because OneDrive is processing the encryption for the Personal Vault or there is a temporary connection glitch. Moving files out of the Vault and back in can often restart and fix the sync process.
Do online-only files take up space in the Personal Vault?
No, files marked with the cloud icon (online-only) do not consume local disk space, even when stored inside the Personal Vault. You only need to use 'Free up space' on files that have a solid green checkmark indicating they are locally available.
Why is the 'Free up space' option missing from my OneDrive Personal Vault?
The option won't appear if you right-click the main Personal Vault shortcut folder. You must first unlock the Vault, open it, select the individual files or folders inside, and then right-click them to access the 'Free up space' option.
