File Sharing Problems

Fix OneDrive Shared Files Not Downloading or Downloading as Empty ZIP

Nimra Malik Oct 7, 2026 872 views

Question details

Users cannot download files from OneDrive shared links, or downloading multiple files results in an empty ZIP archive containing an error message.

How to Fix OneDrive Shared Files Not Downloading or Downloading as Empty ZIP

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to download files from a OneDrive shared link, particularly as an anonymous user or when selecting multiple files at once.
Observed behavior: The shared link opens successfully, but the download fails or yields an empty ZIP folder with an error text file instead of the actual files.

Before you start

Ensure you have a stable internet connection and check the Microsoft Service Health dashboard to confirm there are no ongoing OneDrive server outages.

Solution 1Recommended

Download Files Individually and Sign In

Bypass the multi-file ZIP generation error by signing into a Microsoft account and downloading files one by one.

The ZIP download failure on OneDrive frequently affects anonymous users attempting to download multiple files simultaneously. Downloading files individually avoids the server-side compression process.

Sign in to Microsoft account

Open the shared OneDrive link in your web browser and click the 'Sign in' button at the top right corner to authenticate your session.

Select a single file

Instead of checking multiple boxes or selecting an entire folder, click on a single file to view it or select only one file at a time.

Download the file

Click the 'Download' button in the top menu bar to save the individual file to your device. Repeat this process for any other files you need.

Service Limitation: If you do not have a Microsoft account, you can still try downloading the files individually as an anonymous user, which often circumvents the ZIP compression error.

Solution 2

Report the Issue to Microsoft Support

If the issue persists across multiple links and users, report the bug directly to Microsoft for a backend fix.

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3. Share via reliable links: Click the 'Share' button in the top right corner to generate a secure, reliable download link that won't result in ZIP errors for recipients.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneDrive download multiple files as a ZIP?

To save bandwidth and speed up the transfer process, OneDrive automatically compresses multiple files or entire folders into a single ZIP archive before downloading them to your computer.

Can I disable the ZIP download feature in OneDrive?

No, Microsoft OneDrive does not provide a built-in option to disable automatic ZIP compression when downloading multiple files or folders from the web interface.

Why am I getting an empty ZIP file with an error message?

This typically occurs due to a server-side bug, a temporary service outage, or restrictive permissions on anonymous shared links, which prevents Microsoft servers from successfully packaging the requested files into the ZIP archive.

Document & File Issues