OneDrive File Issues

Fix Vertical Lines on HEIC Photos in OneDrive

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is experiencing intermittent vertical lines on HEIC format photos stored in OneDrive. This display issue persists across mobile phones, web browsers, and laptops, even after attempting basic troubleshooting like clearing the cache, signing out, and re-uploading the files.

Product: OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Viewing and managing HEIC photos synchronized to OneDrive cloud storage.
Observed behavior: Intermittent vertical lines overlay the HEIC images within the OneDrive interface. The issue remains unresolved despite updating the app, clearing local caches, and re-uploading the images.

Before you start

Before proceeding, check the original HEIC photos directly on your local device's gallery to confirm they are not already corrupted and do not display vertical lines prior to uploading.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify File Integrity and Test Download Status

Determine if the visual lines are permanent file corruptions or simply a cloud preview glitch by comparing original, cloud, and downloaded copies.

Cloud storage platforms often generate compressed preview thumbnails for HEIC files. Sometimes, the preview generation process encounters errors, displaying lines even though the actual file is perfectly intact.

Check original files

Open the original HEIC files on the local device where the photos were taken to ensure there are no pre-existing visual glitches or camera sensor errors.

Download from OneDrive

Log into OneDrive via a web browser or app, select one of the affected HEIC photos, and download it back to your device or a computer.

Inspect the downloaded copy

Open the downloaded HEIC file using a local photo viewer. If the downloaded file has no lines, the issue is strictly a OneDrive rendering glitch. If the lines are present, the file was corrupted during the upload process.

Corrupted Uploads: If the downloaded file contains lines but the original does not, the upload was interrupted. You will need to delete the corrupted cloud files and upload them again.

Solution 2

Reinstall OneDrive and Reconnect App Sync

Resetting the OneDrive application and its sync connections can clear deeper cache or account synchronization errors causing display issues.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do HEIC photos display lines in OneDrive but look fine on my phone?

OneDrive often generates its own preview thumbnails for HEIC files to display them quickly in the cloud interface. Glitches during this preview generation can cause visual artifacts like vertical lines on the cloud preview, even if the underlying file is perfectly fine.

Can a poor internet connection cause photo corruption during upload?

Yes. If your internet connection is unstable or experiences high packet loss during an upload, data can be lost. This can result in corrupted image files that exhibit visual tearing, missing colors, or vertical lines once stored in the cloud.

How can I prevent HEIC upload issues in the future?

You can change your phone's camera settings to capture images in JPG format (often labeled as 'Most Compatible' on iOS devices) instead of HEIC ('High Efficiency'). JPG is universally supported and less prone to cloud rendering errors.

Document & File Issues