File Corruption & Recovery

How to Fix OneDrive Files Showing as 6 Bytes or Corrupted

WPS Content Manager Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users need to recover or repair OneDrive files that are displaying an incorrect size of 6 bytes and cannot be opened properly.

How to Fix OneDrive Files Showing as 6 Bytes or Corrupted

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Accessing locally synced files from Microsoft OneDrive on a computer.
Observed behavior: Synchronized files appear as exactly 6 bytes in size and show up as corrupted or empty when trying to open them.

Before you start

Before attempting local troubleshooting, log into OneDrive.com via a web browser to check if your files display their correct sizes online.

Solution 1Recommended

Download the Files Directly from OneDrive Web

Use this method if the files show their correct sizes on the OneDrive website, meaning the issue is just a local synchronization error.

Often, a 6-byte file is simply a broken placeholder created by the Files On-Demand feature. If the cloud servers hold the intact file, manually downloading it will bypass the local sync glitch.

Log in to OneDrive Web

Open your web browser, navigate to OneDrive.com, and sign in with your Microsoft account.

Locate and verify file size

Navigate to the folder containing the affected files. Check the file details to see if the size is normal (larger than 6 bytes).

Download to local drive

If the size is correct, select the files and click the 'Download' button on the top toolbar to save functional copies to your computer.

Download the Files Directly from OneDrive Web

Temporary workaround: Downloading manually provides immediate access to your data while you troubleshoot the underlying sync client issue.

Solution 2

Restore Previous Versions of Your OneDrive

Use this feature if your files also appear as 6 bytes or corrupted on the web, allowing you to roll back to a point before the corruption occurred.

Solution 3

Reset or Relink the OneDrive App

Resetting the desktop application can clear cached errors and force the system to rebuild its sync connections properly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my OneDrive files suddenly show as exactly 6 bytes?

This typically occurs when the OneDrive 'Files On-Demand' feature fails to download the actual file content, leaving behind only a 6-byte shortcut or placeholder pointer on your local hard drive.

What does the blue cloud icon mean next to my OneDrive files?

The blue cloud icon indicates that the file is part of Files On-Demand and is currently only available online. It does not take up space on your local drive until you open or manually download it.

Can I recover a file if it shows as 6 bytes on OneDrive.com as well?

If the file size is 6 bytes on the web version, the original upload was likely incomplete or corrupted. You will need to restore a previous version from OneDrive's version history or recover it from a local backup.

Document & File Issues