OneDrive File Issues

How to Fix OneDrive Manage Backup Crashing on Mac macOS Ventura

Natalie Taylor Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where OneDrive for Mac repeatedly crashes when opening the Manage Backups feature.

How to Fix OneDrive Manage Backup Crashing on Mac macOS Ventura

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: macOS Ventura (Apple Silicon)
Scenario: Attempting to configure or manage folder backups in OneDrive for Mac.
Observed behavior: OneDrive crashes with an EXC_BAD_ACCESS error or displays a message stating that another application is using the folders.

Before you start

Verify that no other local applications, particularly the Apple Photos app, are actively running or updating libraries in the background.

Solution 1Recommended

Close Conflicting Applications and Restart OneDrive

Use this method to resolve immediate file-lock conflicts where macOS assumes another application is utilizing your synced folders.

macOS Ventura restricts backup access if standard directories like Desktop, Documents, or Pictures are currently locked by system processes or other apps.

Force Quit Active Apps

Close any open applications that might be accessing the Desktop, Documents, or Pictures folders, including the Apple Photos app.

Quit OneDrive

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your Mac menu bar, click the gear icon for Settings, and select 'Quit OneDrive'.

Restart Mac

Restart your Mac to clear out any lingering background processes that might be locking the directories.

Test Manage Backups

Relaunch OneDrive from the Applications folder, open Preferences, and attempt to access Manage Backups before making any large folder selections.

Close Conflicting Applications and Restart OneDrive

Solution 2

Temporarily Relocate the Photos Library

Extremely large Apple Photos libraries can cause memory access errors (EXC_BAD_ACCESS) during the OneDrive backup migration phase.

Solution 3

Reset the OneDrive Sync App

Resetting the application can clear corrupted cached data that triggers crash loops during the backup setup.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneDrive say another application is using my folders on macOS?

This error usually triggers when macOS background processes, the Apple Photos app, or Finder are actively indexing or modifying files in your Desktop, Documents, or Pictures folders while OneDrive tries to lock them for a backup migration.

Can I back up a large Apple Photos Library to OneDrive?

While possible, storing extremely large Apple Photos libraries directly in OneDrive can cause sync conflicts, EXC_BAD_ACCESS memory errors, and high CPU usage. It is generally recommended to exclude large system databases from live cloud syncing.

How do I find the OneDrive crash report on my Mac?

You can locate detailed crash logs by opening the built-in Console app on your Mac, navigating to 'Crash Reports' on the left sidebar, and looking for recent logs related to the OneDrive process.