OneDrive File Issues

How to Fix OneDrive Storage Sense Not Making SharePoint Files Online-Only

Jason Miller Oct 14, 2026 870 views

Question details

Users need to resolve an issue where Windows Storage Sense fails to automatically convert synced SharePoint files to an online-only state.

Fixing OneDrive Storage Sense Not Making SharePoint Files Online-Only

Product: OneDrive and SharePoint
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Managing local storage space by converting inactive synced SharePoint files to cloud-only placeholders.
Observed behavior: Synced SharePoint files remain locally stored and consume hard drive space even when Storage Sense is expected to make them online-only.

Before you start

Ensure your OneDrive client is updated to the latest version and verify that your device has an active internet connection to communicate with SharePoint servers.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable Files On-Demand and Manually Free Up Space

The most direct resolution is to verify Files On-Demand is active and manually clear the local cache for files that are incorrectly marked to always stay on the device.

Sometimes files are inadvertently set to 'Always keep on this device', which overrides Storage Sense automated cleanup policies. Other users accessing files online will not prevent your local copies from becoming online-only.

Verify Files On-Demand is enabled

Open OneDrive settings by clicking the cloud icon in your system tray, selecting the gear icon, and navigating to Sync and backup. Ensure 'Files On-Demand' is turned on.

Remove the 'Always keep' attribute

Open File Explorer and navigate to your synced SharePoint folder. Look for files with a solid green checkmark. Right-click these files or folders and deselect 'Always keep on this device' if it is checked.

Manually free up space

Right-click the specific SharePoint folders or files taking up space and select 'Free up space'. The status icon should change to a blue cloud, indicating the file is now online-only.

Command-line limitations: There is no generally supported OneDrive command-line action equivalent to manually selecting 'Free up disk space' for arbitrary files.

Solution 2

Configure Windows Storage Sense OneDrive Policies

Storage Sense might be misconfigured, preventing the automated cleanup of untouched local OneDrive and SharePoint files.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some of my SharePoint files have a solid green checkmark?

A solid green checkmark means the file or folder is set to 'Always keep on this device'. Windows Storage Sense ignores these files and will never convert them to online-only. You must right-click the file and uncheck this option to allow automated cleanup.

Does another user opening a shared SharePoint file prevent my local copy from freeing up space?

No. Other SharePoint users accessing the files online or on their own devices should not prevent your local copies from becoming online-only, as long as your Files On-Demand and Storage Sense settings are properly configured.

Can I use a script or command prompt to force OneDrive files to become online-only?

Currently, OneDrive does not provide a generally supported command-line equivalent for freeing up arbitrary files on demand. While IT administrators can use group policies to set global Storage Sense rules, individual file actions are best performed manually via File Explorer.

Document & File Issues