OneDrive File Issues

How to Fix OneDrive Stuck Syncing Thousands of Small Files

John Wilson Oct 12, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is experiencing a continuous syncing loop in OneDrive caused by a folder containing tens of thousands of small files.

How to Fix OneDrive Stuck Syncing Thousands of Small Files

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to sync a 360 MB folder that contains an exceptionally large quantity of small files to OneDrive.
Observed behavior: OneDrive is stuck constantly processing approximately 70,000 changes. Standard local troubleshooting methods, including resetting links, pausing sync, changing Files On-Demand settings, and moving or deleting the folder, have not resolved the issue.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative privileges for your Microsoft 365 account, as escalating advanced sync issues and generating support tickets requires global or billing admin access.

Solution 1Recommended

Escalate to Microsoft Support for Diagnostic Investigation

When standard local troubleshooting fails, the issue requires a deeper investigation using OneDrive logs and network traces (Fiddler) by Microsoft's technical team.

Because actions like pausing, resuming, resetting, and moving folders have not cleared the sync queue, the client may be caught in a structural metadata loop. Resolving this requires backend analysis.

A Microsoft 365 administrator must open a formal support ticket to facilitate log collection and network tracing.

Access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Open your web browser and navigate to the Microsoft 365 admin center (admin.microsoft.com). Log in using your administrator credentials.

Navigate to Help & Support

On the left-hand navigation menu, locate and click on 'Support', then select 'Help & support' from the dropdown options.

Initiate a Service Request

Type a brief description of the OneDrive sync issue in the search bar. If the suggested automated solutions do not help, click the 'Contact support' button.

Provide Issue Details

Fill out the required fields detailing the issue. Explicitly mention that local troubleshooting (resetting links, changing Files On-Demand) has failed and state that OneDrive logs and Fiddler traces may be necessary for resolution.

Escalate to Microsoft Support for Diagnostic Investigation

Administrator Requirement: Only users with an Admin role in the Microsoft 365 tenant can create support tickets through the Admin Center.

Solution 2

Workaround: Compress Small Files into a ZIP Archive

By packaging thousands of small files into a single compressed folder, you can bypass the indexing bottleneck that causes OneDrive to freeze.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneDrive struggle with syncing thousands of small files?

OneDrive has to index, encrypt, and process metadata for every single file individually, regardless of its size. When you introduce tens of thousands of files simultaneously, the sheer volume of processing requests can overwhelm the sync engine's queue, causing it to freeze or loop continuously.

What are Fiddler traces and why does Microsoft Support need them?

Fiddler is a web debugging proxy tool that logs all HTTP(S) traffic between your computer and the internet. Microsoft Support uses Fiddler traces to identify exactly where the communication breakdown occurs between your local OneDrive client and their cloud servers.

Can I permanently fix this issue without contacting an administrator?

If standard local resets do not work, a permanent structural fix on the backend requires a support ticket. However, as a user, you can bypass the issue immediately by compressing the large volume of small files into a single ZIP archive before placing them in your OneDrive folder.

Document & File Issues