OneDrive File Issues

How to Fix Word and Excel Files Renamed or Not Uploading in OneDrive

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users are experiencing OneDrive synchronization problems where documents fail to upload, resulting in file renaming, blank files, and duplicate copies.

Product: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Saving and syncing documents to OneDrive storage.
Observed behavior: Word and Excel files fail to upload correctly, appear completely blank, automatically rename themselves to 'Surface', or generate duplicate copies with false editing conflicts.

Before you start

Before resetting your synchronization client, manually copy all unsynchronized or conflicted Word and Excel documents to a local folder outside of the OneDrive directory to prevent accidental data loss.

Solution 1Recommended

Unlink and Reinstall the OneDrive Application

Resetting the OneDrive application by unlinking your account and completely reinstalling the software resolves persistent sync glitches that cause file renaming and duplication.

When the OneDrive sync cache becomes corrupted, it can misinterpret local saves as editing conflicts, resulting in renamed files (such as adding the device name 'Surface' to the filename) or failing to upload the document entirely. A clean reinstallation forces the client to rebuild this cache.

Unlink your PC

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your taskbar, select the Gear icon to open 'Settings', navigate to the 'Account' tab, and click 'Unlink this PC'.

Uninstall OneDrive

Open Windows Settings, go to 'Apps' > 'Apps & features', locate 'Microsoft OneDrive' in the list, and click 'Uninstall'.

Reinstall and Sign In

Download the latest version of the OneDrive client from the official Microsoft website, run the installer, and sign back in using the correct Microsoft account credentials.

Review Synced Files

Wait for the initial synchronization to complete fully. Once synced, manually review your folders for any remaining duplicate or conflicted files before deleting them.

False Modification Warnings: After reinstalling, documents in the recovery list may still falsely report that they were modified by another user. This is a residual symptom of the sync conflict and can be safely ignored once the original file is recovered.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my Word and Excel files get renamed to 'Surface' in OneDrive?

This occurs when OneDrive detects a synchronization conflict between your local device (e.g., a Surface Pro) and the cloud version. Instead of overwriting the file, it creates a duplicate and appends the device name to prevent data loss.

How can I fix Excel files appearing blank after saving to OneDrive?

Blank files are often caused by interrupted uploads or a corrupted sync cache. Unlinking your PC from OneDrive and reinstalling the OneDrive app will refresh the connection and typically resolve the blank file issue.

Why does the document recovery list show modifications by another user?

During a sync glitch, OneDrive might duplicate the file and falsely flag the cloud-generated copy as being modified by another user. Reinstalling OneDrive and letting the files resync correctly will clear these false conflict warnings.

Document & File Issues