SharePoint Document Issues

How to Rename a Locally Synchronized SharePoint or Teams Folder

Muhammad Talha Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users want to rename a synchronized Teams channel or SharePoint folder that displays an excessively long or repeated name on their local drive.

How to Rename a Locally Synchronized SharePoint or Teams Folder

Product: Microsoft Teams and SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Synchronizing a Microsoft Teams channel or SharePoint document library to a local computer drive for desktop access.
Observed behavior: The synchronized folder automatically generates a duplicated or repeated name (such as 'Production - Customer Reports - Customer Reports'), but attempting to rename it locally interferes with file synchronization.

Before you start

Ensure that all pending document uploads in your currently synchronized folders are complete, and verify your current sync client status from the system tray before attempting to troubleshoot folder connections.

Solution 1Recommended

Contact Your Microsoft 365 Administrator for Configuration Review

Because the repeated folder name is hardcoded by the synchronization naming scheme, modifying it locally breaks the sync. The configuration must be adjusted at the tenant level via Microsoft Support.

The repeated folder name is generated automatically by the backend Teams and SharePoint synchronization naming scheme. Renaming the local synchronized folder directly through File Explorer or macOS Finder is strongly discouraged, as it will sever the connection to the cloud and lead to file versioning errors.

Document the synchronized folder path

Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) and write down the exact repeated folder name and its file path generated by the synchronization client.

Contact your IT administrator

Reach out to your organization's Microsoft 365 administrator and explain that the current Teams and SharePoint synchronization naming scheme is creating excessively long or duplicated folder names on local drives.

Open a Microsoft 365 support ticket

Instruct your administrator to log into the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to the Support section, and open a support ticket to have Microsoft inspect the tenant and synchronization configuration.

Contact Your Microsoft 365 Administrator for Configuration Review

Important Synchronization Warning: Do not attempt to delete the local folder or rename it manually while waiting for IT support. If you urgently need to rename it for local organization, you must first unlink the folder in your sync client settings, which stops all future cloud updates.

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1. Install WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office on your computer from the official website.
2. Open your synced folder: Navigate to your synchronized SharePoint or Teams folder in File Explorer or Finder.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I right-click and rename the synced folder in File Explorer?

No. Manually renaming the locally synced folder in File Explorer or Finder breaks the link between your local drive and SharePoint. Your future file edits will not upload, and changes made by others will not download to your computer.

Why does Microsoft Teams create a repeated folder name?

The duplication typically happens due to the way Microsoft 365 concatenates the Team name, the channel name, and the folder path in its backend schema. If a channel and a folder share identical names, the sync client combines them, resulting in repeated words.

How do I safely stop syncing a folder if I want to rename it locally?

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray, click the Settings gear icon, and go to the 'Account' tab. Find the folder location you want to disconnect and click 'Stop sync'. Once disconnected, you can rename the local folder, but it will function as an offline folder only.

Will renaming a channel in Teams automatically fix my local sync folder name?

Renaming a channel directly in Teams updates the corresponding folder name on SharePoint, but it may not automatically update the folder name on local computers that are already syncing it. You usually need to stop the sync and resync the document library for the new name to apply locally.

Document & File Issues