OneDrive Error Codes

Fix OneDrive for Business Crashes When Opening a Folder

Aamir Naveed Akram Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an application failure where OneDrive for Business crashes immediately upon attempting to open the local synchronization folder.

How to Fix OneDrive for Business Crashes When Opening the Folder

Product: OneDrive for Business
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Attempting to access locally synced files by selecting the 'Open Folder' option from the OneDrive taskbar menu.
Observed behavior: The OneDrive application unexpectedly crashes or closes when the user clicks 'Open Folder', preventing access to the local directory.

Before you start

Verify that all your critical files are safely synced to the cloud by checking the OneDrive web interface before modifying any local cache folders. Close all open Office applications to ensure cache files are not locked during troubleshooting.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear the Corrupted Office File Cache

Clearing out corrupted temporary sync data forces OneDrive and Office to rebuild their cache, which often resolves unexpected folder crashes.

Hidden system files in the AppData directory manage how Office interacts with OneDrive. If these cache files become corrupted during a failed sync, they can crash the OneDrive app whenever the folder is accessed.

Quit OneDrive

Right-click the OneDrive icon in your Windows system tray and select 'Close OneDrive' or 'Quit OneDrive' to stop all sync operations.

Show hidden files

Press Windows Key + E to open File Explorer. Navigate to the 'View' tab at the top and check the box for 'Hidden items' so you can see hidden system folders.

Navigate to the cache folder

Go to C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache (replace 'Username' with your actual Windows account name).

Delete cache contents

Select all files and folders inside the OfficeFileCache folder and delete them. Do not delete the folder itself, only its contents.

Restart and test

Restart your computer, launch OneDrive from the Start menu, and attempt to open the folder again to see if the crash is resolved.

Safe Deletion: Deleting the contents of the OfficeFileCache folder is safe. It only removes temporary synchronization data and will not delete your actual documents or cloud files.

Solution 2

Install Latest Windows and OneDrive Updates

Outdated software can lead to system compatibility conflicts, causing OneDrive for Business to terminate unexpectedly when interacting with Windows Explorer.

Solution 3

Reset the OneDrive Application

If clearing the cache and updating the software fails, performing a command-line reset will refresh all internal OneDrive configurations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing the Office file cache delete my OneDrive documents?

No. The OfficeFileCache folder only stores temporary data used to track file synchronization statuses. Deleting its contents will not affect your actual documents stored locally or in the cloud.

Why does OneDrive for Business crash specifically when I click 'Open Folder'?

This specific crash is typically caused by Windows Explorer attempting to read corrupted sync metadata, flawed thumbnail caches, or outdated cache files within the local directory as it loads.

What should I do if the issue persists after clearing the cache and resetting OneDrive?

If standard troubleshooting methods fail, you should unlink your PC from OneDrive via the account settings, uninstall the OneDrive application from 'Apps & features', manually delete any leftover OneDrive folders in your AppData directory, and perform a clean reinstallation.

Microsoft Office Error Codes