OneDrive Error Codes

How to Fix OneDrive Sign-In Error 80072EFE for Work Accounts

Olivia Miller Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is unable to sign in to the OneDrive desktop application using a work account, encountering error code 80072EFE, despite personal accounts and other Microsoft apps functioning properly.

How to Fix OneDrive Sign-In Error 80072EFE for a Work Account

Product: OneDrive
Device & OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11
Scenario: Attempting to sign in and synchronize files on the OneDrive desktop client using an organizational or work account.
Observed behavior: The sign-in process fails with error code 80072EFE. The issue is isolated to a specific Windows user profile and work account, while personal OneDrive, Office, Outlook, and Teams remain fully operational.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrator permissions on your Windows profile, as you will need to modify AppData folders and reinstall the application.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear OneDrive Cache Folders and Perform a Clean Reinstallation

Manually removing corrupted cache and setup folders before reinstalling the latest version of OneDrive forces the app to establish a fresh connection with your organizational account.

Because the error is often isolated to a single Windows user profile, simply reinstalling the app without clearing the local cache may not resolve the issue. Renaming or deleting the local AppData folder ensures that all problematic credentials and temporary configuration files are completely removed.

Uninstall the current OneDrive client

Open Windows Settings, navigate to 'Apps' > 'Apps & features' (or 'Installed apps'), locate 'Microsoft OneDrive', click on it, and select 'Uninstall'.

Locate and rename the OneDrive cache folder

Press the 'Windows key + R' to open the Run dialog. Type '%localappdata%\Microsoft' and press Enter. Find the 'OneDrive' folder in the directory, right-click it, and rename it to 'OneDrive.old'.

Restart your computer

Restart Windows to ensure all background processes tied to the old OneDrive cache are completely terminated.

Download and install the latest OneDrive release

Visit the official Microsoft website to download the latest production release of OneDrive. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts.

Configure your work account

Open the newly installed OneDrive app, enter your organizational email address, and proceed through the sign-in and authentication process.

Clear OneDrive Cache Folders and Perform a Clean Reinstallation

When to contact your IT Administrator: If you continue to experience error 80072EFE after a clean installation, the issue may be related to your organization's network policies. Ask your Microsoft 365 administrator to open a support request with Microsoft and provide them with your sign-in logs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does error code 80072EFE mean in OneDrive?

Error 80072EFE is a Windows connection error indicating that the connection to the server was abnormally terminated. For OneDrive work accounts, it usually means the client cannot establish a secure link to your organization's SharePoint or authentication servers.

Why does my personal OneDrive work while my work account shows an error?

Personal and work accounts route through different Microsoft servers and authentication protocols. A corrupt cache file, an expired token in your local user profile, or a specific enterprise firewall policy might block the work account connection while leaving the personal connection unaffected.

Will I lose my files if I rename the OneDrive cache folder?

No. Renaming the '%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive' folder only removes local app configurations and cached data. Your actual synchronized files are stored in your main OneDrive directory (usually under your user folder) and remain safely backed up in the cloud.

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