Conditional Access Problems

How to Identify Devices Affected by OneDrive Sync Blocking

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 868 views

Question details

Administrators need to identify which unmanaged devices and users will be affected before or after blocking OneDrive synchronization via SharePoint Online.

Product: Microsoft Entra ID / OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An administrator is preparing to block or has recently blocked OneDrive sync for unmanaged devices and needs to audit the impact on current users.
Observed behavior: Synchronization is blocked on devices that are not domain-joined or marked compliant, and administrators need to locate these specific devices to anticipate user issues.

Before you start

Ensure you have global administrator or conditional access administrator privileges in the Microsoft Entra admin center to view device compliance statuses.

Solution 1Recommended

Review Devices in the Microsoft Entra Admin Center

Use the Microsoft Entra device management portal to filter and identify devices that do not meet domain-joined or compliance requirements.

This restriction relies on Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies. Once enabled in the SharePoint admin center, two policies are automatically created. While they apply to all users by default, they specifically target and block sync on devices that are unmanaged.

You can proactively identify affected hardware by auditing your organization's device list.

Access the Microsoft Entra admin center

Navigate to the Devices menu

In the left-hand navigation pane, click on 'Devices' and then select 'All devices'.

Filter for non-compliant devices

Review the device list or apply filters to identify devices that are neither domain-joined nor marked as compliant. These are the devices that will be blocked from syncing.

Review potential browser restrictions

Note that users on these identified devices may also face restricted browser actions, meaning downloading and printing from web applications could be blocked.

Policy Scope: Although the policies are applied to all users by default, administrators can manually adjust the scope within Microsoft Entra ID to exclude specific groups or individuals if needed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to a device that is not domain-joined when the sync block is active?

Devices that are not domain-joined or marked as compliant will be entirely blocked from synchronizing files via OneDrive. Additionally, browser actions like downloading and printing may be restricted by the same Conditional Access policies.

Can I apply the OneDrive sync block to only specific users?

Yes. When the sync blocking feature is first enabled in the SharePoint admin center, the resulting Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies apply to all users by default. However, administrators can modify the policy scope in Microsoft Entra to target or exclude specific users and groups.

Do I need Microsoft Entra ID to manage these sync restrictions?

Yes, identifying affected devices and modifying the scope of the sync block relies directly on Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies, requiring access to the Microsoft Entra admin center.

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