Seeing Two OneDrive Folders in File Explorer: Here's How to Fix It

Seeing Two OneDrive Folders in File Explorer: Here's the Fix

Have you ever encountered a weird problem where two folders of your OneDrive account appear in your File Explorer, and you're not sure how to make them merge or disappear? Don't worry, this article will help you understand the issue and provide a solution.

Understanding the Problem

The problem occurs when you have multiple accounts or instances of OneDrive on your computer. For example, you might have a work and personal OneDrive account, or you might have upgraded your computer and have two OneDrive instances running in the background. This can result in duplicate folders appearing in your File Explorer.

Finding the Cause

To find the cause of the problem, you can follow these steps:

• Check your system tray for multiple OneDrive icons
• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and search for multiple OneDrive processes
• Open C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\OneDrive\Settings\Business1 and check for multiple instances of the OneDrive.adml and OneDrive.admx files

Resolving the Issue

Once you have identified the cause, you can resolve the issue by following these steps:

Option 1: Merge the Folders

If you have two OneDrive accounts with different contents, you can merge the folders by following these steps:

1. Stop the OneDrive processes from Task Manager
2. Move the contents of one folder to the other folder
3. Delete the empty folder
4. Restart one of the OneDrive processes
5. Wait for the folder to sync with OneDrive

Option 2: Disconnect One of the Accounts

If you have two OneDrive accounts with the same contents, you can disconnect one of the accounts by following these steps:

1. Right-click on the OneDrive icon in the system tray and click on "Settings"
2. Click on "Unlink this PC" and follow the prompts
3. Repeat the steps for the other OneDrive account
4. Add the OneDrive account you want to keep by going to https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/download/ and following the prompts

Preventing the Problem

To prevent the problem from happening again, you can:

• Uninstall one of the OneDrive instances
• Use a different cloud storage service
• Be careful not to add the same OneDrive account twice

In this article, we discussed the problem of seeing two OneDrive folders in File Explorer and how to fix it. We explained the possible causes of the problem, how to find them, and how to resolve them. We also provided tips for preventing the problem from happening again.

References

• OneDrive - Frequently asked questions
  • https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/onedrive-for-home-frequently-asked-questions-b859074c-57a7-4817-855c-2aad708b819f
• How to Unlink a PC from OneDrive - Microsoft Support
  • https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-unlink-a-pc-from-onedrive-89d1f294-39ef-4321-b07c-58356d671f0
• How to stop OneDrive from syncing - OneDrive support
  • https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-stop-onedrive-from-syncing-75e689ac-a7c3-4f1c-8f96-5c1da856f8d8