Why is Onedrive so blatlanty bad?

Question

Why is Onedrive so blatlanty bad?

Sebastian Alvarez 36

It's really hard for me to understand how can Microsoft do such a pathetic job with Onedrive. I've been both a Mac and Windows users for over two decades, which means I'm pretty good at troubleshooting computers and OSes.

In the last ten years I have used mostly iCloud Drive as my online file storage. I never had a problem with it. At least not a major problem, because I can't remember having a single problem.

But Onedrive, is nothing but headaches. Since earlier this year I built a PC, even if I paid Microsoft $200 for Windows 11, it doesn't come with Office in the same way Apple bundles its much better office suite with macOS. So at one point LibreOffice was getting too difficult, and I decided to bite the bullet and subscribe to Microsoft 365, which gave me the 1 TB online storage.

Determined to use it, I enabled Onedrive. Right away I was pestered with lots of conflicts because I had some files and folders in my Onedrive online that were the same as the local files. Instead of doing the simple basic thing that happens when you copy a bunch of files and folders to another folder that has some of those files and folders, the prompt to merge folders, or show you all the conflicting files to decide which version to keep, it just tells you there's a conflict, and its stupid solution is to tell you to delete the local file or folder:

I had already backed up everything, so I deleted the local documents folder. I figured now it's going to download everything on the online version. Nothing. There's even a button in the settings that is called "Download all files". Nothing. And I don't mean waiting two minutes and nothing. I mean leaving the computer doing nothing else than waiting for Onedrive to sync. An hour later, nothing.

But I realized that I had disabled backing up folders to Onedrive. I only had the free 5 GB account, and it was pestering me all the time that I was over 5 GB, so I disabled all the folders months ago.

But now I want to enable some of those folders. So I click on the toggle to enable them:

And what happens when I click on Save Changes is this:

The toggles go back to disabled. Even if they say "Syncing...", it's not doing anything of the sort. If I close the dialog above and then open it again, I see this:

I don't hate Windows. I hate Microsoft because it's a company that can't do anything totally right. They can't QC anything if their lives depend on it. And call me an Apple fanboy all you want, but ask yourself if a so called Apple fanboy would spend thousands of dollars on building a new Windows 11 PC like I did in January.

I'm not an Apple fanboy, but the simple reality is, iCloud Drive just works. 10 years of using it across 4 different Macs, iPhones and iPads, and I never had a problem with it. It works as any online drive should work. In fact, I wouldn't even try to use it if it didn't come bundled with Microsoft 365. But I'm paying for it, I'm gonna use it.

No matter how much better PCs can be in terms of hardware compared to even the most expensive Macs, they will always be crippled by this mediocre OS that is Windows, simple as that.

Mike D 5 Reputation points

2025-09-14T15:41:51.1866667+00:00

I just don't trust that Onedrive really is backing these up correctly. I had uploaded several folders to OneDrive (none of which had names of Documents, music, photos, or video. There was folder called "old" and another "BU090225". None of these was set up using syncing but were manually uploaded. I then set up Onedrive to back up my computer. I have the Office 365 subscription so I have one TB of data and only had about 100 GB on my computer and about 150 GB already backed up. I did not have OneDrive set up for syncing but I decided I wanted to set up OneDrive . So, after a couple of hours OneDrive says everything is synced. Checked online and there are no folders called documents, photos or music. However my existing folder called "docs" , "photo", and "songs" (I had purposely not used the same names as used in windows) which was under "BU090225" now had additional files. Because of various issues I had decided to reinstall Windows. After the reinstall I accepted the option to turn on OneDrive. Again after a couple of hours it said everything was synced. There were files in the document folder even though there was no document folder online. However not all the files that were in "docs" under "BU090215" were in the documents folder. Same as with the windows photos and music folder. Only some of the desktop icons were reinstalled. This is not the first time this has happened. My primary computer is a Mac and iCloud does "just work". This is not the first time that I have had this type of problem with OneDrive and I have absolutely no trust that OneDrive will sync files correctly.
Big Creek 15 Reputation points

2025-09-14T19:35:24.3133333+00:00

I hear you. It's shameful how poor it STILL is after all these years. Isn't a company like MS full of smart developers and engineers? I tried it several years ago and gave up. Fast forward to getting a new desktop and laptop (both Windows 11) and I thought I'd give it a go again. After all, it's been a few years, certainly MS has worked out the bugs. Nope.
generalissimo 6 Reputation points

2025-11-03T07:39:48.54+00:00

For non macOS and non Windows users. Try Dropbox, genuinely never experienced a Dropbox error code. That or stick to iCloud, I understand OP's post. The constant re-inventing of the wheel, Windows Search, Teams (NEW), Outlook (NEW), and the subsequent performance issues of Windows 11 and Teams in presenter mode. This is what happens when you're too big for your own good with the wrong people. Evidently Dropbox and iCloud is doing it right
Ray Rosen 5 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2025-11-08T19:15:51.7066667+00:00

I've not had issues with sync but also have 1 TB storage. Streaming videos is simply the worst experience possible. Constant buffering. No other platform that I have seen has any issues.
Aaron D 5 Reputation points

2025-12-24T16:52:31.54+00:00

I am constantly dealing with syncing delays. When we used the Google Environment, as soon as a folder was added or file was added it was almost immediately showing up online or on my computer and could access it almost immediately. With OneDrive I constantly have to pause syncing to try and force syncing and then 8 out of 10 times the "quit one drive" is greyed out and there is never an option to unpause the paused sync or even shut down OneDrive without using a command prompt for resetting (Which no one should have to be forced to do if your software was actually user friendly).

I've wasted hours, literal hours, waiting for files to sync, resetting, etc. It's terrible when I need to open a file in a client meeting and it won't download the file as well. Doesn't matter what my internet is, whether it's highspeed wireless or connected wired... it's always inconsistent and problematic. Don't even get me started on how long it takes to process changes...

It's a huge regret spending thousands of dollars to shift out of the Google workspace and implementing MS Teams in my company, our productivity has been reduced so much just waiting on MS servers to update our files or dealing with program errors and glitches.
Craig Long 17,825 Reputation points

2025-12-24T21:11:57.76+00:00

Do this: Using the DISM Command Prompt Tool to Repair Windows
Jason Alexander 5 Reputation points

2026-03-22T07:33:14.31+00:00

I spent the last week completely rebuilding my pc and cleaning my office, mostly new water cooling and cable management, and I turn on my computer today, and within seconds of being on, onedrive just deleted half my desktop right before my eyes, no warning, no reason, its turned off the "always keep on this device" setting on my desktop and some other folders, and every time I try to set it back to always keep on my device, explorer crashes after about 10 minutes, and onedrive is "processing 8,942 changes" it's absurd, and I haven't even checked my other folders to see what else its destroyed just for the hell of it yet
Stuart Aitken 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T12:47:21.83+00:00

Yep, OneDrive is really just another embarrassment for Microsoft.

I'm a software developer, I understand there are some technical complexities to online file management.

But the UI? For an app like this -- easy, super easy. I am absolutely baffled by the lack of functionality, lack of information, lack of interaction, simply to manage and view files online and offline.

OneDrive is one of a long line of Microsoft products that truly, truly scream "this company employs amateurs". It actually makes me feel quite resentful, because as a software developer myself I want to tell myself that Microsoft devs must be some of the best. I'm sure plenty of them are, but then clearly with things like OneDrive there are also utter rookies working there who are somehow allowed to churn out useless slop like this. It baffles me.

It probably isn't the devs, it's management thinking they can get away with de-prioritising OneDrive because it's a ball and chain once users start keeping their files there. No need to keep users happy after you've effectively captured them. It stinks,.
Rhapsody Condo 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T19:04:21.8233333+00:00

I have a paid account and always thought it was a good deal with office AND one tb of storage. I’ve tried one drive sync over the years and have it beyond frustrating. The initial sync can take days even with it set to just download file names. Limiting the syncing folders is basically impossible. I end up manually uploading and downloading files. But even then the web site is slow to respond/update. I use it to backup From my phone and get bizarre dates on many photos. I think I’ve finally come to the decision that even if the price is right, the cost is too high if it doesn’t work.

1 answer

Your answer

Mike D 5 Reputation points

2025-09-14T15:41:51.1866667+00:00

I just don't trust that Onedrive really is backing these up correctly. I had uploaded several folders to OneDrive (none of which had names of Documents, music, photos, or video. There was folder called "old" and another "BU090225". None of these was set up using syncing but were manually uploaded. I then set up Onedrive to back up my computer. I have the Office 365 subscription so I have one TB of data and only had about 100 GB on my computer and about 150 GB already backed up. I did not have OneDrive set up for syncing but I decided I wanted to set up OneDrive . So, after a couple of hours OneDrive says everything is synced. Checked online and there are no folders called documents, photos or music. However my existing folder called "docs" , "photo", and "songs" (I had purposely not used the same names as used in windows) which was under "BU090225" now had additional files. Because of various issues I had decided to reinstall Windows. After the reinstall I accepted the option to turn on OneDrive. Again after a couple of hours it said everything was synced. There were files in the document folder even though there was no document folder online. However not all the files that were in "docs" under "BU090215" were in the documents folder. Same as with the windows photos and music folder. Only some of the desktop icons were reinstalled. This is not the first time this has happened. My primary computer is a Mac and iCloud does "just work". This is not the first time that I have had this type of problem with OneDrive and I have absolutely no trust that OneDrive will sync files correctly.
Big Creek 15 Reputation points

2025-09-14T19:35:24.3133333+00:00

I hear you. It's shameful how poor it STILL is after all these years. Isn't a company like MS full of smart developers and engineers? I tried it several years ago and gave up. Fast forward to getting a new desktop and laptop (both Windows 11) and I thought I'd give it a go again. After all, it's been a few years, certainly MS has worked out the bugs. Nope.
generalissimo 6 Reputation points

2025-11-03T07:39:48.54+00:00

For non macOS and non Windows users. Try Dropbox, genuinely never experienced a Dropbox error code. That or stick to iCloud, I understand OP's post. The constant re-inventing of the wheel, Windows Search, Teams (NEW), Outlook (NEW), and the subsequent performance issues of Windows 11 and Teams in presenter mode. This is what happens when you're too big for your own good with the wrong people. Evidently Dropbox and iCloud is doing it right
Ray Rosen 5 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2025-11-08T19:15:51.7066667+00:00

I've not had issues with sync but also have 1 TB storage. Streaming videos is simply the worst experience possible. Constant buffering. No other platform that I have seen has any issues.
Aaron D 5 Reputation points

2025-12-24T16:52:31.54+00:00

I am constantly dealing with syncing delays. When we used the Google Environment, as soon as a folder was added or file was added it was almost immediately showing up online or on my computer and could access it almost immediately. With OneDrive I constantly have to pause syncing to try and force syncing and then 8 out of 10 times the "quit one drive" is greyed out and there is never an option to unpause the paused sync or even shut down OneDrive without using a command prompt for resetting (Which no one should have to be forced to do if your software was actually user friendly).

I've wasted hours, literal hours, waiting for files to sync, resetting, etc. It's terrible when I need to open a file in a client meeting and it won't download the file as well. Doesn't matter what my internet is, whether it's highspeed wireless or connected wired... it's always inconsistent and problematic. Don't even get me started on how long it takes to process changes...

It's a huge regret spending thousands of dollars to shift out of the Google workspace and implementing MS Teams in my company, our productivity has been reduced so much just waiting on MS servers to update our files or dealing with program errors and glitches.
Craig Long 17,825 Reputation points

2025-12-24T21:11:57.76+00:00

Do this: Using the DISM Command Prompt Tool to Repair Windows
Jason Alexander 5 Reputation points

2026-03-22T07:33:14.31+00:00

I spent the last week completely rebuilding my pc and cleaning my office, mostly new water cooling and cable management, and I turn on my computer today, and within seconds of being on, onedrive just deleted half my desktop right before my eyes, no warning, no reason, its turned off the "always keep on this device" setting on my desktop and some other folders, and every time I try to set it back to always keep on my device, explorer crashes after about 10 minutes, and onedrive is "processing 8,942 changes" it's absurd, and I haven't even checked my other folders to see what else its destroyed just for the hell of it yet
Stuart Aitken 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T12:47:21.83+00:00

Yep, OneDrive is really just another embarrassment for Microsoft.

I'm a software developer, I understand there are some technical complexities to online file management.

But the UI? For an app like this -- easy, super easy. I am absolutely baffled by the lack of functionality, lack of information, lack of interaction, simply to manage and view files online and offline.

OneDrive is one of a long line of Microsoft products that truly, truly scream "this company employs amateurs". It actually makes me feel quite resentful, because as a software developer myself I want to tell myself that Microsoft devs must be some of the best. I'm sure plenty of them are, but then clearly with things like OneDrive there are also utter rookies working there who are somehow allowed to churn out useless slop like this. It baffles me.

It probably isn't the devs, it's management thinking they can get away with de-prioritising OneDrive because it's a ball and chain once users start keeping their files there. No need to keep users happy after you've effectively captured them. It stinks,.
Rhapsody Condo 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T19:04:21.8233333+00:00

I have a paid account and always thought it was a good deal with office AND one tb of storage. I’ve tried one drive sync over the years and have it beyond frustrating. The initial sync can take days even with it set to just download file names. Limiting the syncing folders is basically impossible. I end up manually uploading and downloading files. But even then the web site is slow to respond/update. I use it to backup From my phone and get bizarre dates on many photos. I think I’ve finally come to the decision that even if the price is right, the cost is too high if it doesn’t work.

Answer 1

Hi, and welcome to Microsoft Q&A.

If you only have the free 5GB of OneDrive storage, you won't be able to back up 59.1GB of data. Your folders toggling OFF is probably a safety feature for you. I do not recommend trying to enable the backup on all your folders. That may lead to data loss.

OneDrive does not create any "local" copies of your files. When sync is enabled at Manage Backup, OneDrive automatically moves your files into the OneDrive folder. Your local OneDrive folder automatically makes copies of its files to the online OneDrive. Therefore, if you copy and paste files into the OneDrive folder, they may be seen as two different and distinct sets of files.

If files in the cloud have not been in sync with their local counterparts, OneDrive may see them as separate, distinct files and will keep both versions.

See the video here: Back up your folders with OneDrive - Microsoft Support

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reply.

Craig

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Why is Onedrive so blatlanty bad?

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