Newly Created .lnk File Types No Longer Syncing to OneDrive

Ta Da 45

The .lnk file types have always synced to personal OneDrive account associated with my Win 11 desktop when they were created. Starting one day ago newly created .lnk file types have stopped syncing.

The new .lnk file Properties->Details tab displays Availability Status of "Excluded (not synced)" and Attributes of "A". The values for .lnk files that were created before yesterday display Availability Status of "Always available on this device" and Attributes of "ALP".

I modified the name of a preexisting .lnk and it synced, as expected. I changed the target file path of a preexisting .lnk and it synced, as expected.

Unlinking and relinking the PC to OneDrive did not resolve the issue.

I navigated to OneDrive->Settings->Sync and Backup->Advanced settings->Excluded file extensions to see if any info there but that seems to only be used if wanting to add excluded file types.

The only thing I can think of that may have somehow caused this issue one day ago was I went to the Properties->Security tab of an existing .lnk file and viewed the Permissions for the defined group and user names (all permissions allowed for all). I didn't knowingly change any settings there.

TIA for any help to resolve this!

Fabrizio Castellari 0 Reputation points

2026-04-17T21:06:02.57+00:00

Since some days I have the same problem
Craig Long 17,825 Reputation points

2026-04-17T23:32:28.0866667+00:00

Maybe you don't have the access permissions to sync the file. Try this fix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufMk-Uj_W8c&t=51s
Ta Da 45 Reputation points

2026-04-18T01:59:06.0933333+00:00
I've received an email response from Microsoft OneDrive Support (MSODSupport_at_microsoftsupport.com_...) about this issue. Here's the direct quote from the email:

"We have received an update from the relevant team and would like to inform you that newly created Windows Shortcut (.lnk) files are currently not supported for backup to the OneDrive cloud through the OneDrive application. As such, these shortcut files are not uploaded to OneDrive when using the desktop application."

As others here have noted, this issue appeared around the beginning of April and currently running OneDrive v26.05x.

The email goes on to offer a work-around, which I have not yet tried:

"If you wish to upload a shortcut file to OneDrive, you may do so manually via the OneDrive web portal. Please sign in at https://onedrive.live.com, navigate to the desired location, and then drag and drop the shortcut file from your computer into the browser window. The file will upload successfully through this method."

So, as others have also noted, only .lnk files created before v26.05x will correctly sync as expected. Finally, the email provides a way to let Microsoft know what you think of this... defect.:

"We encourage you to share your valuable feedback with Microsoft by visiting https://aka.ms/feedbackOD."
Fabrizio Castellari 0 Reputation points

2026-04-18T08:37:36.6733333+00:00

Thank you very much for the update.

However, from the email you received from Microsoft OneDrive Support, it is still not clear to me whether the fact that, starting from OneDrive version v26.05x, the OneDrive Desktop client no longer synchronizes .lnk (link) files is considered a bug that will be fixed, or an intended behavior.

I have actually tried the suggested workaround of manually uploading the .lnk files through the OneDrive web portal, and I can confirm that this works. Nevertheless, this cannot be considered a viable long-term or recurring solution.

I use OneDrive on three different PCs, both in the Personal and Business versions. I have noticed that this issue does not occur in the Business version, and therefore it appears to affect only OneDrive Personal.

I make very extensive use of .lnk files, so manually uploading them via the OneDrive web portal is simply not practical.

Additionally, I only became aware of the issue yesterday, and as a result I cannot determine, across the three PCs, which .lnk files have been synchronized and which have not. The only way to verify this would be to manually open all folders and check which .lnk files are missing the green checkmark, which is an unfeasible task. Furthermore, three different people work on the three PCs, so it is impossible to ensure that everyone consistently remembers to perform manual uploads.

I would therefore like to contact Microsoft OneDrive Support directly. However, I am not sure whether I have found the correct link. Could you please send me the correct link where I can submit my questions to Microsoft?

Thank you in advance for your help.
Fabrizio Castellari 0 Reputation points

2026-04-18T18:29:13.2233333+00:00
I have also received an email response from Microsoft OneDrive Support (MSODSupport).

Below is a summary of what they communicated to me.

In my reply, I stated that I respectfully asked them to report to the Windows developers and decision-makers that this choice, if final, would certainly force me to stop using OneDrive in favor of other file‑sharing platforms.

I also offered a suggestion: it would have been preferable to at least retain the option to enable or disable synchronization of Windows shortcut files (.lnk) through OneDrive’s advanced settings.

"We fully understand your concerns and how important Windows shortcut files (.lnk) are to you.

We would like to clarify that, according to Microsoft documentation and recent updates, Windows shortcut files (.lnk) are not supported for synchronization through the OneDrive desktop app. This behavior is expected and does not represent a defect.

The reason is that .lnk files store references to machine-specific local paths, which cannot be transferred between devices. Because these shortcuts point to local paths, they may not work correctly when opened on another device; as a result, OneDrive blocks their automatic synchronization.

Microsoft has documented this behavior here: https://learn.microsoft.com/answers/questions/5575259/error-message-on-one-drive

As an alternative solution recommended by Microsoft and confirmed to work, you can manually upload .lnk files through the OneDrive web portal:

Sign in to https://onedrive.live.com

Navigate to the desired destination folder

Drag and drop the .lnk file into the browser window

Once uploaded through the website, the shortcut will be synchronized from the OneDrive cloud to your other PCs.

We understand that this solution may not be ideal for frequent or large-scale use, especially considering your reliance on shortcut files."
Keegan Jacobson 0 Reputation points

2026-04-19T06:55:06.6233333+00:00

I have the same issue, and have been trying to find any shred of information on this change that happened a few days ago.

The only other post I've seen is found on Reddit at this link, where I responded with some thoughts on workarounds: https://old.reddit.com/r/pchelp/comments/1sjzfcd/why_do_my_shortcuts_no_longer_sync_to_onedrive/

I initially thought that this corresponded with April 2026 Windows Updates, but it seems that may be a coincidence in timing with "unrelated" OneDrive changes - either way I can't be too sure but all of our issues are too coincidental to all be happening around the same time, something definitely changed with OneDrive.

Unfortunately- my fear is our use-case is too niche and this will just be swept under the rug. I feel that most users probably don't want .lnk files syncing for one reason or another, but it was definitely part of my "configuration" and "workflow" so-to-speak, so I stumbled upon it organically the next time I went to make a new shortcut and went down a similar trajectory of troubleshooting as you did.

Here's hoping we get some information on it, but I'm a bit afraid to hold my breath for anything
FCosta 0 Reputation points

2026-04-21T12:18:02.7933333+00:00
Hi, I also received a Microsoft Support reply regarding this issue:

Newly created .LNK files will not be backed up to OneDrive using NGSC (Microsoft Next Generation Sync Client) from version 26.051.0316.0004 onward. If saved inside a OneDrive folder, they will display a circle with a minus sign. To clarify, Windows shortcut (.lnk) files are no longer supported for syncing with OneDrive starting from version 26.051.0316.0004. Since these files point to locations that may not exist or resolve correctly on other devices, they are not considered portable and may be blocked from syncing. This change is not related to local policy settings and may become more noticeable after updates that enforce support for specific file types. As a workaround, you can upload the shortcut file directly through the OneDrive website

I hope someone at Microsoft, and especially the OneDrive team, reads the responses and pays attention to these problems. I ask that you please revert this unnecessary change and start syncing all the files we have on OneDrive through the app.

This change is completely unnecessary, as there is already a way to exclude file extensions through the OneDrive app settings. So, if someone needs to exclude .lnk files, they just need to add that extension to the exclusions – but I and many users who depend on shortcuts (and why wouldn't we?) need these files to be synced automatically, and we can't – it's such a bad idea like is suggesting to upload them manually to the OneDrive website...

Imagine creating files, regardless of their type, on one PC and then going to another PC and finding that those files don't exist because they aren't synced – it's a huge shock that makes me lose confidence in using OneDrive.

I am an experienced user who pays for the family subscription and helps maintain several family subscriptions for many members of my family - i had many issues regarding last year missing shared folders (turning into shortcuts) and now we are unable to sync shortcuts!!

Here are some of the problems I had with this change and some ways I work with OneDrive to overcome some of its ongoing limitations:

I wasted countless hours trying to figure out where the problem was because there is no information about this change in the OneDrive application changelog at https://learn.microsoft.com/pt-pt/sharepoint/sync-release-notes, which indicates a terrible lack of communication and transparency.

The application does not complain that these files are not synchronized, there is no error, no information, I only see a gray "forbidden" icon in the file explorer.

When I create shortcuts to content that is on OneDrive, I always use the %OneDrive% variable so that the synchronized shortcuts always point to the correct path, regardless of the location of the OneDrive folder!! I even go to the trouble of occasionally reviewing shortcuts I've forgotten to change using bulk shortcut change programs (something Windows/OneDrive could do automatically if there was an option for it)

Finally, I had to revert to version v26.040.0301.0001 and block OneDrive's automatic updates, as it's the latest version that allows me to sync .lnk files (shortcuts), so now I'm stuck at this version until OneDrive reverts back this change and state it in the changelog.

Here's what the OneDrive team should focus on:

Improve OneDrive usability, increase application speed and decrease the resources the application consumes on Windows

Allow OneDrive to be configured as a customizable drive letter - O: for example. (this should have been available a long time ago!!)

Add useful smart features - such as to provide OneDrive with an option that allows you to automatically change a created .lnk shortcut that points to your folder to its respective %OneDrive%, %OneDriveConsumer%, or %OneDriveCommercial% variable, depending on the type you are using.

Allow synchronization of folder customizations - I use folder customizations quite a lot with "desktop.ini" files with custom icons, and I even have custom icons inside the folders, and I have a lot of work keeping OneDrive completely synchronized between PCs because OneDrive refuses to synchronize folder customizations, so I have to do the customizations manually for thousands of folders!

Talk to the Windows team so that when creating an account in Windows by adding the Microsoft account, it allows us to choose a username/folder name for the user, so that it can be the same on all configured PCs to facilitate shortcut management. Currently, I have to create a local user with a specific name and only then log in with the Microsoft account so that the paths are the same on the various PCs I use.

Primarily and very important, listen to customers needs, offer them more options and don't BREAK how users work!!

Thanks

FCosta
FCosta 0 Reputation points

2026-04-21T18:53:56.88+00:00

For anyone interested:

URL files (internet shortcuts) are not blocked (yet?) and continue to be synced by the OneDrive app.

Despite lacking many properties of .lnk files (Windows shortcuts), .url shortcuts can be used to open local folders, files, or applications.

To create a .url shortcut in Windows directly, simply create a new shortcut and add:

file://C:/Path/To/Folder/Or/File/Or/App

You need to use forward slashes for it to work, but this .url shortcut syncs with OneDrive v26.05x and up, as well as with older versions too... Of course this it not a solution, but for now i believe it's a better workaround than manually uploading .url files to OneDrive web!!
Jake Plugers 0 Reputation points

2026-04-27T15:03:28.1766667+00:00

I too have the problem with shortcuts not being backed up to the cloud.

To avoid the “desktop confusion” for desktop shortcuts, I do not sync (backup) my desktop folder in OneDrive. To be safe, I purposely do not keep any important files on my desktop. I only keep shortcuts on the desktop.

What I do to sync newly created shortcuts elsewhere in OneDrive, is to run a script at night to rename all .lnk files to .lnkx files. They will instantly sync to the cloud. Then 5 minutes later, have a script rename all .lnkx files back to .lnk files.

Now you have all your shortcuts syncing properly in OneDrive.

I hope that helps.
FCosta 0 Reputation points

2026-04-27T20:45:41.7566667+00:00

@Jake Plugers Great advice, thanks!

I'm really upset that we have to go through so much trouble and problems to sync Windows shortcuts!!

It makes no sense at all.

The OneDrive team needs to fix this, and fast.

8 answers

FCosta 0 Reputation points

2026-04-21T18:54:18.2066667+00:00

For anyone interested:

URL files (internet shortcuts) are not blocked (yet?) and continue to be synced by the OneDrive app.

Despite lacking many properties of .lnk files (Windows shortcuts), .url shortcuts can be used to open local folders, files, or applications.

To create a .url shortcut in Windows directly, simply create a new shortcut and add:

file://C:/Path/To/Folder/Or/File/Or/App

You need to use forward slashes for it to work, but this .url shortcut syncs with OneDrive v26.05x and up, as well as with older versions too... Of course this it not a solution, but for now i believe it's a better workaround than manually uploading .url files to OneDrive web!!
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1 person found this answer helpful.
Keegan Jacobson 0 Reputation points

2026-04-23T18:28:11.5066667+00:00

This is a neat workaround but unfortunately .url files lack some functionality of .lnk files, for example you cannot append launch options (ex: --help, etc) to a shortcut, which is actually part of the reason why I had some of my shortcuts backed up in OneDrive as they were "customized" in this way.

Another alternative is use something like a batch file (.bat, etc) but even that isn't necessarily the perfect alternative without its own pitfalls.

I am definitely glad you mentioned this as a possible solution though - I wasn't aware of the ability to use it, although I'm not sure if I will be able to use it for all of my own use-cases.
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Craig Long 17,825 Reputation points

2026-04-19T22:10:29.2433333+00:00

Make sure "Hidden items" is not checked. Most hidden files can be safely ignored. These files may be system files used to manage and sync OneDrive. In File Explorer, go to "View > Show > Hidden items" and uncheck it.
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Craig Long 17,825 Reputation points

2026-04-04T06:23:58.9733333+00:00

I get this problem but this always works for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufMk-Uj_W8c&t=51s

Add the new user group "Everyone" and give it "Full control".
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FCosta 0 Reputation points

2026-04-17T15:31:42.7866667+00:00

Hi, this issue has nothing to do with file permissions - its a completly different issue that started after OneDrive v26.05x. I tested OneDrive v26.04x and it still syncs .lnk files
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Newly Created .lnk File Types No Longer Syncing to OneDrive

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