OneDrive error 0x80070005 usually indicates that OneDrive cannot complete an update. Microsoft describes it as an update problem; on work or school PCs, a Known Folder Move policy that blocks manual redirection of profile folders can produce the same code. Install Windows updates and rerun the current OneDrive installer first. If that does not work, check the policy, reset OneDrive, reinstall it, and involve your organization’s IT administrator when a managed account or network restriction is involved.
What OneDrive error 0x80070005 means
The hexadecimal code 0x80070005 is commonly displayed with wording such as “Access denied,” but in OneDrive it does not automatically mean that your disk or OneDrive files are damaged. Microsoft Support states that the code “suggests there is an issue with OneDrive updates.” That makes an incomplete update, an installer problem, or a policy conflict the right places to start looking.
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A separate but related case occurs when OneDrive is moving Desktop, Documents, Pictures, or another profile folder through Known Folder Move. Microsoft documents that a Group Policy setting can prevent a user from manually redirecting profile folders. If that policy is enabled, OneDrive may be unable to finish the operation and report 0x80070005. On a company or school computer, the setting may be enforced centrally even when the local policy editor appears to show a different value.
Use the repair sequence below in order. The first two actions change little and are the best fit for an update failure. Resetting or reinstalling OneDrive is more disruptive because both actions clear OneDrive settings and lead to a full synchronization.
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Pick the least disruptive repair for your symptom
| What you see | Account context | First path | Control involved | Data impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
OneDrive will not update or the installer reports 0x80070005 |
Personal or work/school | Install Windows updates, then run OneDriveSetup.exe |
Your Windows and OneDrive installation | No planned full resync |
| Known Folder Move cannot redirect a profile folder | Most often work or school, but the policy can exist on any edition that provides Group Policy | Check the “Prohibit User from manually redirecting Profile Folders” policy | Local or organization-managed policy | Policy change alone does not reset OneDrive |
| OneDrive remains stuck after an update attempt | Personal or work/school | Reset OneDrive | Local OneDrive settings | Settings are cleared and a full resync follows |
| The installation is damaged or reset does not resolve it | Personal or work/school | Reinstall OneDrive | The installed OneDrive package | Settings are reset and a full resync follows |
| Sign-in or connection fails after software repair | Usually work or school | Check network or firewall restrictions and contact IT | Organization network, tenant, or account policy | Depends on the administrator’s changes |
Before changing OneDrive
- Determine whether the account is personal or supplied by an employer or school. Managed accounts can be subject to rules that you cannot change locally.
- Note whether the message appears during an update, while redirecting a Desktop or Documents folder, or while signing in. That symptom determines which step is most relevant.
- Allow enough time for a later full synchronization if you use reset or reinstall. Do not judge either operation while files are still being reconciled.
- If the issue is on a work or school PC, record the exact message and the step that produced it. IT can use that information to check a centrally applied policy or a network restriction.
1. Install every available Windows update
Microsoft’s recommended starting point is Windows Update. A pending Windows component can prevent the current OneDrive update from completing, so update the operating system before replacing OneDrive itself.
- Open Settings.
- On Windows 11, select Windows Update. On Windows 10, select Update & Security, then Windows Update.
- Select Check for updates and install every update Windows offers.
- Restart when Windows requests it. After the restart, wait for Windows to finish applying updates before testing OneDrive.
Try the same OneDrive action that produced 0x80070005. If the code was caused by an unfinished Windows prerequisite, this may be all that is required. If the error remains, continue to the current OneDrive installer rather than repeatedly retrying the same update prompt.
2. Run the current OneDrive installer manually
OneDrive keeps an update package in the user profile. Launching that package directly is the next low-risk repair and targets the update path identified by the error.
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- Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Enter
%localappdata%MicrosoftOneDriveupdateand press Enter. - In the folder that opens, locate
OneDriveSetup.exeand launch it. - Let the setup process complete, then open OneDrive again and repeat the operation that failed.
If the folder is not present or the executable does not start, do not create a replacement file with a different name. Move to the reset step below, and then use reinstall if the reset cannot restore a working installation.
3. Check the Known Folder Move policy
Use this step when the error appears while OneDrive is redirecting a profile folder or when the computer is controlled by an employer or school. The relevant setting is named Prohibit User from manually redirecting Profile Folders.
- Press Windows key + R, type
gpedit.msc, and press Enter. - In Local Group Policy Editor, open User Configuration.
- Open Administrative Templates, then Desktop.
- Open Prohibit User from manually redirecting Profile Folders.
- Set the policy to Not Configured, apply the change, and retry the OneDrive folder-redirection operation.
When the policy is controlled by an organization
“Not Configured” in the local editor does not prove that the setting is absent. A domain, mobile-device-management profile, or other centralized administration can apply a policy after local settings are changed. If the value returns, the option is unavailable, or the error occurs only with a work or school account, stop changing local policy and ask the organization’s IT administrator to review the Known Folder Move configuration.
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If Group Policy Editor is unavailable
Some Windows editions do not include gpedit.msc. Do not treat the missing editor as evidence that the policy is not applied, and do not make an unverified registry edit to substitute for it. For a managed account, ask IT to check the policy from the organization’s management tools. For a personal account, continue with the installer and reset steps.
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Reset is a Microsoft-supported recovery step for a OneDrive installation that remains stuck after updates. It clears OneDrive settings and causes a full resynchronization. The command does not select a different account or provide a shortcut around an organization’s policy; it rebuilds the local OneDrive state.
- Press Windows key + R.
- Try the command that matches the OneDrive executable on your PC:
%localappdata%MicrosoftOneDriveonedrive.exe /resetC:Program FilesMicrosoft OneDriveonedrive.exe /resetC:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OneDriveonedrive.exe /reset
- Press Enter. If one command reports that the file cannot be found, close that message and try the next path.
- After the reset command completes, start OneDrive manually from the Windows Start menu.
- Allow OneDrive to rebuild its state and complete the resulting full synchronization before deciding whether the repair worked.
What to expect during a reset
The OneDrive icon or synchronization activity may disappear briefly and then return. Because settings are cleared, OneDrive may need to rediscover the account and synchronize the complete library. The time required depends on the amount of data and the connection; the supplied Microsoft guidance provides no universal completion time or success rate. Avoid interrupting the process simply because the files are not immediately visible as synchronized.
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5. Reinstall OneDrive
Microsoft Learn lists reinstalling OneDrive as a further supported option when updating and resetting do not resolve the error. Reinstallation resets the settings and is followed by a full sync, so use it after the lower-impact steps rather than as the first response to a single failed update.
- Use Windows’ installed-app controls to remove the existing Microsoft OneDrive installation.
- Restart Windows if the uninstall process requests it.
- Install the current OneDrive package supplied for your Windows installation.
- Start OneDrive, sign in with the affected account, and let the complete library synchronize.
If the same code returns immediately during setup, repeating the uninstall will not address a policy or network block. For a work or school account, provide IT with the error and the fact that a clean reinstall still fails. For a personal account, check whether Windows updates are still pending and whether the installer can reach its required network services.
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6. Handle sign-in, firewall, and network restrictions
When OneDrive installs but cannot sign in or connect, the cause may no longer be the local update package. Microsoft advises work or school users with unresolved sign-in or connection problems to contact their organization’s IT administrator. An organization can restrict network traffic or require account settings that an individual user cannot change.
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Work or school account
- Tell IT whether the failure occurs before sign-in, during sign-in, or after the account appears connected.
- Include whether the computer is on the organization’s network, a home network, or a VPN when the error appears.
- Ask the administrator to check firewall or network restrictions and the Known Folder Move policy.
- Do not assume that a local policy change will persist if the device is centrally managed.
Personal account
Confirm that Windows and OneDrive are updated, then work through the installer and reset sequence. If the installation succeeds but the service cannot connect, a firewall or network restriction may be blocking OneDrive. The error code alone does not identify which network rule is responsible, so avoid deleting unrelated firewall rules or disabling security controls as a blind test.
How to tell which step solved the problem
Test after each stage with the original action that produced 0x80070005. An update repair is successful when OneDrive accepts the update without the code. A Known Folder Move repair is successful when the profile-folder redirection completes without the policy error. A reset or reinstall is not complete until OneDrive has started again and finished its full synchronization.
If the error disappears after Windows Update or the manual installer, there is no reason to reset the client. If it persists only for a redirected folder, focus on policy and administrator controls. If it persists across update, reset, and reinstall, the remaining evidence points away from a simple local update failure and toward account, policy, firewall, or network administration.
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- Starting with reset: Reset is supported, but it clears settings and triggers a full resync. Try Windows Update and the current installer first.
- Changing the wrong policy: The relevant setting is specifically Prohibit User from manually redirecting Profile Folders under User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop.
- Assuming “Not Configured” defeats central management: An organization can reapply its own value after a local change.
- Using one hard-coded reset path: OneDrive can be installed under the user profile,
Program Files, orProgram Files (x86). Try the supported paths listed above. - Interrupting a full sync: Reset and reinstall require a complete synchronization. A temporary period of activity is expected.
- Disabling security software permanently: A connection issue should be investigated with the administrator or network owner instead of leaving protections disabled.
When to escalate
Contact your organization’s IT administrator when the account is managed, the policy keeps returning, or OneDrive cannot sign in or connect after the local repair sequence. Include the exact code, the account type, whether Known Folder Move is involved, which reset executable path you used, and whether reinstalling changed the behavior. That information separates a local installation problem from a centrally enforced policy or network restriction.
Final verdict
For most OneDrive 0x80070005 incidents, treat the code as an update problem first: install Windows updates and run %localappdata%MicrosoftOneDriveupdateOneDriveSetup.exe. If the failure concerns Desktop, Documents, or another redirected profile folder, check the Known Folder Move policy. Reset and reinstall are supported later steps, but both clear settings and trigger a full resynchronization. Persistent work or school failures require IT review because organization policy can override local settings.
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