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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchMove or rename UserTelemetryCache.otc and UserTelemetryCache.otc.session after quitting OneDrive, then restart the client. This is a targeted workaround reported in Microsoft Q&A, not a guaranteed, universal Microsoft fix. Before using the more disruptive reset procedure, verify that important local files are synchronized or copy unsynchronized work elsewhere.
First confirm that OneDrive is actually stuck
Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc and check whether OneDrive.exe, Microsoft OneDrive, or Microsoft OneDrive Sync Service is consuming CPU continuously.
Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area and read its status. Processing changes, Syncing, or Looking for changes can be normal during an initial sync, a large photo upload, or after many files were changed. Watch whether the item count progresses and CPU usage falls after the work completes. Persistent activity involving the same files is more suggestive of a loop.
High CPU can also come from a locked Office document, a constantly changing folder, sync conflicts, antivirus scanning, indexing, a very large file set, duplicate accounts, or a damaged client database. The telemetry-cache files are an observed correlation in some reports, not a proven explanation for every OneDrive CPU problem. See Microsoft’s general sync guidance at Fix OneDrive sync problems.
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Check your Windows 10 version first
- Press Windows + R.
- Type
winverand press Enter. - Confirm whether Windows 10 is version 22H2.
Microsoft’s current requirements support OneDrive on Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11. Desktop-app support for Windows 10 version 21H2 and earlier ended on August 15, 2026; the app may continue to run, but it no longer receives new updates and compatibility is not guaranteed. Check the current requirements at Microsoft’s OneDrive system-requirements page. If upgrading is not possible, use OneDrive in a browser as a temporary alternative.
Fix 1: Move or rename the UserTelemetryCache files
The Microsoft Q&A workaround targets OneDrive’s local setup/log directory. Moving the files is safer than deleting them because it is reversible and lets OneDrive create fresh copies.
- Click the OneDrive cloud icon, choose Pause syncing, or choose Quit OneDrive if that option is available. Ensure the process has closed in Task Manager.
- Open File Explorer and paste this path into the address bar:
%localappdata%MicrosoftOneDrivesetuplogs
- Locate
UserTelemetryCache.otcandUserTelemetryCache.otc.session, if present. - Move them to a temporary folder such as the Desktop, or rename each file by adding
.oldto its name. - Start OneDrive again from the Start menu.
- Wait several minutes, then check Task Manager and the cloud-icon status.
OneDrive may recreate the files. That is expected; the test is whether the sustained CPU loop stops. The procedure is documented in this Microsoft Q&A response: OneDrive for Business and UserTelemetryCache.
If the files or folder are missing
Do not create replacement files. OneDrive versions and account types can use different log layouts, including account-specific subfolders, and the files may already have been rebuilt or removed. Their absence neither proves that OneDrive is healthy nor rules out another sync problem. Continue with an update and, if necessary, the official reset procedure.
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Fix 2: Update OneDrive from Microsoft
Install the current desktop client through Microsoft’s normal update mechanism or the official download page: Download OneDrive. Avoid modified, archived, or “optimized” installers from third-party sites. A current client can address regressions and compatibility issues, but updating will not necessarily fix a problematic file, folder, security scanner, or sync configuration.
Fix 3: Reset OneDrive
Use reset when CPU remains high, OneDrive stays on Processing changes, or sync errors persist after the cache test and update. Microsoft says reset disconnects sync connections, rebuilds OneDrive’s local data file, and starts a full resynchronization without deleting files or data.
- Open the Run dialog with Windows + R.
- Run the following command first:
%localappdata%MicrosoftOneDriveonedrive.exe /reset
If Windows reports that the file cannot be found, try these documented locations in order:
C:Program FilesMicrosoft OneDriveonedrive.exe /resetC:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OneDriveonedrive.exe /reset
- Wait a few minutes. If OneDrive does not relaunch, open OneDrive from the Start menu.
- Sign in if prompted and review account and folder-selection settings.
- Allow the full sync to finish before judging CPU usage.
Resetting can temporarily increase CPU, disk, and network use because it rebuilds state and downloads or evaluates files again. Selectively synced folders may need to be chosen again. Follow Microsoft’s instructions at Reset OneDrive.
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Protect unsynchronized files before resetting
Microsoft’s statement that reset does not delete data does not mean every local edit has already reached the cloud. Before resetting:
- Open OneDrive on the web, or the relevant SharePoint location for a work or school account, and verify recent files.
- Copy important local-only or recently edited files to a folder outside OneDrive.
- Resolve files showing a pending-sync, red-error, or conflict icon before proceeding.
A file visible in the local OneDrive folder is not proof that its latest changes uploaded successfully.
Find a file or folder that keeps the client busy
If the cache workaround does nothing, pause syncing and re-enable folders selectively. Look for:
- A folder containing files that change continuously, such as logs, databases, or application caches.
- Office documents repeatedly locked or modified by another process.
- A single file that repeatedly fails, conflicts, or has an invalid or excessively long path.
- Multiple Windows profiles using the same local OneDrive directory.
- More than one personal, work, or school account, or duplicate OneDrive installations.
- Antivirus or endpoint-security software repeatedly scanning the sync directory.
- A very large number of files or deeply nested paths.
Use your security product’s documented exclusion process for a controlled test; do not disable protection indiscriminately. If a reset completes but the same item never progresses, investigate that item rather than repeatedly deleting cache files.
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Should you disable Windows telemetry?
No as a primary fix. Older forum advice sometimes recommends changing Windows Diagnostics & feedback, but the available evidence does not establish that Windows diagnostic-data settings cause a OneDrive UserTelemetryCache loop. Changing them can affect privacy and diagnostic features without repairing synchronization. Rebuild the OneDrive cache, update the client, isolate the workload, and reset OneDrive before considering any indirect privacy-setting change.
When high CPU continues
Record your Windows version, OneDrive version, account type, CPU pattern, cloud-icon status, and any repeatedly failing file. Personal-account users can contact Microsoft support; work and school users should involve their IT help desk, particularly when SharePoint libraries or device-management policies are involved.
If the desktop client remains unusable, use OneDrive through a browser while troubleshooting. Microsoft describes the available desktop and web options at Which OneDrive app?. On Windows 10 21H2 or earlier, move to a supported Windows release where possible; cache removal alone cannot restore guaranteed client compatibility.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to delete UserTelemetryCache files?
Prefer moving or renaming them after OneDrive is fully closed. This preserves a rollback and lets the client rebuild them. Confirm that important files are synchronized before using more disruptive repairs; do not edit the files manually.
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Will resetting OneDrive delete my files?
Microsoft says reset does not delete files or data, but it disconnects sync connections and triggers a full resynchronization. Back up local edits that have not uploaded and expect to review folder selections afterward.
Why is CPU high immediately after a reset?
A reset rebuilds local state and starts a full sync, so temporary CPU, disk, and network activity is expected. Persistent activity with no progress points to a conflict, changing file, damaged state, or another client issue.
Does the workaround apply to OneDrive for Business?
The cache-file procedure comes from a Microsoft Q&A report involving OneDrive for Business. It may also help other installations, but Microsoft does not present it as a universal fix for every Personal or work/school client.
Will this fix work on Windows 11?
The same OneDrive paths and reset commands may apply, but the cited compatibility cutoff concerns Windows 10. Diagnose the current client and sync workload rather than assuming the cache files are the cause.
The Bottom Line
Move the two UserTelemetryCache files, restart OneDrive, and observe whether the CPU loop stops. If it does not, update the client, protect unsynchronized work, and use Microsoft’s reset procedure rather than repeatedly deleting cache files.
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