Quick Fix for OneDrive Can’t Stop Syncing Folder

Are you getting the error message “OneDrive can’t stop syncing folder” when you try to unselect the Windows desktop folder? Here are some troubleshooting solutions for this error on Windows 10.

Yuka

By Yuka Updated on December 9, 2022

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The Issue: Can’t Stop Syncing Folder in OneDrive

OneDrive Can’t Stop Syncing Folder

Microsoft OneDrive shows you the message "Can’t stop syncing folder" when you want to try to deselect the “Make all files available” checkbox in the Choose Folders window. The reason OneDrive can't stop syncing folder locations on your computer is probably because of your backup settings in OneDrive. If you have enabled file backup protection in OneDrive to automatically make backup copies of files in your OneDrive cloud storage, you need to manage it first.

How to Fix Can’t Stop Syncing Folder in OneDrive

As you know, OneDrive can be set up to automatically make a backup of your documents folder, desktop and images in your OneDrive cloud storage. The Documents, Desktop, and Pictures folders are three pretty important folders in Windows 10, which is why they can be protected by the OneDrive backup settings.

If you configure OneDrive Backup to protect any of your Documents, Desktop or Pictures folders, you will receive the "OneDrive Cannot stop syncing folders" message once you try to uncheck the "Make all files available" checkbox. You can solve this problem by following these steps.

Many people don't even know if they have OneDrive backup configured, you can figure it out by following the steps below.

  1. Right-click on your Microsoft OneDrive icon and select Settings.

OneDrive Settings

  1. The OneDrive Settings window will then be opened. Switch to the Backup tab and click the Manage Backup button to go to the OneDrive Manage Folder Backup screen.

Manage Backup

  1. From the Manage Folder Backup screen, click the Stop backup link for all three folders (Desktop, Documents, and Pictures).

Stop Backup

  1. OneDrive will then ask if you are sure you want to stop folder backup. OneDrive will then display a confirmation message informing you that the folder is no longer backed up.
  2. After clicking the "Stop backup" links for all three folders, you should see the screen shown below where all the "Stop Backup" links have disappeared.

No Stop Backup Links

  1. Click the "x" in the upper right corner of the window to return to the main OneDrive settings screen. Then select the Account tab and click the Choose folders button.

Choose Folders

  1. OneDrive will then display the Choose folder window, where you can select all OneDrive folders to sync to your device. You can now uncheck "Make all files available" without the "OneDrive can’t stop syncing folder" message appearing.

Make All Files Available

Another Easy Way to Backup Only the Folders You Want to OneDrive

When you try to deselect the folder containing the Windows Documents folder from syncing to OneDrive, you may receive the message "Can’t stop syncing folder" in OneDrive. Here is another easier way for you to sync files to OneDrive. You can choose to sync only the files you want to sync without encountering similar errors.

AOMEI Backupper Standard is the best free file synchronization software. It has many useful features built in to easily help you sync your files to where you want them to be. You can see what features it can bring to you!

💥 It has different sync modes: Basic Sync, Mirror Sync, Real-Time Sync and Two-Way Sync (the last three are available in the advanced version).
💥 It supports you to sync files to multiple storage spaces, such as internal and external drives (HDD/SSD), NAS devices, network locations or USB drives. You can also sync to different cloud services (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon Drive, etc.), etc.
💥 It allows you to set up automatic sync tasks. You can use this feature to synchronize data that changes frequently, keeping files up-to-date and avoiding duplication of effort.

This software is designed for all Windows systems including Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, XP, Vista. if you are a server user, try AOMEI Backupper Server! Click the download button below to install it on your computer. Then follow the steps below to learn how to selectively sync files to OneDrive. 

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download
  1. Launch AOMEI Backupper Standard, click Sync on the left tab, and select Basic Sync on the right.

Basic Sync

  1. Then, you click Add Folder and select the files or folders from your computer that you want to sync to OneDrive.

Add Folder

  1. You can click the "funnel" icon to open the "Filter Settings" after you add the source folders.

File Sync Funnel

💛 Tip: The feature "Filter Settings" can be set after you add source folders, you can specify here which files you need to include or exclude. (Only available for paid versions)

Filter Settings

  1. Next, select your OneDrive cloud service path as the destination. Most cloud services folders are located by default in the C: \Users\UserName\OneDrive directory.

Backup to OneDrive

  1. Then click Start Sync to back up files or folders to the OneDrive cloud. Wait until the operation is complete and click Finish.

Sync Finish

Final Words

If you get the error "OneDrive can't stop syncing folder" when you uncheck the sync to OneDrive folder, you can read this article carefully and fix the error. Although OneDrive brings us great convenience, it is inevitable that we will encounter many problems in the process of using it. The OneDrive won't stop syncing mentioned in the article is just one of the many problems, there are also things like OneDrive sync getting stuck. If you don't want to spend time and effort to find a solution every time, we suggest you use reliable third-party software to sync files to OneDrive.

Yuka
Yuka · Editor
Yuka, our dedicated editor at AOMEI Technology, is committed to bringing you valuable insights and guidance in data protection. Her mission is to empower everyone with her knowledge in computer backup and recovery, disk cloning, file synchronization, and more. Yuka's goal is to do her best to make complex tech tasks simple and ensure that your digital world remains safe and secure.