If OneDrive is not starting, launching, or opening on your Windows 11/10 computer, here are a couple of fixes that you can check out. Although OneDrive should start automatically when you run the app from anywhere, it may not do so for different reasons.
There are two different tools that you can use to troubleshoot this problem –
- Local Group Policy Editor and
- Registry Editor.
If repairing or resetting the OneDrive app does not help, you may consider one of these options.
Fix OneDrive won’t start in Windows 11/10
If OneDrive won’t start, launch or open in Windows 11 or Windows 10, follow these steps. But before you begin, Reset OneDrive and see if it helps.
1] Using Local Group Policy Editor
You need to open the Local Group Policy Editor on your computer. For that, press Win+R, type gpedit.msc and hit the Enter button. Alternatively, you can search for the same in the Start Menu, and click the corresponding result. After opening the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following path-
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive
Here you can find a setting called Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage. Double-click on it and make sure that it is set as Not Configured or Disabled. If not, click on either radio button, and then OK button respectively.
Following that, restart your computer and check if it is opening or not.
Read: OneDrive not opening on startup
2] Using Registry Editor
Before changing anything in your computer, it is recommended to create a System Restore point and backup all Registry files to be on the safe side.
To get started, press the Win+R buttons together, type regedit, and hit the Enter button. If you see the UAC prompt, click the Yes button to open the Registry Editor on your computer. Following that, navigate to this path-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive
Here you can find a REG_DWORD value named DisableFileSyncNGSC.
If it is visible on the right-hand side, double-click on it, and make sure that the value is set as 0. If not, make the change, and click the OK button to save it.
For your information, this REG_WORD value might not be available on your computer. In that case, it is recommended to opt for the Local Group Policy Editor setting.
After that, restart your computer, and check if OneDrive is opening smoothly or not.
Read: How to fix OneDrive errors on Windows 11/10.
Hope it helps.
How do I force OneDrive to start?
To force OneDrive to start on Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Click the ‘Startup’ tab, find ‘Microsoft OneDrive,’ and click ‘Enable.’ Alternatively, use Win + R to open ‘Run,’ type shell:startup, and add a OneDrive shortcut to auto-start on boot.
