While moving or copying files from or to OneDrive, if you encounter an error saying The source and destination file names are the same, this article will be handy for you. Here are some of the most common reasons and solutions to get this problem fixed on Windows 11/10 PC.
The source and destination file names are the same in OneDrive
To fix The source and destination file names are the same error in OneDrive while copying or moving files, follow these suggestions.
- Check for duplicate files
- Make file name shorter
- Change upload path
- Change file format
- Pause and re-enable synchronization
- Turn on Always keep on this device
To learn more about these solutions, continue reading.
1] Check for duplicate files
It is the very first thing you need to do since this problem mainly occurs when you have an identical file in the same folder. Whether you want to download the file from OneDrive or upload it to OneDrive, you must verify the uniqueness of the intended file.
For that, you can do two things:
- Open the OneDrive folder and check if there is a similar file or not.
- Open the File Explorer where you want to save the file and check if a similar file is present or not.
2] Make file name shorter
In case you don’t know, there are some limitations that you need to comply with in order to make a successful upload to OneDrive. Having said that, the following rules apply when you upload a file:
- The entire path can’t cross 400 characters. It is very important to know that the entire path includes your file’s name as well as the URL (including folder name, onedrive.live.com, etc.).
- The entire path can’t cross 255 characters if you are trying to upload a file (to the web version) from your PC.
- If you install OneDrive on your PC and upload a file from your PC, it can’t cross 520 characters.
That is why you should make the file name shorter. Although the error says something different, it can be caused due to a longer file name.
3] Change upload path
At times, you might get this error due to a glitch or something. That is why we would suggest you change the upload folder path. You can upload the file to a different folder and then move it to the desired folder once the upload is done.
4] Change file format
At times, this issue can be fixed by renaming the file. For instance, if you have a file called thewindowsclub.jpg, you can change it to thewindowsclub.png. There are so many free image converters available for Windows PC. For example, you can use Pixillion, XnConvert, Adapter, etc. Once the conversion is done, you can upload it to OneDrive without any error.
5] Pause and re-enable synchronization
In some cases, people have claimed that the OneDrive synchronization problem has caused this issue on their computer. That being said, if the synchronization is paused, you can encounter this error message at times. You need to allow OneDrive to synchronize your files all the time in order to check the file path and name continuously.
To verify the synchronization status, follow these steps:
- Click on the OneDrive icon in the system tray.
- Click on the settings gear icon.
- Click on the Pause syncing button and choose the timing.
- Click on the Resume syncing button to start synchronization again.
However, if it is already paused, you need to click on the Resume syncing button only.
6] Turn on Always keep on this device
You need to turn ON Files On-Demand and Always keep on this device option to get rid of this error. To enable or turn on Files On-Demand, you can go through this detailed article.
However, if you want to enable Always keep on this device option for a file, you need to open the OneDrive folder and right-click on a folder or file. Then, click on the Always keep on this device option in the right-click context menu.
Read: Source and destination file names are the same when burning disc
What does it mean when the destination folder is the same as the source folder?
If you have a file in the ABCD folder in OneDrive and you (by mistake) try to copy a file to the same folder with the same name, you will get this error. It implies that the source and destination folders are the same. As a result, you cannot transfer any file or data to that folder.
Why do I have two OneDrive folders with the same name?
This issue occurs when you use multiple OneDrive accounts on your computer. As Windows sets up a few folders automatically, you can find identical folders in the File Explorer.
Read: Can’t copy-paste files and folders in OneDrive
