How to Clear the OneDrive Cache on Windows 11

OneDrive doesn’t have a “clear cache” button. To free up the space its files use, right-click your OneDrive folder and select Free up space. To fix sync problems, reset OneDrive by running %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset in the Run box. Neither option deletes your files from OneDrive. If you would rather stop using the app altogether, see how to completely remove OneDrive from Windows 11.

This guide covers the OneDrive app built into Windows 11 for personal and work or school accounts. It explains the four things people usually mean by “clearing the OneDrive cache”: local file copies, automatic cleanup with Storage Sense, the sync app’s settings and database, and the Office Document Cache.

Free Up Space Used by OneDrive Files

With Files On-Demand, which Microsoft turns on by default in current OneDrive versions, files you open are downloaded and kept on your PC. Over time those local copies can use a lot of space. Free up space removes the local copies but keeps the files in the cloud.

1. Open File Explorer and select OneDrive in the left pane. Result: your OneDrive folders appear.
2. Right-click a folder, or the top OneDrive folder to include everything, and select Free up space. Result: the green check icons change to blue cloud icons.

Online-only files don’t take up space, and they download again when you open them. You can’t open them without an internet connection. Files marked Always keep on this device (a solid green circle) stay downloaded, so choose Free up space on those too if you want the room back. Microsoft’s Files On-Demand guide explains the icons.

Don’t see Free up space? Files On-Demand may be off. Select the OneDrive cloud icon, open Settings, go to Sync and back up > Advanced settings, and turn on Files On-Demand.

Let Storage Sense Clean Up Automatically

Storage Sense can turn OneDrive files you haven’t opened in a while back into online-only files for you. By default it leaves OneDrive alone, so you have to choose a time period.

1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Storage and turn on Storage Sense.
2. Select Storage Sense to open its settings.
3. Under Locally available cloud content, choose how long a file can go unopened before it becomes online-only. Result: Storage Sense frees that space when it runs.

Files marked Always keep on this device aren’t affected. See Microsoft’s Storage Sense guide for the other cleanup options.

Reset OneDrive to Fix Sync Problems

A reset is the closest thing to clearing OneDrive’s own cache. Microsoft says it disconnects all your sync connections, resets OneDrive’s settings, and rebuilds its sync data file, then runs a full sync. If syncing is only running at a bad time, you can turn off OneDrive for a few hours instead of resetting it. You won’t lose files.

1. Press Windows key + R. Result: the Run box opens.
2. Type %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset and press Enter. Result: the OneDrive cloud icon disappears from the taskbar.
3. Wait a couple of minutes. If OneDrive doesn’t reopen on its own, open it from the Start menu. Result: OneDrive signs back in and starts resyncing. If the setup screens appear instead, see how to set up OneDrive sync on Windows 11.
4. If you had chosen to sync only some folders, choose them again in OneDrive settings. Do this for each account you use.

If you see “Windows cannot find…”, try C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset instead, and if that fails too, C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset. If none of these work, the OneDrive sync app isn’t installed. These paths come from Microsoft’s Reset OneDrive guide.

If you have the Microsoft Store version of OneDrive

Microsoft’s guide also lists a reset for the Store app: press Start, type apps:onedrive, open App settings, and select Reset. Its first step for the desktop app is running wsreset.exe from the Run box, which resets the Microsoft Store.

Clear the Office Document Cache

If Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files stored in OneDrive won’t finish uploading, the problem may be the Office Document Cache rather than OneDrive. Microsoft says deleting it isn’t dangerous and may clear up the syncing problem. It’s the cache Office uses to make sure your changes reach the cloud.

The Office Document Cache settings include a Delete cached files button. In current Microsoft 365 apps, look for it under File > Options > Save > Cache Settings. Save and close your files first, because content that hasn’t uploaded yet may be lost. If the cache is damaged, Microsoft’s Delete your Office Document Cache guide walks through a manual removal.

What Not to Do

• Don’t delete files inside your OneDrive folder to save space. That deletes them from OneDrive on every device. See how to delete files from OneDrive if that’s what you want.
• Don’t delete random folders in %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive. The reset command does this safely.
• Don’t sign out and back in expecting it to clear the cache. It doesn’t.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will resetting OneDrive delete my files?

No. It resets settings and resyncs. Files stay on your PC and online. If you had chosen to sync only some folders, choose them again, and folder backup settings may need to be turned back on.

How long does a resync take?

From a few minutes to hours, depending on how many files you have and your connection speed.

Where is the OneDrive cache folder?

OneDrive’s settings and sync data are in %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive, but you shouldn’t clean it by hand. Your downloaded files live in your OneDrive folder itself, which is why Free up space is the way to reclaim room.

OneDrive keeps asking me to sign in. Will a reset fix it?

Often it’s saved sign-in details, not the cache. Microsoft explains how to clear OneDrive cached credentials, which for work or school accounts means deleting the PreSignInSettingsConfig.json file in %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\settings.