Migration of Existing OneDrive to a new Mac.

ALEXANDER KONOVALOV 0 Reputation points
2026-08-10T14:00:16.1666667+00:00

I just received my new MacBook Air. While migrating my OneDrive to this new computer, OneDrive has created duplicate folders. What am I supposed to do? How do I fix this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | MacOS
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  1. Kai-H 25,090 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-20T09:11:09.7966667+00:00

    Hi, ALEXANDER KONOVALOV

    The migration may have copied both the OneDrive app and its old sync configuration, leaving two OneDrive versions or two active File Provider folders on the new Mac.

    Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try: 

    Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar. If you see a message that the account is syncing with another version of OneDrive, select Show in Finder.

    Finder should open Library > CloudStorage. Open each OneDrive folder shown there. If one displays a banner with a Delete button, select it. This removes the inactive folder left by the previous OneDrive installation, not the files stored online.

    Open the Applications folder and check that only one OneDrive app is installed. macOS has an App Store version and a standalone version, but they should not be used together for the same account. Keep one version and remove the other.

    If Migration Assistant transferred OneDrive, it is recommended that you remove the transferred app and install a fresh copy directly from Download OneDrive for Mac.

    Before removing any ordinary-looking duplicate folder, compare its contents with OneDrive online. Do not delete it if it contains files that are missing from the website.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-10T14:00:35.76+00:00

    Duplicate OneDrive folders on a new Mac are usually best handled by re-linking OneDrive and, if needed, clearing cached sign-in credentials.

    1. Make sure OneDrive is not actively syncing important changes.
      • Confirm recent uploads or edits are finished and visible in OneDrive online before changing the setup.
    2. Unlink OneDrive on the new Mac.
      • Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the Mac menu bar.
      • Select Help & Settings > Preferences.
      • Open the Account tab.
      • Select Unlink this Mac.
    3. Clear cached OneDrive credentials in Keychain Access.
      • Open Keychain Access from Spotlight or the Utilities folder.
      • Search for OneDrive.
      • Delete OneDrive Cached Credential.
      • If needed, use Window > Keychain Access, then File > Delete Keychain [OneDrive/Office/MS] and select Delete References.
    4. Sign in again and reconnect to the existing folder.
      • Open OneDrive and sign in.
      • When prompted that a OneDrive folder already exists, select Use this folder.
      • This reconnects the local folder and starts syncing again.
    5. If duplicate folders were created because a folder already exists in OneDrive:
      • If the duplicate is only on the Mac and the correct copy is already in OneDrive online, it is safe to delete the duplicate from the Mac.
      • If the goal is to keep the folder only on the Mac and not in OneDrive, move it out of the OneDrive folder structure.
      • Caution: moving a folder out of the OneDrive folder structure removes it from OneDrive.com and leaves it only on the Mac.
    6. If sync is stuck or duplicates continue:
      • Pause syncing from the OneDrive menu.
      • Move one file out of a sync folder to a non-OneDrive folder.
      • Resume syncing.
      • After sync completes, move the file back.
    7. If the issue still continues, reset OneDrive.
      • Resetting forces a full sync and can resolve persistent sync problems.
      • Caution: resetting disconnects all existing sync connections, including personal and work or school accounts configured on that Mac, but it does not delete files or data.

    If the old Mac migration also left behind an older local OneDrive folder, renaming that old local folder in Finder before reconnecting can help avoid confusion.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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