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Desperately Need Help with Mismatching One Drive Accounts

Anonymous
2025-06-28T21:32:09+00:00

Helping out an employer with their Mac today and I can't seem to pinpoint a solution. He told me he has had an issue with opening up files on his computer ever since an employee who was creating a website for him linked his OneDrive and all of the corresponding files to a separate, nonoperational email.
Now, every time he goes to open a file, there is a 50% chance it appears with an Error Alert stating "The file cannot be found, is it possible it was moved, renamed, or deleted?", despite the fact that the file is still on the computer, and can be accessed simply by attaching it as an email attachment and opening it through gmail.

My best guess is that its because he has two One Drive accounts, one with the old email, and one labeled "personal" with the correct email (there is also a third One Drive, simply labeled "One Drive", but it doesn't not appear on the menu bar as its own account).

Could separate accounts be causing this error notification? If so, how could I fix this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | MacOS

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-06-28T22:19:55+00:00

    Dear Harmony, 

    I hope you have a good day. Thanks for choosing Microsoft Community.  

    We're sorry to hear that you're experiencing this issue. Below are several steps you can take to help resolve the issue: 

    Having multiple OneDrive accounts (especially if one is no longer operational) can cause the error: 
    “The file cannot be found, is it possible it was moved, renamed, or deleted?” 
    This typically happens when: 

    • Files are still linked to the old OneDrive account’s sync path.
    • The OneDrive client is confused between multiple sync roots.
    • The file path references a OneDrive folder that is no longer active or accessible.

    Before attempting any of the above steps, ensure you have saved any unsaved work.  

    1. Unlink and Remove Inactive OneDrive Accounts
    • Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar.
    • Go to Settings > Preferences > Account tab.
    • Click Unlink this Mac for any inactive or unknown accounts.
    • Quit OneDrive completely.

    For reference, you may check this link: Unlink and re-link OneDrive - Microsoft Support 

    1. Clear sign in credentials
    • Open the Keychain Access app on your Mac. If your keychains aren’t visible, choose Window > Keychain Access.
    • Select a keychain in the Keychains list.
    • Choose File > Delete Keychain [OneDrive/Office/MS].
    • Click Delete References.
    1. Reset OneDrive
    • Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the top tray, then select Preferences > Pause > Quit OneDrive.
    • Find OneDrive in your Applications folder.
    • Control-click OneDrive and select Show Package Contents.
    • Navigate to the Contents > Resources folder.
    • Double-click ResetOneDriveApp.command (or ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command, if you're using the standalone app).
    • Start OneDrive and finish the setup process.

    This resource will be of help: Reset OneDrive - Microsoft Support 

    1. Re-link Files to the Correct Path

    If files were originally opened from the old OneDrive path, macOS may still reference that location. You may need to: 

    • Reopen files from the new OneDrive folder.
    • Update shortcuts or aliases that point to the old path.

    Please, kindly refer to the link below to get detailed information on how to resolve it:  Unlink and re-link OneDrive - Microsoft Support 

    Hopefully, these solutions can help you solve this issue. Please know that we truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to support you. If you need any further help or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help. Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation. 

    Best regards,  

    Ryan-N-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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