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Duplicate OneDrive Folders Appearing With My Device Name on Shared OneDrive

Maria 20 Reputation points
2025-12-10T13:18:14.96+00:00

I share a OneDrive with a colleague, but on my computer OneDrive is showing duplicate folders and files. The duplicated items have my device name added to them. This is causing confusion and syncing issues.

Why is OneDrive creating duplicate folders/files with my device name, and how can I stop this from happening and clean up the duplicates safely without affecting my colleague’s files?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Windows
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  1. Phoebe-N 7,030 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-10T13:59:15.82+00:00

    Hello @Maria

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A Community! 

    Thank you for contacting us regarding the duplicate folders appearing in your OneDrive environment. 

    To make sure we're aligned and avoid from any misunderstanding, please let me know a few details about your issue by answering these questions: 

    1. As I see you used the tag "for Business", may I have your confirmation if you are signed in with a personal account (e.g., @hotmail.com, @outlook.com), an education account (e.g., @school.edu), or a work account (e.g., @yourcompany.com)? 
    2. Please confirm the operating version installed on your device. 
    3. Are the duplicate folders located within a shared library such as SharePoint or Microsoft Teams, or within a shared personal folder? 
    4. Do these duplicates appear exclusively on your device, or are they also visible to your colleague? 
    5. Is OneDrive currently displaying any synchronization errors or warnings in the system tray? A screenshot of it would be of great help! 
    6. Have you recently worked offline or accessed the same files from multiple devices? 
    7. Have you or your colleague recently renamed folders, moved files, or modified permissions within the shared OneDrive environment? 
    8. Do the duplicates follow the naming convention “FolderName – DeviceName,” or do they appear in a different format? 

    If this is the case, this behavior is documented by Microsoft in the following support article: Duplicate files in OneDrive. OneDrive creates duplicate folders or files with the device name appended when synchronization conflicts occur. Common causes include: 

    • Files edited while offline and subsequently synced 
    • Simultaneous changes made from multiple devices 
    • Rename or permission conflicts within shared folders 

    Kindly follow the steps in the article above to refresh your credentials and let me know if it works. 

    If the issue persists, kindly let me know your confirmation of the requested details. I look forward to your response so that we can resolve this matter promptly. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-12-10T13:18:25.8366667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    OneDrive may create duplicate folders and files with your device name appended due to editing conflicts. When there are editing conflicts with non-Office files, OneDrive saves both versions locally instead of marking them as errors. This results in the creation of new versions of the file, which include the device name in the filename to distinguish between them.

    To clean up the duplicates safely without affecting your colleague’s files, you can take the following steps:

    1. Compare the file versions: Open the duplicate files and compare their contents. If possible, merge the changes into one consolidated version.
    2. Rename file versions: You can rename the duplicates to make it clear which version is which, helping to avoid confusion.
    3. Keep both versions: If the files are significantly different and you need both, you can keep them as is.

    Additionally, to prevent this from happening in the future, ensure that you are not editing the same files simultaneously with your colleague, especially for non-Office files, as this can lead to conflicts.

    If the issue persists, consider using the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant to diagnose and resolve syncing issues.

    References:

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  2. Maria 20 Reputation points
    2025-12-10T15:06:16.15+00:00

    I didn't have any OneDrive Cached Credentials when I checked upon the help article's suggestions, anything else I can try please?

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