Delete Folders in One Drive with sync issues

Dear @Marie-Therese Giguere, 

Good day, and I appreciate the clear explanation of your concern. I understand how inconvenient it can be when folders are no longer needed but cannot be removed due to sync or system errors. 

The “Folder in use” message usually indicates that Windows or the OneDrive sync app is still holding a lock on the folder. This can happen if an application is accessing the files in the background, or if OneDrive is stuck processing changes for items that are no longer syncing correctly. 

Please try the steps below: 

Option 1: Close applications and fully quit OneDrive 

Close any applications that may have accessed files from those folders. This includes Office apps, PDF viewers, File Explorer preview panes, or any background processes that might still be using the files. 

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray. 

Select Settings, then choose Quit OneDrive to fully close the sync app. 

Once OneDrive is closed, open File Explorer and attempt to delete the folders again. 

Option 2: Delete the folders from OneDrive on the web 

If the local “folder in use” lock continues, deleting the folders from the OneDrive web portal often bypasses this issue. 

Sign in your work account via office.com > Apps > OneDrive. 

Locate the affected folders. 

Delete the folders directly from the web interface. 

After a few minutes, reopen OneDrive on your PC so it can detect and reconcile the deletion. 

This is often the quickest and most effective workaround when local deletion is blocked. 

Option 3: Reset the OneDrive sync app 

If the folders remain stuck locally, resetting OneDrive can clear cached sync states that cause items to appear locked. 

Fully quit OneDrive. 

Follow the instructions in this article: Reset OneDrive - Microsoft Support 

After resetting, sign back in and allow OneDrive to complete its initial sync. 

Try deleting the folders again once syncing finishes. 

Option 4: Unlink and relink OneDrive 

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray. 

Go to OneDrive Settings > Account > Unlink this PC, then sign in again.   

No cloud data is deleted during this process. The local OneDrive folder is simply re-associated with your account. 

As community moderators, we kindly ask for your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have visibility into performing deeper backend analysis, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.  

I hope this information is helpful. If the issue persists after trying these steps, please let me know what behavior you see next, including whether the folders still appear online or only on the local device. I will be happy to continue assisting you. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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