What Does The Red X Next To Your Files Mean On Windows? (And How To Fix It)
So you’re browsing through your Windows files and notice that a few were marked with an annoying red X. In a panic, you try opening and editing them to see if they’ve somehow been corrupted. They don’t seem to be, though. Everything’s working just fine, but the red X still won’t go away even after multiple reboots. Then, what could it possibly mean?
If, however, you still have plenty of space in your account but your files aren’t syncing as they should, there are a couple of other fixes you can try.
Method 1: Remove your OneDrive account and set it up again
Signing out and then signing back in to OneDrive on your PC might help with your file syncing issues. Don’t worry about losing your files, though. Even after logging out, anything you already saved to your local storage will remain there. You’ll temporarily lose access to your online-only files and folders, but they’ll automatically appear again once you relink your account. Here’s how to properly remove your OneDrive account and set it up again:
OneDrive should now start syncing your files and folders. Once the sync is complete, you’ll no longer see the red X icons next to your files.
Method 2: Pause and resume syncing
Sometimes, it helps to remove problem files from the OneDrive folder first then refresh the syncing process and fix the issue. To refresh OneDrive sync (a.k.a. pause and resume the service) on your PC, here’s what you have to do:
You can also try moving back the files individually and waiting for each one to finish syncing before adding the next to the folder.
Method 3: Check the file name, type, size, and permissions
OneDrive has some restrictions that can block the syncing of your local files and folders to the cloud. For instance, file and folder names shouldn’t have invalid characters like ~$ at the start or include vti, .lock, desktop.ini, AUX, COM0 to COM9, CON, LPT0 to LPT9, NUL, and PRN. Try renaming them to see whether this fixes the issue.
If that isn’t the case for you, check the extension of the file with a red X mark. Temporary files (.tmp) aren’t supported for syncing, so you should just move them out of your OneDrive folder. If you really want a copy of them in the cloud, you can just upload it yourself via the OneDrive website. Besides file names and types, make sure to look at the size too. You can’t sync any single file that’s over 250GB.
Another thing to consider is the file’s permissions. You need to have have both Read and Write permissions to be able to sync the file. Follow these steps to check:
Both should say Allow. Otherwise, hit Edit, check Allow for both Read and Write, and click on Apply to save the changes. From here, wait for OneDrive to start syncing the file again.
Method 4: Reset OneDrive
If you’ve tried all the other troubleshooting methods without luck, it might be time to reset OneDrive. When you reset OneDrive, all of its settings will return to factory default, and syncing will temporarily stop. Your files and folders will be completely safe during and after the reset, though, so you won’t need to take them out of the OneDrive folder. Before proceeding, check which OneDrive app you have. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps and search for OneDrive. If the app icon is a distinct blue cloud, you have the OneDrive desktop app. If it’s a folder with a small blue cloud instead, it’s the OneDrive sync app.
If you’re using the OneDrive desktop app, follow this guide to reset it:
If you have the OneDrive sync app instead, do this:
After the reset, OneDrive will start fully syncing your files, including those with the red X icon. Your previous settings will also be restored, so you won’t have to reconfigure them yourself.
Method 5: Disable OneDrive
If you didn’t mean to set up OneDrive in the first place and prefer not to use it at all, you can simply uninstall it either from the Settings or Control Panel to get rid of the red X on your files and folders. There are some versions of Windows where it’s built in, though, so uninstalling it isn’t possible. In that case, you candisable OneDrive on Windowsinstead. Your files will no longer be backed up to the cloud, and you can only access them from your local computer. To turn off OneDrive on PCs, here are the steps:
Once you unlink your account or remove the app, the OneDrive-only files (those with a cloud icon instead of a green checkmark) that you didn’t download to your PC will be deleted. But you can still view them from the OneDrive web app on your browser.
