How to fix "Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location" in Windows

Windows shows "Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that can't be redirected" when you move Documents, Pictures, Desktop or another personal folder and its path is still linked to OneDrive or to another folder. Your files are not lost. Stop OneDrive folder backup for that folder first, then restore its default location and move it again.

Facts checked on 16 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What "Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that can't be redirected" means

Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Downloads, Music, Videos, Screenshots and Camera Roll are special folders. Windows does not find them by name but through a list of paths in your user profile. When you use the Location tab to move one, Windows rewrites that path and moves the files. That change is called a redirection.

The message means Windows found a folder at the target that is already one of these special folders, or that is managed by OneDrive or a policy, so it cannot point a second special folder there. Access is denied at the end tells you the change was blocked, not that your files are damaged. Nothing was moved yet.

Why you can't move the folder: causes in order

Most often OneDrive is the reason. Its folder backup (Microsoft also calls it Known Folder Move) redirects Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Screenshots and Camera Roll into the OneDrive folder. While backup is on, a manual move on the Location tab conflicts with it. If OneDrive was uninstalled while backup was on, the paths can still point into the old OneDrive folder.

Less often the target is the problem: a drive root, a folder that already is another special folder, or a folder that contains one. Sometimes a saved path in the registry is wrong, so even Restore Default fails. Rarely a work or school policy blocks the change, and very rarely damaged system files are involved.

How to fix "Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location"

Fix 1 and Fix 2 together solve most cases on PCs with OneDrive. Fix 3 is for a bad target folder. Fix 4 corrects the paths by hand when Restore Default fails. Fix 5 and Fix 6 are rare causes.

Fix 1. Stop OneDrive folder backup for the folder you want to move

5 minutesRead the warningOneDrive is installed, or was installed, and the folder's path contains OneDrive.

While OneDrive backs up a folder, OneDrive owns its path. Turning off backup returns the folder to your PC, so Windows lets you redirect it again.

1. If you removed OneDrive, install it again for now and sign in. You can remove it after the folder is moved.
2. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area, then the Help & Settings icon, then Settings.
3. Open the Sync and backup tab and select Manage backup.
4. Turn off the switch of the folder you want to move. To stop all of them, turn off every switch.
5. When asked, select Stop backup and choose to keep the files on this PC.
6. Select Save changes and wait until OneDrive finishes.

Fix 2. Restore the folder to its default location, then move it again

5 minutesLow riskOneDrive backup is off, or OneDrive is gone, but the folder still points somewhere odd.

Restore Default writes the normal path, such as C:\Users\<name>\Pictures, back into your profile. From that clean starting point the move to another drive usually works.

1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
2. Right-click the folder you want to move, for example Pictures, and select Properties.
3. Open the Location tab and read the path in the box.
4. Select Restore Default, then Apply.
5. When Windows asks whether to create the folder or move the files, select Yes.
6. Select OK, then try the move again with Move on the same tab.

Fix 3. Move the folder into a new, empty folder, not a drive root

5 minutesLow riskYou were moving the folder to the root of a drive, to a folder you used before, or into another personal folder.

Windows cannot redirect a special folder into a place that already holds another special folder. A new folder with its own name on the other drive gives it a target that nothing else claims.

1. In File Explorer, open the other drive, for example D:\.
2. Create a new folder for your profile, for example D:\Users\<your name>, and inside it an empty folder with the same name, for example Pictures.
3. Right-click the folder you want to move in This PC and select Properties > Location.
4. Select Move, open the new empty folder, and select Select Folder.
5. Select Apply, then Yes to move the files, then OK.

Fix 4. Correct the folder paths under User Shell Folders in the registry

15 minutesRead the warningRestore Default gives the same message, or a folder still points into a OneDrive folder that no longer exists.

The Location tab only edits the values under User Shell Folders. When a value is wrong, the tab keeps failing, but setting the value to its default by hand returns the folder to a normal state.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, press Enter and approve the prompt with Yes.
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders.
3. Right-click User Shell Folders and select Export to save a copy.
4. Find the value of your folder in the table below and double-click it.
5. Type the default path in Value data exactly as shown and select OK.
6. Close Registry Editor and restart the PC, then try the move again with Fix 3.

You may also see values such as {0DDD015D-B06C-45D5-8C4C-F59713854639} (Local Pictures) or {F42EE2D3-909F-4907-8871-4C22FC0BF756} (Local Documents) that point into OneDrive. Set them to the same default as their folder. Users report that deleting only such an entry, after the export, also works because Windows falls back to the default. We could not confirm this with Microsoft.

Fix 5. Check for a work or school policy that blocks the move

5 minutesLow riskThe PC belongs to an employer or school, or OneDrive says folder backup is managed by your organization.

Administrators can keep known folders in OneDrive or stop users from redirecting profile folders. Microsoft says the second policy gives an access error during a move, which matches Access is denied here.

1. Open OneDrive Settings > Sync and backup > Manage backup. If the switches are grey or a note says your organization manages them, a policy is set.
2. Press Win + R, type regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\OneDrive.
3. Look for the value KFMBlockOptOut. If it is 1, users may not turn off folder backup.
4. Do not change it yourself on a managed PC. Ask your IT team to move the folder or change the policy.

Fix 6. Repair Windows system files with SFC and DISM

15 to 30 minutesLow riskFix 1 to Fix 5 did not help, and other File Explorer features act strangely too.

The Location tab is part of the Windows shell. If shell files are damaged, the move can fail even with correct paths, and DISM plus SFC restore those files.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.

   

2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

If you still can't move the folder

Collect these facts before you ask in Microsoft's community or a technician. They show whether OneDrive, the target or the saved path is at fault, and they save a long exchange of questions.

• The path on the folder's Location tab, and the target you chose.
• Whether OneDrive is installed, signed in, and which folders Manage backup shows as backed up.
• The value of the folder under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders.
• Whether the PC is managed by work or school, and whether KFMBlockOptOut exists.
• Whether the move works in a new Windows account.
• Your Windows version: press Win + R and type winver.

How to stop the "folder in the same location" error from coming back

The message comes back when two tools try to own the same folder path. Decide once where each personal folder lives: in OneDrive with backup on, or on your own drive with backup off. Then change it only in that one place.

Frequently asked questions

What does "Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that can't be redirected" mean?

It means Windows refused to change where a personal folder such as Documents or Pictures points to. The target already holds a special folder, or the folder is still redirected by OneDrive or a policy. Access is denied says the change was blocked. No files were moved or deleted. Turn off OneDrive backup for the folder (Fix 1), restore its default location (Fix 2), then move it into a new, empty folder (Fix 3).

How do I fix this on Windows 11?

The steps are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Open OneDrive Settings > Sync and backup > Manage backup and turn off backup for the folder. Then right-click the folder in File Explorer, select Properties > Location > Restore Default, and use Move to pick a new, empty folder on the other drive. If Restore Default fails, correct the value under User Shell Folders in the registry as Fix 4 shows.

I uninstalled OneDrive. Why does it still block the move?

Uninstalling OneDrive does not always put your folders back. If folder backup was on, the paths in your profile can still point into the old OneDrive folder. Install OneDrive again, sign in, turn off backup for the folders and choose to keep the files on this PC (Fix 1). Then use Restore Default (Fix 2). After that you can uninstall OneDrive again without the error.

Can I move Documents or Pictures to the root of another drive, like D:\?

Do not. A drive root is a poor target for a special folder, and if you later point a second folder there, Windows sees two special folders in the same location. Create a folder such as D:\Users\<your name>\Pictures and move the folder into that. Each special folder should have its own empty target. If you already pointed a folder at D:\, use Restore Default first, then move it again.

Will I lose my files when I stop OneDrive folder backup?

Not if you choose carefully. When you turn off backup for a folder, OneDrive asks whether to keep the files only in OneDrive or only on this PC. Choose the PC if you want to move them to another drive. Files that exist only in the cloud must be downloaded first with Always keep on this device, or OneDrive says some files couldn't be moved.

Restore Default also gives the same error. What now?

Then the saved path in the registry is wrong. Export the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders, double-click the value of your folder and set it to its default, for example %USERPROFILE%\Pictures for My Pictures. Restart the PC and move the folder again. Fix 4 has the full table of values. Older guides name a key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE; the per-user paths are under HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

Why does the message end with "Access is denied"?

It tells you the change was blocked, not that you lack rights to your own files. The block usually comes from the conflict with OneDrive or another special folder. On a work or school PC it can also come from a policy that stops users from redirecting profile folders. Check Fix 5 if the PC is managed, and ask your IT team instead of changing the policy yourself.

Is "can't be directed" a different error?

No. "Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that can't be directed" is a common misspelling of the same message, which says "can't be redirected". The same goes for versions written without apostrophes, such as "cant move the folder". The meaning and the fixes on this page are the same: stop OneDrive backup, restore the default location, and move the folder to a new, empty target.

Can I just drag the Documents folder to another drive instead?

Dragging copies or moves the files, but Windows keeps the old path for Documents, so apps and the Save dialog still use the old place. That can create a second Documents folder and makes the error more likely later. Use Properties > Location > Move instead, which updates the path and moves the files in one step. Back up important files first: Back up your files (Windows Backup, File History, Time Machine).