How to fix Couldn't start Files on Demand error code 0xffffffea in OneDrive?

"Couldn't start Files on Demand" with error code 0xffffffea means OneDrive opened, but the Windows part that shows online-only files did not start. Your files are safe online. Microsoft names legacy antivirus filters as the usual blocker, so restart first, then update Windows, OneDrive and your security software.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2 with the OneDrive sync app.

What "Couldn't start Files on Demand" error code 0xffffffea means

Files On-Demand is the OneDrive feature that shows every file in your OneDrive folder without storing all of them on the disk. Files marked online-only are downloaded the moment you open them. For that, OneDrive needs a Windows component to be running before it starts. When that component does not answer, OneDrive shows this window and gives up on online-only files for the session.

The code itself is not a Windows error you can look up. Read as a signed 32-bit number, 0xffffffea is simply -22. Microsoft does not document what -22 stands for inside OneDrive, and we could not confirm it, so do not trust pages that give it a precise meaning. What Microsoft does document is the message, and that is what the fixes below follow.

What causes OneDrive error 0xffffffea, most common first

Microsoft's error code page says the message "may be because the Files on Demand service is being blocked from starting by legacy filters on some antivirus software". A legacy filter is an old style of file system driver. Antivirus, backup and encryption tools install such drivers so they can see every file that is opened, and an old one can stand in front of the Windows Cloud Files driver.

How to fix Couldn't start Files on Demand error code 0xffffffea

Fixes 1 to 3 follow Microsoft's own steps for this message and solve it for most home PCs. Fix 4 repairs the driver setting Microsoft used for the same failure in 2020. Fixes 5 to 8 are for errors that survive all that. Use the table to start at the right place.

Fix 1. Restart Windows fully, not Shut down, and let OneDrive start

2 minutesNo riskEveryone, first: the dialog itself asks for it, and it takes two minutes.

The Files On-Demand service and the Cloud Files driver start with Windows. A full restart starts them again in a clean order; Shut down with Fast Startup can bring back the old kernel session, including a driver that failed to start.

1. Select Close in the OneDrive window and save your open work.
2. Select Start, then the Power button, then Restart. Do not use Shut down.
3. Sign in to Windows and wait a minute before you open anything, so OneDrive can start on its own.
4. Look for the OneDrive cloud in the notification area at the right end of the taskbar. If it is hidden, select the Show hidden icons arrow.
5. Open your OneDrive folder in File Explorer and double-click a file with the blue cloud icon.

Fix 2. Install Windows, Office and OneDrive updates

10 to 20 minutesLow riskThe error returns after a restart, or the PC has not been updated for a while.

This is Microsoft's Solution 1 for this exact message. The 2020 Files On-Demand failure caused by legacy filters was fixed by a Windows update (KB4565503), and OneDrive release notes list reliability fixes in most builds.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update (on Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and select Check for updates.
2. Install everything offered, including optional quality updates, and restart when asked.
3. If you use Microsoft 365 apps, open Word, select File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
4. Select the OneDrive cloud, the gear icon, then Settings, and open the About tab. Note the build next to OneDrive version.
5. From the About tab, open the OneDrive release notes link. If the latest release at the top of that page has a higher number than yours, select Download OneDrive for Windows there and run the installer.
6. Restart the PC once more and check whether the window still appears.

Fix 3. Update or test the antivirus, backup and encryption software

15 minutesLow riskThe error appears at every sign-in, or it started after you installed or updated security, backup, encryption or another cloud sync tool.

Microsoft's Solution 2 for this message: updating the antivirus "may update the filters that cause this issue". The filter is part of the product, so only the product's own update or removal changes it.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps (on Windows 10: Apps & features) and note every antivirus, backup, disk imaging, encryption and cloud sync program.
2. Update each one from inside the program or from its publisher's site. A major version jump matters more than a definitions update, because the filter driver is part of the program.
3. Restart the PC and check whether OneDrive starts without the error.
4. If it still fails, start Windows with only Microsoft services to test them all at once: How to perform a clean boot in Windows.
5. If OneDrive starts cleanly in the clean boot, turn the other services back on in small groups and restart each time, until the error returns. The last group holds the blocking program.
6. Update that program, ask its publisher about OneDrive Files On-Demand, or replace it. Then return Windows to a normal start.

1. Open System Configuration. Select Search on the taskbar, type msconfig and select System Configuration from the results.
2. Hide Microsoft services. On the Services tab, select the Hide all Microsoft services check box. Only services from other companies stay in the list.
3. Disable the remaining services. Select Disable all, then select Apply.

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to perform a clean boot in Windows

Fix 4. Check and repair the Cloud Files filter driver (CldFlt) in the registry

10 minutes and a restartLow riskThe error survives updates and a clean boot, or a tuning or debloat tool was run on the PC.

Files On-Demand runs on the Windows Cloud Files filter driver, cldflt.sys. Microsoft's manual workaround for the 2020 legacy filter failure was to restore the driver's DefaultInstance value, and its OneDrive admin documentation requires the driver's Start value to be 2 (automatic).

1. Select Start, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes in the User Account Control box.
2. Read the start value of the driver:

   reg query HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CldFlt /v Start

3. Look at the line with Start and REG_DWORD. 0x2 is the value Microsoft documents. Any other number means the driver is not loaded at startup.
4. If it is not 0x2, set it:

   reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CldFlt /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

5. Add the instance value from Microsoft's workaround. It does no harm if the value is already there, because /f simply writes the same text again:

   reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cldflt\instances /f /v DefaultInstance /t REG_SZ /d "CldFlt"

6. Restart the PC. The driver reads these values only when Windows starts.
7. Select the OneDrive cloud, the gear icon, then Settings. Open Sync and back up, expand Advanced settings and check that Files On-Demand is set to Free up disk space, which is the on-demand mode. Repeat for each OneDrive account you use.

The same driver check, with how to confirm the driver is running, is explained in our guide to OneDrive error 0x8007017C. Microsoft's 2020 article spells out the last step because the troubleshooter it shipped could switch Files On-Demand off. If you use both a personal and a work or school account in OneDrive, Microsoft says to check the setting for each account.

Fix 5. Reset OneDrive

5 minutes, then a full syncLow riskWindows, the antivirus and the driver are fine, but OneDrive still fails to start Files On-Demand.

A reset rebuilds OneDrive's local settings and sync connections without touching your files. It is also what a Microsoft support agent suggested first in the Microsoft Q&A thread on 0xffffffea.

Microsoft says a reset does not delete files or data; OneDrive resyncs everything afterwards. If you chose to sync only some folders, choose them again after the reset, and allow time for a large OneDrive to finish syncing.

1. Open the Run box. Press the Windows key and R at the same time.
2. Reset the Microsoft Store cache. Type the command below and select OK. A blank Command Prompt window opens and closes, then the Microsoft Store opens. Close it. This is the first step in Microsoft's instructions. If OneDrive still does not sync, continue.

   wsreset.exe

3. Run the OneDrive reset command. Press the Windows key and R again. Copy the command below, paste it into the box and select OK.

   %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

   

4. If Windows cannot find it, try the second path. If you see a message that starts with Windows cannot find, open the Run box again and use this command instead.

   C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

5. If that fails too, try the third path. If you still see Windows cannot find, use this command. If none of the three works, the OneDrive sync app is not installed on this PC.

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

6. Start OneDrive again. Select Start, type OneDrive in the search box and select the OneDrive desktop app. OneDrive then starts a full sync.

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2, Windows 10 22H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to reset OneDrive in Windows

Fix 6. Use Download all files for a while, then switch Files On-Demand back

5 minutes plus download timeRead the warningYou need OneDrive to work today, and the disk has room for your whole OneDrive.

With Download all files, OneDrive keeps every file on the disk and stops needing the on-demand service. Microsoft offers the same choice for the related "OneDrive cannot connect to Windows" error, and its steps for code 0x8007016a switch Files On-Demand off and on around a reset.

1. Select the OneDrive cloud in the notification area, then the gear icon, then Settings.
2. Open the Sync and back up tab and expand Advanced settings.
3. Under Files On-Demand, select Download all files and confirm.
4. Leave the PC on and connected until the download is finished.
5. When the cause is fixed, return to the same place and select Free up disk space to make files online-only again.

If you need only a few files, you can skip all of this: open onedrive.com in a browser, sign in, select the files and select Download. Microsoft notes that files downloaded this way are not synced, so save edited copies back by uploading them.

Fix 7. Unlink, uninstall and reinstall the OneDrive app

15 minutes, then a full syncLow riskA reset did not help, or the reset commands are not found.

A reinstall replaces every OneDrive program file and creates the sync connection from scratch. Your files stay online, so uninstalling the app does not delete them.

1. Select the OneDrive cloud, the gear icon, then Settings, and open the Account tab.
2. Select Unlink this PC, then Unlink account.
3. Uninstall Microsoft OneDrive in Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Step by step: Uninstall a program or app in Windows.
4. Restart the PC.
5. Download the OneDrive sync app from Microsoft's Download OneDrive page and run it.
6. Sign in, keep the same OneDrive folder location when asked, and wait for the sync to finish.

Fix 8. Repair Windows system files with DISM and SFC

20 minutesLow riskEverything above failed and the error appears even in a clean boot with a fresh OneDrive.

The Cloud Files driver is part of Windows, not of OneDrive, so reinstalling OneDrive cannot replace it. DISM and SFC check Windows' own files and restore damaged ones.

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

Restart after the scan and sign in again. If SFC repaired files, test OneDrive before you try anything bigger.

0xffffffea on Windows Server with Citrix, RDS or FSLogix

Most reports of this exact code on Microsoft Q&A come from administrators, not home users. In the longest thread, users of OneDrive for Business on Windows Server 2019 in Azure, with Citrix and FSLogix profile management, saw the error at random logins: one user 9 out of 10 times, another 1 out of 10. A full uninstall and a per-machine install of OneDrive did not help them.

• Why it is different: the user profile is attached at sign-in, and with non-persistent FSLogix profiles there are no OneDrive logs left in AppData to read, as the admin in that thread noted.
• What the thread shows: the case went from OneDrive support to the FSLogix team; we found no published Microsoft fix for it.
• What to do: update FSLogix, Citrix and OneDrive on the session host, apply Fixes 3 and 4 to the image itself, and open a case with Microsoft that names FSLogix, so it reaches the right team.

If error 0xffffffea is still there

Microsoft does not publish a log entry for this code, so the useful evidence is what you can check yourself. Collect these facts before you contact support or your IT department:

• Does the error appear in a clean boot? If not, a third-party program is the cause (Fix 3).
• The output of reg query HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CldFlt /v Start, before and after a restart. A value that keeps changing points to software or a policy that changes it.
• Your OneDrive build from Settings > About, and your Windows version from winver.
• What changed just before: a Windows update, new security or backup software, a tuning tool, a new PC.

• Home users: in OneDrive, select the gear icon and Get help to contact Microsoft from inside the app, and include the facts above.
• Work or school PC: contact your IT department; a security product or policy they manage is the likely cause.
• Last resort: a Windows repair install that keeps your files and apps replaces all system files, the Cloud Files driver included: Reinstall Windows without losing files.

How to keep "Couldn't start Files on Demand" from coming back

Frequently asked questions

What does error code 0xffffffea mean in OneDrive?

It comes with the message "Couldn't start Files on Demand": OneDrive started, but the Windows service that shows online-only files did not. Microsoft documents the message, not the number. Read as a signed number, 0xffffffea is -22, and Microsoft does not say what that value means inside OneDrive. The fix depends on the message, so start with a full restart, then updates, then your antivirus and backup software.

Que es eso? What is this error, in short?

This page is about the OneDrive message "Couldn't start Files on Demand" with code 0xffffffea. In short: OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage on Windows, could not start the feature that shows your online files without downloading them. Your files are not lost and stay online. Para resolverlo (como resolver), start with Fix 1, a full restart, and continue in the order of the fixes on this page.

Will I lose my files because of error 0xffffffea?

No. The error is about starting a feature on this PC, not about the files in the cloud. You can check them on onedrive.com right now. Microsoft says a reset of OneDrive does not delete files, and uninstalling the app does not delete them either. The only real risk is acting in a hurry: do not delete your OneDrive folder or files that will not open, because deleting a synced file deletes it on every device.

Why does OneDrive say "Please restart your computer and try again" when I already did?

Because the dialog only knows that the service did not start, not why. A restart helps when it was a one-time start problem. If the window comes back at every sign-in, something starts before OneDrive and blocks it every time, most often an antivirus or backup program with a legacy filter, as Microsoft notes. Use Restart rather than Shut down, then go to Fixes 2 and 3.

Can a slow or unstable internet connection cause 0xffffffea?

We found no source that ties this error to the internet connection, and Microsoft's own page does not mention it. The service fails to start on the PC itself, before OneDrive talks to the cloud. A weak connection gives sync errors and slow downloads instead. That is why this guide does not include network resets: they will not help with this message.

Which antivirus causes "Couldn't start Files on Demand"?

Microsoft does not name products; it says "legacy filters on some antivirus software". Any antivirus, backup, disk imaging or encryption tool that watches file access can install such a filter. Users on Microsoft Q&A also named profile tools such as FSLogix and a disk imaging tool. The clean boot test in Fix 3 tells you which program it is on your PC.

Can I turn off Files On-Demand to get rid of the error?

Yes, if the disk has room. In OneDrive Settings > Sync and back up > Advanced settings, select Download all files. OneDrive then keeps every file on the PC and no longer needs the on-demand service, so this window has nothing to fail on. The cost is disk space equal to your whole OneDrive. Fix 6 explains the steps and how to switch back later.

Does the same error appear on a Mac?

A Microsoft Q&A thread has the same message and code from a Mac user, but Microsoft has no Mac article for it, and the Windows steps on this page do not apply there. On a Mac, update macOS and OneDrive first, then use the Mac steps in Microsoft's Reset OneDrive article, which the support agent in the Windows thread also linked.

Is "OneDrive cannot connect to Windows" the same error?

It is a close relative. Microsoft shows "OneDrive cannot connect to Windows" when Files On-Demand loses its link to Windows, and documented a 2020 case caused by legacy filter drivers after the Windows 10 version 2004 update. The causes overlap with 0xffffffea, so Fixes 2, 3 and 4 help with both. That dialog also offers to download all files, which is the same idea as Fix 6.

Do I need a repair tool or a registry cleaner to fix 0xffffffea?

No. Every fix on this page uses tools that come with Windows and OneDrive: a restart, Windows Update, a clean boot, two registry commands that Microsoft itself published, OneDrive's reset and DISM with SFC. A registry cleaner cannot set the CldFlt values better than the reg add commands in Fix 4, and an aggressive one can remove entries other programs need.