How to fix OneDrive error 0x8004e4c3 in Windows?

OneDrive error 0x8004e4c3 appears when the OneDrive app cannot reach Microsoft's servers to sign you in, even though your internet works. The usual culprit is the old Internet Options settings that Windows still uses for the sign-in: TLS 1.2 switched off or damaged settings. Turn on TLS 1.2 first, then reset Internet Options if the error stays.

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

What OneDrive error 0x8004e4c3 means

Error 0x8004e4c3 is OneDrive's code for a sign-in that could not reach Microsoft's servers. The app tried to open a secure connection to the account service, the connection failed, and OneDrive blamed your internet. In most reports the internet was fine: the browser, email and even onedrive.com worked. The failing part was the connection method that the sign-in window uses.

• The usual form: a Microsoft OneDrive window with There was a problem connecting to OneDrive and Check your Internet connection, and then try again. (Error Code: 0x8004e4c3).
• Work or school accounts: users on Microsoft Q&A see No network connection with [2603] while adding a business account, and 0x8004e4c3 in the details.
• Together with 0x800704cf: in April 2026 users reported 0x8004e4c3 next to 0x800704cf, with Word and Outlook also refusing to sign in.
• Spellings people search: 0x8004e4c3, error code 0x8004e4c3, onedrive 0x8004e4c3 and one drive error code 0x8004e4c3. All are the same error.

The sign-in window of OneDrive is built on Windows' own web components. That is why a setting in the old Internet Options dialog, which most people never open, can break OneDrive while Edge and Chrome keep working. One administrator on Microsoft Q&A put it plainly: OneDrive and Teams still rely on those settings although Internet Explorer itself is retired.

Why OneDrive shows 0x8004e4c3: the causes, most common first

The order follows what fixed the error in the Microsoft Q&A threads: the accepted answer, the answers that most people marked helpful, and the 2026 reports. Each cause points to the fix that repairs it.

How to fix OneDrive error 0x8004e4c3

Fixes 1 and 2 repair the Internet Options settings that the sign-in uses and solve most cases in a few minutes. Fixes 3 and 4 are for the 2026 Windows sign-in bug. Fixes 5 to 8 cover networks, OneDrive itself and the user profile.

Fix 1. Turn on TLS 1.2 in Internet Options

3 minutes plus a restartLow riskEveryone, first of all when the error came out of nowhere and onedrive.com works.

Microsoft's servers accept only modern encrypted connections. When TLS 1.2 is off in Internet Options, the OneDrive sign-in window cannot connect and reports a missing internet connection. A Microsoft support agent on Q&A named this as the cause of 0x8004e4c3, and the answer was accepted.

1. Close OneDrive and every Office app. To quit OneDrive, select the OneDrive cloud icon, the gear Help & Settings, then Pause syncing > Quit OneDrive.
2. Press Win + R, type the command below and press Enter to open Internet Properties. You can also type Internet Options in the Start search.

   inetcpl.cpl

3. Open the Advanced tab and scroll down to the Security group near the end of the list.
4. Tick Use TLS 1.2. Leave Use TLS 1.3 ticked if it is.
5. Select Apply, then OK.
6. Restart the PC. The dialog itself says the change takes effect after a restart.
7. Start OneDrive from Start and sign in.

Fix 2. Reset Internet Options to their defaults

5 minutes plus a restartLow riskTLS 1.2 is already on, or OneDrive and Teams fail at the same time with no network connection.

A security tool, a VPN client or an old policy can change other Internet Options settings that the sign-in depends on. Several administrators on Microsoft Q&A fixed 0x8004e4c3 on many PCs by restoring those settings, even with Internet Explorer disabled.

1. Close OneDrive, Teams and every Office app.
2. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin) on Windows 11, or type cmd in the Start search, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
3. Paste the command below and press Enter. A Reset Internet Explorer Settings window may open: select Reset, then Close.

   RunDll32.exe InetCpl.cpl,ResetIEtoDefaults

4. If the command shows nothing, open Internet Options (inetcpl.cpl), go to Advanced and select Restore advanced settings, then OK.
5. Restart the PC.
6. Open Internet Options > Advanced once more and check that Use TLS 1.2 is still ticked.
7. Start OneDrive and sign in.

Fix 3. Install the pending Windows updates

10 to 30 minutesLow risk0x800704cf appears next to 0x8004e4c3, or Word, Excel and Outlook also refuse to sign in while the internet works.

In April 2026 many users reported OneDrive and Office sign-ins failing with 0x800704cf and 0x8004e4c3 although the PC was online. That points to Windows' account sign-in, not OneDrive, and users reported that installing the latest Windows updates ended it.

1. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update (on Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update).
2. Select Check for updates and let Windows download everything it finds.
3. Look under Optional updates (in Advanced options) as well, and install any cumulative or preview update listed there.
4. Restart the PC when Windows asks, even if it does not insist.
5. Start OneDrive and sign in.

An answer on Microsoft Q&A names KB5085516 as the update that fixes this sign-in bug. That answer is marked as AI-generated, and we could not confirm the KB number on Microsoft's release notes, so install whatever Windows Update offers rather than hunting for one number. If an update fails, install it by hand: Install an update from the Microsoft Update Catalog

Fix 4. Restart the Microsoft account sign-in services

3 minutesNo riskOffice apps and OneDrive fail to sign in together, and you want a quick test before or after updating.

Windows hands sign-in tokens to OneDrive through background services. A user on Microsoft Q&A restarted two of them and Office signed in at once. Another user reported it did not help, so treat it as a quick test, not a sure fix.

1. Open Services. Press Windows+R, type the command below and press Enter. You can also type Services in the search box on the taskbar and open the app.

   services.msc

2. Find the service. The list is sorted by Name. Click any row and type the first letter of the service to jump to it. Check the Status column (Running or empty) and the Startup Type column.

   

3. Restart the service. Right-click the service and select Restart. If the service is not running, select Start instead. Wait until the progress window closes.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Check and restart Windows services

• Restart Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant.
• Restart Microsoft Cloud Identity Service if your list has it. Not every Windows build shows it, and that is normal.
• Close the Services window, start OneDrive and sign in.

Fix 5. Check the VPN, proxy and your organisation's network rules

10 minutesLow riskA work or school account fails on one network only, or fails off the office network while a personal account works.

Some organisations allow the business sign-in only from their own network or VPN. One student on Microsoft Q&A could add the school account only after connecting to the institution's VPN. In other cases a VPN or proxy on the PC blocks the sign-in.

1. Test the opposite of what you use now: if a VPN is on, turn it off; if you are away from the office, connect to your organisation's VPN.
2. Try a different network for one test, for example your phone's hotspot.
3. Select Start > Settings > Network & internet > Proxy. Under Manual proxy setup, check whether a proxy is on. If you did not set it and nobody at work asked you to, turn it off.
4. Start OneDrive and sign in on the network that worked.

If the business account still shows No network connection [2603], the same sign-in window is failing as in our guide to OneDrive error 2603, which covers firewalls and stored sign-in data in more detail.

Fix 6. Reset the Windows network stack

10 minutesLow riskOther apps also lose the connection now and then, or Fixes 1 to 5 did not help.

Damaged DNS entries or a broken Winsock catalogue can make one secure connection fail while web pages still load. Resetting them was part of the old fix for this error and costs only a restart.

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. Flush the DNS cache. Type the command below and press Enter. Windows forgets the website addresses it looked up earlier and asks for them again.

   ipconfig /flushdns

3. Reset Winsock. Type the command below and press Enter. It returns the Windows sockets catalog to its default state.

   netsh winsock reset

   

4. Reset TCP/IP. Type the command below and press Enter. If you entered an IP address or DNS server by hand, note it first: you may need to enter it again.

   netsh int ip reset

5. Get a new IP address. Run these two commands one after the other. The connection drops for a moment between them.

   ipconfig /release
   ipconfig /renew

6. Restart the PC. Restart Windows so the Winsock and TCP/IP resets take effect, then test the connection. If it still does not work, continue with the network reset below.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset the network and flush DNS

Fix 7. Reset OneDrive, and reinstall it if the reset fails

5 minutes, 20 with a reinstallLow riskEverything else on the PC signs in, only OneDrive shows 0x8004e4c3.

A reset clears OneDrive's own settings and sync connections, so the next sign-in starts from zero. Users on Q&A report that a reset or reinstall alone often does not fix 0x8004e4c3, which is why it comes after the connection fixes.

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

If the reset changes nothing, uninstall Microsoft OneDrive under Settings > Apps > Installed apps (on Windows 10: Apps & features), restart, and install the current version from Microsoft's OneDrive download page. Do not run the old OneDriveSetup.exe in C:\Windows\SysWOW64: on many PCs it is the build that came with Windows years ago. Other ways to uninstall: Uninstall a program or app in Windows

Fix 8. Test OneDrive in a new Windows user account

15 minutesLow riskNothing above worked, especially on a work PC where only one user is affected.

An IT administrator on Microsoft Q&A traced 0x8004e4c3 to corruption in the user's Windows profile on both domain-joined and Entra-joined laptops. A fresh profile connected at once, while TLS and reinstalls changed nothing.

1. Open Other users. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users. You can also press Windows key + R and run the command below.

   ms-settings:otherusers

2. Add an account. Next to Add other user, select Add account.

   

3. Skip the Microsoft account. Select I don't have this person's sign-in information.

   

4. Choose a local account. Select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
5. Name the account. Type a user name and, if you want one, a password. If you set a password, Windows also asks for answers to security questions. Select Next.
6. Make it an administrator (optional). Back in Other users, select the new account, then Change account type next to Account options. Choose Administrator and select OK. For testing a problem, a standard account is usually enough.
7. Sign in to the new account. Open Start, select your account picture and choose the new account. The first sign-in takes a few minutes while Windows sets up the profile.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Create a new user account to test a problem

Sign in to the new account, open OneDrive from Start and sign in with your usual Microsoft or work account. Do not move files yet: this is a test. On a company PC, ask IT to create the new profile, because a domain profile is removed and rebuilt by an administrator.

If OneDrive still shows 0x8004e4c3: what to collect and who can help

Support cannot do much with 0x8004e4c3 alone. Collect these facts before you ask, so you do not have to reproduce the error twice.

• The account type: personal (outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com) or work or school, and whether onedrive.com works in a browser.
• Other codes: 0x800704cf, [2603] or anything else in the same window or in Office apps.
• Other apps: whether Teams, Outlook or Word also fail to sign in.
• What you tried: the TLS setting, the Internet Options reset, the updates and the result of each.
• The OneDrive version: gear Help & Settings > Settings > About, if OneDrive still opens.
• The Windows build: press Win + R, type winver and press Enter.

Are your OneDrive files safe while 0x8004e4c3 blocks the sign-in?

Yes. The error stops the sync, not the storage. Everything you synced before is still in the OneDrive folder on the PC and in the cloud, and onedrive.com shows the cloud copy. None of the fixes on this page deletes your files.

• Changes you make while OneDrive is signed out stay on the PC and upload when it signs in again.
• Files that are online-only, with a cloud icon in File Explorer, cannot open until OneDrive runs. Open them on onedrive.com meanwhile.
• After a reset or reinstall, point OneDrive at the same folder so unchanged files are not downloaded again.

How to keep 0x8004e4c3 from coming back

The error returns when something changes the connection settings under OneDrive. Most of those changes can be spotted early.

Frequently asked questions

What does error code 0x8004e4c3 mean?

It means the OneDrive app on Windows could not open a connection to Microsoft's sign-in service. OneDrive then says to check your internet, although the internet usually works. The real cause is most often the old Internet Options settings that the sign-in window uses: TLS 1.2 is off, or the settings are damaged. Turn on TLS 1.2 first, then reset Internet Options. Microsoft does not describe the code on a support page, so the reports on Microsoft Q&A are the best guide.

Why does OneDrive say there is no internet connection when there is?

Because OneDrive cannot tell a missing connection from a failed secure connection. The browser loads pages fine, but the sign-in window of OneDrive uses Windows' web components and the Internet Options settings. If TLS 1.2 is switched off there, or a program changed those settings, the secure handshake with Microsoft fails and OneDrive shows the internet message. Fix 1 and Fix 2 repair exactly that part, and both take only a few minutes plus a restart.

Does enabling TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 help?

No, only TLS 1.2 matters. The accepted answer on Microsoft Q&A ticks all three, but Microsoft's services need TLS 1.2 or newer, and the older versions are outdated. One user reported that unticking TLS 1.0 while keeping TLS 1.2 on is what worked. Leave TLS 1.3 ticked if Windows shows it. If TLS 1.2 was already on, the problem lies elsewhere in Internet Options, so reset them to their defaults with Fix 2.

What if 0x800704cf appears together with 0x8004e4c3?

Then the problem is most likely Windows' account sign-in, not OneDrive. In April 2026 users reported both codes at once, with Office apps also refusing to sign in while the web version worked. Users reported that installing the latest Windows updates fixed it. Open Windows Update, install everything including optional updates and restart (Fix 3). Restarting the Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant service is a quick extra test (Fix 4).

Will I lose my files if I fix 0x8004e4c3?

No. Your files stay in the OneDrive folder on the PC and in the cloud while the error blocks the sign-in, and onedrive.com shows the cloud copy. The TLS setting, the Internet Options reset, Windows updates and the network reset do not touch files. A OneDrive reset only disconnects and rebuilds the sync connection, so the first sync can take a while. When OneDrive asks for a folder, choose the old one so unchanged files are not downloaded again.

Why does only my work or school account fail with 0x8004e4c3?

A business account goes through your organisation's sign-in rules, and those can differ from a personal account. One student could add the school account only through the institution's VPN, and administrators fixed several users by resetting Internet Options and revoking their sign-in sessions. Try your organisation's VPN or another network (Fix 5), reset Internet Options (Fix 2), and ask IT to check the account if neither helps. A damaged user profile is the last cause (Fix 8).

Is 0x8004e4c3 caused by User Account Control?

We found no source for that. Some older guides, including an earlier version of this page, said the error comes from a conflict with User Account Control. The Microsoft Q&A reports point to TLS, Internet Options, Windows sign-in updates, networks and user profiles instead. Changing UAC also lowers the protection of the PC, so this page does not suggest it. Start with the TLS setting in Fix 1.

OneDrive says it can't open this file and to make sure it is running on your PC. Is that the same error?

No, that is a different message. It appears when you open an online-only file while the OneDrive app is not running or not signed in. If OneDrive cannot sign in because of 0x8004e4c3, that message can follow, because the app cannot download the file. Fix the sign-in first with the steps on this page. Once OneDrive runs and shows the cloud icon in the taskbar corner, the files open again.

Is there help for 0x8004e4c3 in other languages?

This page is in English, but the error and the fixes are the same in every language of Windows. People ask about it in Russian, Indonesian, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Hindi, with questions like what to do or how to fix this error. Menu names change with the language, so look for the same places: Internet Options with the Advanced tab, Windows Update in Settings, and Terminal (Admin) on the Start button's right-click menu. The commands work unchanged.