How to fix "We can't get to this file right now because computer syncing is paused"?

Microsoft does not document this exact message, but users report it when they open a OneDrive photo that is not stored on the PC while OneDrive sync is paused. Your files stay in the cloud. Resume syncing from the OneDrive icon next to the clock first.

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

What "We can't get to this file right now because computer syncing is paused" means

The message has two parts. The first says the file cannot be reached right now, the second tells you to resume syncing. It does not name OneDrive, and the Microsoft pages we read do not list this exact text, so there is no official definition to quote. What Microsoft does document is the state behind it: a paused OneDrive.

A cloud icon with a pause symbol means your files are not currently syncing. Syncing starts again by itself when the pause time ends, or when you resume it by hand.

What causes "We can't get to this file right now because computer syncing is paused", in the order to check

OneDrive keeps your files in the cloud and, with Files On-Demand, shows many of them as online-only files that download when you open them. Microsoft says you cannot open an online-only file when the device is not connected to the internet. If syncing is also paused, the download cannot start, and the open fails.

Microsoft also notes that Files On-Demand might not work with some third-party antivirus programs. If the message began right after you installed one, look in that program's own settings or ask its maker, and do not turn protection off for good.

How to fix "We can't get to this file right now because computer syncing is paused"

Fix 1 solves most cases, because the message usually means OneDrive is paused. Work down the list only if the one before it changed nothing, and use the table below to jump to the row that matches what you see.

Fix 1. Resume syncing from the OneDrive icon

1 minuteNo riskEveryone, first, whenever the cloud icon shows a pause symbol.

The message tells you to resume syncing, and Microsoft's own way to do that is the paused OneDrive icon. Syncing also resumes by itself after the pause time ends, but doing it by hand is faster.

1. Look at the notification area next to the clock. A white or blue OneDrive cloud with a pause symbol means OneDrive is paused.
2. Select the paused OneDrive icon.
3. In the activity center, select the pause button or the yellow box to get going again.
4. Wait until the panel stops saying paused and starts to sync or says your files are up to date, then open the photo again.

Fix 2. Start OneDrive when its icon is missing

3 minutesNo riskYou see no OneDrive cloud next to the clock or under the hidden icons.

OneDrive cannot sync while it is not running. If its icon is not visible, it may not be running, and starting it from the Start menu brings the sync back.

1. Select the Show hidden icons arrow next to the notification area to reveal the hidden icons, and look for the OneDrive cloud.
2. If the cloud is not there, select Start, type OneDrive in the search box and select the OneDrive app in the results.
3. If OneDrive asks you to sign in, enter the account that owns the photos.
4. When the cloud appears, select it. If it shows a pause symbol, resume syncing as in Fix 1.

If the cloud runs but stays hidden, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Other system tray icons on Windows 11 and switch Microsoft OneDrive on. The menu name differs on Windows 10 22H2, where the same list is under Select which icons appear on the taskbar.

Fix 3. Stop battery saver or a metered network pausing OneDrive

5 minutesLow riskOneDrive pauses again soon after you resume it, on a laptop on battery or a phone hotspot.

Microsoft says OneDrive pauses automatically when your PC enters battery saver mode or you are connected to a metered network. Removing that trigger keeps sync running.

1. Plug the laptop in. On Windows 11, open Settings > System > Power & battery and check whether Battery saver is on. On Windows 10 22H2, open Settings > System > Battery.
2. If battery saver is on, turn it off while the PC is plugged in.
3. Open Settings > Network & internet, select your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection and look for Metered connection.
4. If it is on and you are on a normal home or office network, switch it off.
5. Resume syncing as in Fix 1 and open the photo again.

Fix 4. Make the photos Always keep on this device

5 to 15 minutesLow riskThe icon says up to date, but the photos still will not open.

Microsoft says an online-only file downloads only when you open it, and it cannot open without internet. Marking the folder Always keep on this device downloads the real files, so they open without a fetch.

1. Open File Explorer and select your OneDrive folder.
2. Right-click the folder that holds the photos. On Windows 11, select Show more options first if you do not see the next item.
3. Select Always keep on this device.
4. Wait until each file shows a green circle with a white check mark. Microsoft uses that icon for files that are always available on the PC.
5. Open a photo from that folder.

To do this for the whole OneDrive folder, open the OneDrive icon, then the Help and Settings gear, then Settings > Sync and back up > Advanced settings and select Download all files. Microsoft says this equals choosing Always keep on this device for the entire folder, and it uses disk space, so check the free space first with Free up disk space and delete temporary files.

Fix 5. Download the photos from the OneDrive website

5 minutesNo riskYou need the photos now, or Fix 4 did not get them onto the PC.

The website reads your files from the cloud, not from the sync app, so it works while Windows says syncing is paused. A Microsoft Q&A answer for this message gives the same advice.

1. Open a browser and go to onedrive.com.
2. Sign in with the same Microsoft account, or the work or school account, that owns the photos.
3. Open the folder with the photos and select the ones that will not open.
4. Select Download in the top bar.
5. Open the Downloads folder on the PC. If you chose several files, they may arrive in one zip file, so extract it first.

Fix 6. Restart OneDrive and File Explorer

5 minutesNo riskThe icon says up to date, yet Windows still shows the message after Fix 4.

Users report the message while OneDrive says everything is synced. A restart clears a sync app or an Explorer window that still holds the old paused state, and it changes no files.

1. Select the OneDrive cloud next to the clock, select the Help and Settings gear, then Quit OneDrive, and confirm.
2. Restart File Explorer from Task Manager. The steps are in Restart File Explorer.
3. Select Start, type OneDrive and open the OneDrive app.
4. Wait until the cloud icon says your files are up to date, then open a photo again.

Fix 7. Reset OneDrive

10 minutes, then a longer syncLow riskFixes 1 to 6 changed nothing, and the photos are safe on the OneDrive website.

A reset clears OneDrive's settings and makes it sync everything again from the start. That removes a stuck state the normal restart cannot.

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 8. Repair the Photos app

5 minutesLow riskThe message appears only in Photos, and the same photo opens from File Explorer.

Users report the message in the Photos app. If the file opens in File Explorer, the cloud copy is reachable, and the app itself may be failing to fetch it. Repair keeps the app's data.

1. Open File Explorer, go to the OneDrive folder and double-click the same photo. If it opens there, the file is fine and the problem is in the app.
2. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps (on Windows 10 22H2, Apps & features).
3. Find Photos, open its Advanced options and select Repair.
4. Open Photos and the same photo again. Use Reset only if Repair did not help, because it deletes the app's data on this PC. The full steps are in How to repair or reset an app in Windows.

If "We can't get to this file right now because computer syncing is paused" is still there

Microsoft does not publish a fix for this exact message, so collect the facts before you ask for help. They separate a sync problem from a connection problem or an app problem.

• What the cloud icon says: paused, syncing, up to date, or an error, and whether it is white or blue.
• Which app shows the message: File Explorer, Photos or another app, and whether the same file opens somewhere else.
• The account type: personal or work or school, because the two sync as separate OneDrives and can be paused independently.
• Whether the photos open on the OneDrive website: if they do, the files are safe and only this PC fails.
• Your connection: if other sites are slow or fail too, run How to check your internet connection in Windows first.

Send those facts to Microsoft Support or to the Microsoft Q&A forum for OneDrive. Do not post personal photos, file names that identify you or your account details in a public forum.

How to keep "We can't get to this file right now because computer syncing is paused" from coming back

Frequently asked questions

What does "We can't get to this file right now because computer syncing is paused" mean?

It means Windows could not fetch a file from OneDrive at that moment and tells you to resume syncing. Microsoft does not document this exact text. What it does document is a paused OneDrive: the cloud icon shows a pause symbol and your files are not currently syncing. Select that icon and resume syncing, then open the file again. Users also report the message when OneDrive says everything is up to date; the fixes after Fix 3 are for that case.

How do I fix "computer syncing is paused" on Windows 11?

Select the paused OneDrive cloud icon next to the clock, then select the pause button or the yellow box in the activity center. If you cannot see the icon, select Show hidden icons, or start OneDrive from the Start menu. The steps are the same on Windows 10 22H2, only the Settings menu names differ. If the pause returns, check battery saver and the metered connection setting, as in Fix 3.

Why does OneDrive say paused when I never paused it?

Microsoft says OneDrive pauses automatically when your PC enters battery saver mode or you are connected to a metered network. A laptop that runs on battery, or a PC on a phone hotspot, can trigger it without you doing anything. Plug the laptop in and check the metered connection switch in your network settings, then resume syncing from the cloud icon. Another person using the same PC could also have chosen a pause time.

Why does it say paused when OneDrive says my files are up to date?

Users report exactly this, and Microsoft does not explain it. A likely reason is that the file is online only, so opening it needs a download that fails at that moment. Making the folder Always keep on this device downloads real copies and avoids the fetch. Downloading from the OneDrive website also works. If both fail, restart OneDrive and File Explorer, then reset OneDrive as a last step.

Will I lose my photos if I resume or reset OneDrive?

Resuming only turns syncing back on. A reset clears OneDrive's settings and syncs again from the start, and it does not delete your files. Microsoft also says changing a file to online only does not delete it from OneDrive. The risky action is deleting an online-only file from the OneDrive folder, which removes it from OneDrive on every device and online. Restore it from the OneDrive Recycle bin if that happens.

Is "cross device syncing is paused" the same message?

We found no Microsoft page that uses that wording, so we cannot say what it refers to. If you see it next to the OneDrive cloud icon with a pause symbol on a Windows PC, the steps in this guide apply. If it appears on a phone, in another app or in a different Microsoft feature, these steps may not apply, and you should look for that feature's own help page.

How long does a OneDrive pause last?

When you pause OneDrive by hand you choose 2, 8 or 24 hours. Syncing resumes automatically after that time, or you can resume it at any moment from the cloud icon. A pause caused by battery saver or a metered network lasts as long as that condition does, so the icon may go back to paused after you resume until you plug in or change the connection setting.

Does this affect OneDrive for work or school as well?

Yes. Microsoft says that if you have both a personal OneDrive and OneDrive for work or school, you can pause and resume them independently. That is why the message can appear for photos in one account and not the other. Check which cloud icon shows the pause symbol, resume that one, and then open the file again. For a work account, your organization's IT helpdesk can also help.

Why do some photos open and others do not?

Files you opened before are now on the PC and open at once, while files you never opened are online only and need a download. Users report that the first photos opened and the next ones would not after a restart, which fits that pattern. Mark the folder Always keep on this device so every photo is local, or download the missing ones from the OneDrive website.

Can I stop OneDrive pausing on battery or a metered network?

Microsoft documents the automatic pause but we did not find a page that names a setting to switch it off. The OneDrive Settings window may offer switches for this under the Sync and back up page, but the names depend on the version, so check it on your PC. The safe alternative is to plug the laptop in and turn battery saver and the metered connection off when you are on a normal network.