DavidWisniewski

Windows 10 Saving Desktop inside of OneDrive - Cannot Delete Folders

I have identified a consistent bug in the "Auto Save" functionality of OneDrive where it allows you to have your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folder inside of your OneDrive account.

If I create a folder on my Desktop, it doesn't matter how I create it... i.e., by right-clicking on the desktop itself and creating a new folder, or by navigating in the explorer to [UserAccountFolder]\Desktop, or by navigating in the explorer to [UserAccountFolder]\OneDrive\Desktop... I cannot delete that folder directly from the Desktop regardless if it is empty or not.

If I am directly on the Desktop and select the folder and press Delete on the keyboard it pops up the message letting you know that I may be able to restore it from the web etc etc, but then the folder doesn't delete. No matter how many times you do that it will not delete.

But if I navigate in Explorer to the [UserAccountFolder]\Desktop or [UserAccountFolder]\OneDrive\Desktop location I can delete the folder. I have checked the permissions and ownership of the folders I am testing this with and they are identical to other files on the desktop. I can delete files, just not folders.

This is a fresh install of Windows 10 Pro 64 bit on a brand new Dell computer and the only way I can resolve this issue is to not use the OneDrive functionality that saves my Desktop in my OneDrive. This does not happen in my Documents or Pictures folders, which are also saved in OneDrive.

MICROSOFT, Please assist.

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Marc Cai

Hi David,

Thanks for bringing his up.

We would like to have the exact error message when you try to delete a folder from your Desktop. It would be very helpful if the error message can be captured via screenshot. Please refer here on How to include a screenshot in your post.

Meanwhile, you might want to double check of do you remember installing a third-party backup program recently. This is important, knowing that OneDrive is yet to have the option to backup the Desktop folder.

Please see it under: Right-click on OneDrive > Settings > Account > Choose folder:

Feel free to get back to us.

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DavidWisniewski

I do not get any type of error message, it just won't delete any folder on my desktop, nor will it allow me to drag one into the recycle bin. BUT, if I pause syncing on OneDrive then I can delete folders, but as soon as I resume syncing I once again cannot delete folders that are located directly on my desktop.

It's not an administrator issue, as I'm using an admin account. There are no other backup programs installed. This is a brand new installation of Windows 10 64 bit on a brand new Dell Precision 7520 and the only applications I've installed so far is MS Office.

If you look on the "Auto Save" tab of the one drive settings you'll see that OneDrive allows the Desktop to be saved in OneDrive, which causes the Desktop folder to be placed in OneDrive.

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Marc Cai

Hi David,

Apologies about the long delays. You were right! Under the Autosave tab, there the Desktop can be set to sync to OneDrive. Were you able to change the drop options from "OneDrive" to "This PC only"? That should deny the syncing of your Desktop to OneDrive.

Feel free to chime back.

Windows 10 Saving Desktop inside of OneDrive - Cannot Delete Folders

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