OneDrive Error - "Location is not available. The tag present in the reparse point buffer is invalid."

Tags OneDrive

Summary

This article helps resolve the OneDrive error: "Location is not available. The tag present in the reparse point buffer is invalid." This usually happens after OneDrive crashes or shuts down improperly, causing folders to become inaccessible.

Who This Article Is For

Employees using OneDrive on a County-issued Windows 10 or Windows 11 device with desktop sync enabled.

Symptoms

  • Error message: "Location is not available. The tag present in the reparse point buffer is invalid."

  • Folder appears to exist but cannot be accessed, renamed, or opened

  • OneDrive may show a sync error that doesn't go away

Cause

This is caused by corruption in a system file that OneDrive uses to track and sync folders. It usually happens if OneDrive is closed incorrectly or Windows shuts down before OneDrive finishes syncing.

How to Fix It

Steps You Can Try Yourself

  1. Reset OneDrive:
    Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, then enter:
    %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
    If you see an error, try:
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
    or
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
    Then restart OneDrive from the Start menu.

  2. Rename the problem folder:
    If the issue is with one folder, try signing in to onedrive.live.com to confirm it exists there. Then rename the broken folder on your PC (for example, add _old to the name). This may allow OneDrive to re-sync the folder correctly.

Steps for IT Staff

  1. Reinstall OneDrive:
    Uninstall the OneDrive client from Settings, then download and install the latest version from Microsoft OneDrive Download.

  2. Run System File Checker (SFC):
    Open Command Prompt as Admin and run:
    sfc /scannow

  3. Run Check Disk:
    From the same Command Prompt, run:
    chkdsk c: /f /r
    Press Y to confirm if prompted, then reboot.

  4. Unlink and re-link OneDrive:
    Right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray > Settings > Account tab > Unlink this PC. Then re-sign in and start syncing again.

Need Help?

If the problem continues, contact the IT Service Desk at 770-822-8915. Let them know you’ve already tried resetting OneDrive and renaming the folder.

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