To sign in to OneDrive on Windows 11, select Start, type OneDrive, open the app, enter the email address for your Microsoft account, and select Sign in. Then select Next on the setup screens, and your cloud files appear in File Explorer.
Applies to: Windows 11 with the built-in OneDrive sync app (personal, work, and school accounts). Checked against Microsoft Support on October 7, 2026.
Before you start
- An account. You need a personal Microsoft account, or a work or school account that your organization gave you. A personal Microsoft account includes 5 GB of free cloud storage.
- An internet connection. OneDrive cannot check your password or download your file list offline.
- The OneDrive app. Microsoft says OneDrive is already installed on Windows 11, so there is normally nothing to download.
Signing in to OneDrive is separate from signing in to Windows. If you use a local account on the PC, or you unlinked OneDrive earlier, the app stays signed out until you complete the steps below.
- Select Start on the taskbar and type OneDrive.
- Select OneDrive in the search results. If no account is linked yet, the Set up OneDrive screen opens. If a File Explorer window with your OneDrive folder opens instead, you are already signed in.
- Enter the email address of your personal Microsoft account, or of your work or school account, and select Sign in.
- Enter your password and complete any verification prompt your account asks for, such as a code sent to your phone or email.
- On the This is your OneDrive folder screen, select Next to accept the default folder. Select Change location only if you need the folder somewhere else, such as on a second drive.
- On the All your files, ready and on-demand screen, read how files are marked as online-only, locally available, or always available, and then select Next.
- Open File Explorer. Your files are listed under OneDrive – Personal for a personal account, or under OneDrive – [CompanyName] for a work or school account. If neither entry shows up, see how to add OneDrive to File Explorer in Windows 11.
Microsoft documents the same setup screens in Sync your computer’s files and folders with OneDrive.
Sign in from the OneDrive cloud icon
If OneDrive is running but not signed in, Windows shows a gray cloud icon with a line through it in the notification area at the right end of the taskbar. Microsoft describes this icon as meaning that you are not signed in or that OneDrive setup has not finished.
- Look for the gray cloud icon on the taskbar. If you do not see it, select the Show hidden icons arrow next to the notification area.
- Select the gray cloud icon. The Set up OneDrive screen opens.
- Enter your account email, select Sign in, and finish the same setup screens described above.
If there is no cloud icon at all, OneDrive is probably not running. Use the Start menu method instead, which starts the app.
What the setup choices mean
The OneDrive folder location
The OneDrive folder is a normal folder on your PC that stays matched with your cloud storage. Anything you add, change, or delete in that folder is added, changed, or deleted on the OneDrive website, and the reverse is also true. The default location suits most people.
If you signed in on this PC before, OneDrive may tell you that a folder already exists. Select Use this folder to reconnect the files that are already there, or Choose new folder to start in a different location.
Files On-Demand
Files On-Demand lets you see everything in your OneDrive without downloading it all. Each file shows one of three states in File Explorer:
| Icon | State | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Blue cloud | Online-only | The file takes up no space on the PC and downloads when you open it. It needs an internet connection. |
| Green check mark | Locally available | You opened the file, so a copy is on the PC and works offline. |
| Solid green circle with a white check mark | Always available | You chose to keep the file on the PC at all times. |
To change a file’s state, right-click the file or folder and select Always keep on this device or Free up space.
Add a second OneDrive account
OneDrive can be signed in to more than one account on the same PC. Microsoft allows several work or school accounts but only one personal account at a time.
- Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
- Select the gear icon, and then select Settings.
- Open the Account tab.
- Select Add an account and sign in with the other account.
Each account gets its own folder in File Explorer, so personal and work files stay apart. Microsoft’s page on adding an account in OneDrive has more detail.
Confirm that you are signed in
- The cloud icon on the taskbar is no longer gray with a line through it.
- File Explorer shows OneDrive – Personal or OneDrive – [CompanyName] with your folders inside.
- In OneDrive Settings, the Account tab lists the account you used.
The first sync can take a while, because OneDrive has to build the list of everything stored in the cloud.
Sign out or switch to a different account
OneDrive has no simple sign-out button. To disconnect an account, you unlink the PC. Microsoft states that no data is lost when you do this: your files stay in OneDrive online, and the local folder is just disconnected from the cloud.
- Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
- Select the gear icon, and then select Settings.
- On the Account tab, select Unlink this PC.
- Select Unlink account to confirm.
To use a different account, open OneDrive from the Start menu again and sign in with the new email address. Before you unlink, let any syncing finish so that recent changes reach the cloud.
If you can’t sign in to OneDrive
You forgot the email address or password
For a personal account, Microsoft’s password reset page walks you through getting a verification code and choosing a new password. For a work or school account, reset the password through your organization or contact its IT administrator.
OneDrive says you can only have one personal account
A personal account is already linked on this PC. Unlink it first with the steps above, and then sign in with the other personal account.
Sign-in fails with error 0x8004de40 or 0x8004de88
Microsoft says these codes mean OneDrive is having trouble connecting to the cloud. Check that the internet connection works. If it does, a firewall may be blocking OneDrive. Microsoft suggests testing with a mobile hotspot to find out whether your usual network is the cause.
OneDrive does not open, or no sign-in window appears
On a personal PC, restart OneDrive by searching for it from Start. If the app is missing, download the current version from Microsoft’s OneDrive website. On a work or school PC, an administrator can use a policy that stops OneDrive from starting. If that is the case, only your IT department can turn it back on.
A work or school account is rejected on the web
A message such as “Selected user account does not exist in tenant” means you tried to open a work or school OneDrive with a personal account. Sign in with the address your organization gave you.
Sign-in keeps looping or uses old details
Microsoft’s fix is to unlink and re-link the PC and clear the saved sign-in between those two steps:
- Unlink the PC with the steps in the section above, and then close OneDrive.
- Select Start, type credentials, and open the credential manager result.
- Select Windows Credentials.
- Under Generic Credentials, remove any entries that contain OneDrive Cached Credentials.
- Open OneDrive from Start and sign in again. When it reports that a folder already exists, select Use this folder.
Microsoft keeps its current advice in Can’t sign in to OneDrive, which also links to the OneDrive service status page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Microsoft account to use OneDrive on Windows 11?
Yes. OneDrive needs either a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account from your organization. A local Windows account alone is not enough.
Is OneDrive free?
A personal Microsoft account includes 5 GB of free cloud storage. If you go over your storage, Microsoft says you cannot upload, edit, or sync new files until you free up space or get more storage.
Can I use a personal and a work OneDrive account on the same PC?
Yes. You can add one personal account and several work or school accounts. Use Add an account on the Account tab of OneDrive Settings.
Will signing in download all of my files?
No. With Files On-Demand, files appear in File Explorer as online-only and download when you open them. To keep a folder off the PC completely, open OneDrive Settings, go to the Account tab, select Choose folders, clear the folders you do not want, and select OK. They stay in OneDrive online.
Does signing in back up my Desktop and Documents folders?
Only if you turn folder backup on. In OneDrive Settings, open the Sync and backup tab, select Manage backup, switch on the folders you want, and select Save changes. Our guide on how to back up files in Windows 11 covers this and the external drive option.
Can I reach my files without signing in to the app?
Yes. Sign in at OneDrive.com in a web browser to open, download, or upload files without linking the PC.
Once you are signed in, decide which folders you want backed up and let the first sync finish before you rely on the files being in the cloud.
Related: How to use OneDrive on Windows 11.
Related: How to add another OneDrive account on Windows 11.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.