OneDrive Shared folders shortcuts showing up as .url Internet Shortcuts and asks to sign-in to view them. (Possible fixes)

If you see all your OneDrive shared folder shortcuts in "My Files" folder appearing as URLs and when you try to open them you are asked to sign in with your Microsoft account to see them, then you are not alone!

Issue
Some OneDrive shared folder shortcuts under "My Files" are incorrectly represented as .url web shortcuts rather than actual folder links.
Attempting to open these shortcuts redirects you to a web page (and may trigger a sign-in prompt) instead of opening the folder.

Cause:
Starting around May–June 2024, Microsoft began rolling out an updated version of the OneDrive servers. The old version is referred to as V1.0, while the new version is V2.0.
As a result, OneDrive users who have not yet been migrated to V2.0 may notice that shared folder shortcuts appear as URLs shortcuts on their PCs, and these folders no longer synced via the OneDrive client.

More specifically:

• Folder sharing between OneDrive same versions > WORKS
• Folder Sharing from OneDrive V2.0 to the old version V1.0 > WORKS
• Folder sharing from OneDrive V1.0 to the new version V2.0 – DOESN'T WORK

How to check if the above cause is the one affecting you:
To find out if a OneDrive account's server is running version V1 or V2.0, do the following:

1. Open OneDrive on the web on both accounts (your account and the account sharing the folders with you).

2. Click on the Settings icon (cog wheel) and select Options.

2. If you see the "Restore to OneDrive" as the last option at the bottom of the left navigation pane, then you are on version v2.0.

3. Alternately, if you see the "Search" as the last option at the bottom of the left navigation pane, then you are still on version v1.0.

Solution:
There is currently NO permanent solution to resolve the issue and users must wait until their OneDrive account server is upgraded to version 2.0. Until then, users experiencing the problem can try one of the following methods to fix it, which – as reported by other users online – were successful for them.*

* Note: If you're still experiencing the issue even though your OneDrive account and the OneDrive account that shares files with you have been migrated to version 2.0, try methods 4 and 5 first, and if the issue isn't resolved, then try the remaining methods.

Method 1: Reset OneDrive app.

If you have many broken shortcuts, a OneDrive reset may fix the problem.

1. Quit OneDrive. (Press Ctrl + Esc to open Task Manager. In the Processes tab, right-click on "Microsoft OneDrive" and select End task).

2. Now press Windows + R keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open the 'Run' dialogue box.

3. In the Run box, type the following command to reset OneDrive and click OK.*

• %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

* Note: If you see a "Windows cannot find…" error message after executing the above command, try these commands:

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

4. Wait 20-30 seconds for the reset to complete and check if the problem persists.

Method 2. Install the latest version of OneDrive app.

1. Navigate to Start > Settings > Apps > Installed Apps.

2. Locate Microsoft OneDrive and from the three dots menu next to it, select Uninstall.

3. Proceed to download and install the latest version of OneDrive and then check if the problem is fixed. (direct link)

Method 3. Add OneDrive as Service.

As Microsoft suggests in this article, if you have full access to the account that shares folders with you, you can add OneDrive as a service to easily open Office files on your computer. To do this:

1. Open any Office 365 app (eg. Word or Excel) and from the File menu, select Account.

2. Then click Add a service > Storage and select "OneDrive" if the account who share the folder with you is a Personal account or "OneDrive for Business" if it is a Business Account.

3. Finally, enter the MS account name and password for the account from which you are trying to add the shared folders.

Method 4. Stop sharing the folders and share them again.

1. Open OneDrive on the web on the account sharing the folder(s).

2. Select the folder you want to stop sharing.

3. Click on Details in the upper-right corner to open the Details pane and then select Manage access.

• To stop sharing the folder entirely, click Stop sharing.
• To delete a sharing link, click Links and click the Recycle bin (Delete) icon next to the link.

4. Now proceed to re-share the folder.

5. Quit and re-open OneDrive app to re-sync the shared folder. *

* Note: Some users reported that the issue was resolved after they stopped sharing, moved the contents of the shared folder to a new folder, and then shared the new folder.

Method 5. Remove and Re-Add the Folder(s) shortcut(s) under 'My Files'.

1. Open OneDrive on the web in the account where folders appears as .url files.

2. Select My Files from the left pane.

3. Delete all the broken shortcuts that appears as URLs.

4. Then select Shared on the left menu.

5. Find the folder that shared with you and from the menu select Add Shortcut > My Files.

6. Now, quit OneDrive app and re-open it to re-sync the shared folders.

Method 6. Unlink and Relink Your OneDrive Account.

If the issue persists, unlinking and relinking your OneDrive account can help:

1. Open OneDrive settings.

2.
Go to the Account tab and click Unlink this PC.

3.
Sign back in with your Microsoft account to OneDrive and allow it to re-sync your files.

Conclusion:
The issue of shared OneDrive folders appearing as .URL links is frustrating, but hopefully one of the above methods helped you solve the problem. If not, unfortunately you'll have to wait until Microsoft upgrades your OneDrive account server to version 2.0.

That's it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.

If this article was useful for you, please consider supporting us by making a donation. Even $1 can a make a huge difference for us in our effort to continue to help others while keeping this site free:

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Konstantinos Tsoukalas

Konstantinos is the founder and administrator of Wintips.org. Since 1995 he works and provides IT support as a computer and network expert to individuals and large companies. He is specialized in solving problems related to Windows or other Microsoft products (Windows Server, Office, Microsoft 365, etc.).

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