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Field note: OneDrive stuck on the sign-in screen

OneDrive kept hanging on its sign-in window and crashing. The usual cache resets weren't enough; a full uninstall and a sign-in started from the web was.

I was on site for something else when a user mentioned OneDrive hadn’t worked in a while. It sat on the sign-in screen, spun, and crashed. Her files weren’t syncing, and she hadn’t noticed for a bit because the copies already on her PC still opened.

What it looked like

  • OneDrive opened its sign-in window and hung on “Loading…”
  • It crashed and came back to the same spot.
  • Her internet was fine, and she could sign in to Microsoft 365 in a browser with no trouble.

So the account was fine. The problem was the OneDrive app on that PC.

What I tried first

OneDrive’s sign-in window is a little embedded browser, and that’s a common place for things to get stuck. The usual first steps are:

  • Close OneDrive and its browser process completely, then delete OneDrive’s cached browser data so the sign-in window starts fresh.
  • If the window still hangs, rule out the graphics driver, which can stall that embedded browser on some PCs.

Those are worth trying, because they’re quick. On this PC they weren’t enough.

The fix

What finally worked was a clean reinstall, with the sign-in started from the web instead of the app:

  1. Uninstalled OneDrive completely. I used Revo Uninstaller so it cleaned out the leftover files and settings a normal uninstall leaves behind.
  2. Signed in to OneDrive in the browser as the user and clicked Sync.
  3. Installed the version it offered. Clicking Sync on a PC without the app prompts you to install it.
  4. Clicked Sync again. This time it handed the account straight to the new app, and sign-in finished with no delay.

OneDrive came back online and started syncing her files.

What I took away from it

  • If sign-in works in a browser but the OneDrive app hangs, the problem is the app, not the account.
  • A normal reinstall can keep the same broken leftovers. A full uninstall gets rid of them.
  • Starting Sync from the OneDrive website passes the account to the app, which can get past a stuck sign-in screen.
  • Ask about OneDrive while you’re there. People often don’t notice it stopped syncing, because their local files still open.

Making sure files are actually getting backed up is part of backups for a small office.

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