How to fix OneDrive missing after a reset on Windows 10

If OneDrive has gone missing on your device, you can use these steps to get it back on Windows 10.

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@Pureinfotech
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Installing OneDrive on Windows 10
Installing OneDrive on Windows 10

OneDrive usually installs automatically on every new installation of Windows 10, and the sync client is even preserved during upgrades. However, because it’s now possible to uninstall the OneDrive client, the reset process threats it as other application, as such it’s removed when you’re trying to recover your system to the default factory settings.

The issue with this behavior is that it gives users the impression that something went wrong with the reset process as OneDrive goes missing after a reset, and Windows 10 doesn’t make it intuitive to get it back.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to get OneDrive back after a reset or it goes missing from your Windows 10 device for any other reason.

How to install OneDrive on Windows 10

If after resetting your device you don’t find OneDrive on Windows 10, nothing actually went wrong, you just need to add the sync client manually.

  1. Download the OneDrive app.

  2. Double-click the OneDriveSetup.exe file to install the sync engine.

  3. Open Start.

  4. Search for OneDrive, and click the top result.

  5. Sign-in with your Microsoft account associated with OneDrive.

  6. Follow the on-screen directions to complete the setup.

Once you’ve completed the steps, you can start using OneDrive again on your PC.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].