Keeley Companies

🛑 Symptoms

When syncing a SharePoint Online document library using the OneDrive sync app, you may see this error:

"Sorry, we can't sync this folder. You're already syncing a shortcut to a folder from this shared library."

This happens after you've added a folder shortcut from SharePoint Online to your OneDrive.

🔍 Cause

This behavior is by design.

You cannot:

• Sync a document library and add a shortcut to it in OneDrive at the same time.
• Add a shortcut to "My files" if you're already syncing the document library.

📌 Only one method of access is allowed at a time:
Either Sync or Add shortcut to My files — not both.

✅ Resolution: Remove the Shortcut

To sync the library successfully, you must remove the shortcut using one of these methods:

🧹 Method 1: Remove Shortcut from OneDrive Folder (Local Device)

1. Open your OneDrive folder on your device.
2. Locate the shortcut folder — it will have a small link icon 🔗.
3. Right-click the folder and select Delete.
   • If you get an error, pause syncing from the OneDrive app first, then try deleting again.

🌐 Method 2: Remove Shortcut from OneDrive Online

1. Go to OneDrive Online or open OneDrive from the Microsoft 365 App Launcher.
2. In the upper-left corner, click My Files.
3. Locate the shortcut folder (look for the link icon 🔗).
4. Right-click the folder (or click the 3-dot menu ⋯) and choose Remove.
   • If unsuccessful, pause the sync app and try again.

📝 Notes:

• After removing the shortcut, you can safely sync the full library using the OneDrive sync app.
• To avoid conflicts, choose either syncing or shortcutting a folder — not both.