Problem
This article contains information that concerns the OneDrive for work or school Next Generation Sync Client (OneDrive.exe).
NOTE: To determine which OneDrive sync client you're using, see Which OneDrive app?
After you restart your computer or OneDrive.exe, you experience one or more of the following symptoms:
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A warning will appear in the system tray: "Finish installing update. OneDrive needs your permission to finish installing an update".
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You'll be prompted with a User Account Control dialog box that includes the following program location:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe /permachineupdate
Solution/Workaround
Workaround 1
Enter administrative credentials into the User Account Control dialog box.
An account that has administrative rights is needed to update the registry to allow OneDrive to correctly show its sync icon overlays. In the User Account Control dialog box, enter credentials that have administrative rights.
Workaround 2
Create a Group Policy object.
To do this, follow these steps:
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Install the latest version of OneDrive for work or school Next Generation Sync Client on the local computer.
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Browse to the following location: \%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive.
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Copy the OneDrive.exe file to a network share location.
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Use a Group Policy preference (GPP) and a startup script to complete the following tasks as an Administrator:
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Download the OneDrive.exe file that you created in step 3 to the local computer.
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Run the installation using the command: <filepath>\OneDrive.exe /permachinesetup.
NOTE: You will need to replace <filepath> with the location that you created in step 3. -
You can choose to delete the installation file, using the command: delete <filepath>\OneDrive.exe.
NOTE: You will need to replace <filepath> with the location that you created in step 3.
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Workaround 3
Uninstall unused applications.
Consider uninstalling applications that you aren’t currently using and that heavily use icon overlays. This will unregister the icon overlays, and it could enable OneDrive for work or school to display icon overlays again. You may have to restart your computer after you uninstall the applications before the icon overlays reappear and the error messages go away.
More information
This issue occurs because OneDrive performs a check of the registry when it starts, to make sure that OneDrive can display sync icon overlays on files and folders. An example of an icon overlay is the green check mark on a folder or file that's synced with the OneDrive.com or OneDrive for work or school service.
Windows supports a limited number of icon overlays. If other applications (such as Dropbox and Box) heavily use icon overlays on files and folders, those applications may take priority in displaying their icon overlays and thereby suppress the icon overlays for OneDrive for work or school.
3rd-party information disclaimer: The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.
