This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Windows tools or features and Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Accessibility help & learning content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.
Use OneDrive for work or school with your keyboard and a screen reader to synchronize your OneDrive for work or school files to your computer. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.
Synchronizing enables you to work with your OneDrive for work or school files directly in Windows File Explorer and to access them even when you're offline. Whenever you're online, any changes that you or others have made will be synced.
Notes:
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New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
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For information about syncing on-premises instances of OneDrive for work or school on SharePoint Server, refer to Sync SharePoint files with the OneDrive sync client (Groove.exe).
In this topic
Sync your OneDrive for work or school
The OneDrive sync client is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11, so your OneDrive for work or school files are synced automatically when you're signed in to OneDrive on your computer. For information on setting up OneDrive and signing in, refer to the section "Sign in to OneDrive for work or school" in Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school.
Stop syncing your OneDrive for work or school
You can stop syncing a OneDrive for work or school folder and unlink your account from the OneDrive sync client. Changes you make to the folder will no longer be synced.
Note: For information on how to pause syncing temporarily, refer to the section "Pause syncing OneDrive for work or school" in Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school.
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On your computer, press the Windows logo key+B. With Narrator, you hear: "Taskbar pane, Notifications chevron." With JAWS and NVDA, you hear: "Notifications chevron button."
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Press the Right arrow key until you hear "OneDrive," followed by the name of your organization and the current sync status.
Tip: If you don't hear "OneDrive," the app might be hidden in the hidden icons menu. To find the app, press the Windows logo key+B, press Spacebar, and then use the arrow keys until you hear: "OneDrive."
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To open the context menu, press Shift+F10 or the Windows Menu key.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Settings menu," and then press Enter.
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Press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator: "Link, Stop sync." With JAWS and NVDA, you hear: "Stop sync, link." Press Enter.
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A confirmation dialog box opens with the focus on the Unlink account button. To stop syncing your OneDrive for work or school folder, press Enter.
Review OneDrive for work or school sync problems
If you encounter issues with syncing your OneDrive for work or school, you can review and then fix the problems.
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On your computer, press the Windows logo key+B. With Narrator, you hear: "Taskbar pane, Notifications chevron." With JAWS and NVDA, you hear: "Notifications chevron button."
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Press the Right arrow key until you hear "OneDrive," followed by the name of your organization and the current sync status.
Tip: If you don't hear "OneDrive," the app might be hidden in the hidden icons menu. To find the app, press the Windows logo key+B, press Spacebar, and then use the arrow keys until you hear: "OneDrive."
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Press Spacebar to open the OneDrive sync client.
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Press the Tab key until you hear a summary of the sync issue, and then press Enter. You hear the number of items that could not be synced, and the name of the first affected file.
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To move through the list of files that could not be synced, press the Down arrow key. Your screen reader announces the file name, the error causing the sync problem, and how to resolve the issue.
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When you have reviewed and fixed the issues, press the Tab key until you hear "Close," and then press Enter.
See also
Keyboard shortcuts for OneDrive for work or school
Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use OneDrive for work or school with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in MacOS screen reader, to keep files and folders on your Mac in sync.
Synchronizing enables you to work with your OneDrive for work or school files directly from your computer and to access them even when you're offline. Whenever you're online, any changes that you or others have made will be synced.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
This topic assumes that you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide.
In this topic
Sync using the OneDrive app
Your OneDrive for work or school files are synced automatically when you're signed in to OneDrive for work or school on your computer. As you set up the OneDrive app on your Mac, you are asked to select the files and folders you want to sync. When the setup is done, the selected content is automatically synced to your Mac. For the setup instructions, refer to section "Open OneDrive and set up OneDrive for work or school" in Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school.
Sync using the Microsoft 365 portal
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In your browser, go to https://www.office.com and sign in to your work or school account as instructed in the section "Open OneDrive and set up OneDrive for work or school" in Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school.
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Press the Tab key or Shift+Tab repeatedly until you hear “App launcher,” and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Link, OneDrive," and press Control+Option+Spacebar. OneDrive for work or school for the web opens to a new browser tab.
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Press the Tab key until you hear: “New, collapsed, menu item.”
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Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear “Sync,” and then press Return.
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A confirmation dialog box opens prompting you to allow OneDrive to be opened. Press the Tab key until you hear “Allow,” and then press Return. If you hear "We're syncing your files," press Control+Option+Spacebar to close the notification.
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The Sync Files from Your OneDrive dialog box opens. You can now select the folders and files you want to sync to your OneDrive for work or school folder on your Mac. Do one of the following:
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To sync all OneDrive for work or school files and folders to your Mac, press Return.
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To pick separate OneDrive for work or school files and folders that you want to sync, press Control+Option+Left or Right arrow key until you hear the name of the item you want. Then press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key to enter the item table. To select or deselect an item, press Spacebar. To leave the table, press Control+Option+Shift+Up arrow key. When the selections are done, press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Start sync button," and press Return.
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See also
Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
