Updated: How to Fix the Error 0x8007016A on Windows 10/11

OneDrive is a cloud storage service offered by Microsoft that seamlessly integrates with Windows 8 and Windows 10/11. It allows users to save files associated with a Microsoft account on the cloud, making them accessible from any device, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computers.

As perfect as it may seem, OneDrive is actually no stranger to errors. Believe it or not, OneDrive users have reported many issues. One is “Error 0x8007016A: The Cloud File Provider Is Not Running.”

What Is the Error 0x8007016A?

The error 0x8007016A is generally triggered by an existing Microsoft Office suite installed on your computer. When the issue surfaces, users may not be able to use some Microsoft Office features and functions, such as Cut, Copy, and Paste.

Other possible culprits behind the problem are the following:

• A Bad Windows 10/11 Update Has Been Installed – Many Windows 10/11 users reported that a bad Windows 10/11 update caused the error to appear. Whether it’s true or not, according to them, the installation of the recent update has caused the auto-sync of OneDrive to fail completely.
• OneDrive’s File On-Demand Feature Is Enabled – In other cases, the issue appears when the File On-Demand feature of OneDrive is enabled. Some Windows 10/11 users have resolved the problem by simply disabling the feature.
• OneDrive Syncing Is Disabled – Sometimes, third-party tools and apps try to conserve your computer’s power. As a result, background system processes like OneDrive syncing are disabled. Re-enabling the syncing feature may often resolve the problem.
• Corrupted Files Exist on OneDrive – File corruption on OneDrive may also cause the error code to appear. In that case, cleaning up your files will fix the problem.
• The Current Power Plan Is Keeping the Sync Feature from Working – Did you activate the Power saver plan on your device? It is possible that you disabled the syncing feature completely by doing so. As a quick fix, all you need to do is switch to the High performance or Balanced power plan.

Of course, knowing what’s causing the problem won’t fix the problem. So, how do you get rid of the error? Well, the first thing you have to do is stay calm and composed. Once you have your composure back, then you can proceed with trying the solutions below on how to fix the error 0x8007016A on Windows 10/11.

How to Fix the Error 0x8007016A on Windows 10/11

We’ve listed a few possible fixes to the error 0x8007016A on Windows 10/11 below:

Fix #1: Restart Your Computer.

Sometimes, all your computer needs is a complete reboot. A lot of programs and applications may be sharing the same resources, hence the error messages on your PC.

To restart your computer, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Start menu.
2. Navigate to the Power options.
3. Select Restart.

Fix #2: Fix Microsoft Office.

If there are problems with OneDrive, you may try to fix Microsoft Office or uninstall it from your computer. However, take note that the process of fixing or uninstalling Microsoft Office varies depending on your operating system. For a detailed guide on how to do it, refer below:

Windows 7:

1. Go to the Start menu.
2. Choose Control Panel.
3. Open Programs.
4. Select Programs and Features.
5. Scroll down and select the problematic Microsoft Office product.
6. At the top of the Programs and Features window, click Change.
7. Click Quick Repair.
8. Wait until the problematic Microsoft Office product is repaired.
9. If repairing the Microsoft Office product does not work, uninstall it. Repeat steps 1 to 6, but this time, select Uninstall.
10. Wait for the program to be uninstalled.
11. Restart your computer.
12. Once your computer has fully rebooted, reinstall the Microsoft Office product again.

Windows 8 and Windows 10/11:

1. Press the Windows + R combination on your keyboard to launch the Run utility.
2. In the text field, input control.
3. Hit Enter.
4. Go to Programs and Features.
5. Scroll down and click on the problematic Microsoft Office product.
6. Select Change.
7. Click Quick Repair.
8. Next, hit Repair.
9. Wait for the repair process to be done.
10. If the error message still shows up, you might need to uninstall the problematic Microsoft Office product. To do this, repeat steps 1 to 6, but instead of selecting Change, click Uninstall.
11. Follow the on-screen prompts to uninstall the Office program.
12. Restart your computer.
13. Install the Microsoft Office product again.

Fix #3: Run a Quick SFC Scan.

Alternatively, you may also perform a quick scan to fix the error. For this, you may use the System File Checker (SFC) utility that is built in to your computer. This utility is widely used to scan if there are any corrupted files or folders on your system.

To run a quick SFC scan, follow these steps:

1. On the search bar, input Command Prompt.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
3. Select Run as Administrator.
4. Into the command line, input this command: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth.
5. Hit Enter.
6. Now, input this command: sfc /scannow.
7. Wait while your computer performs a quick scan on your system files.

Fix #4: Reinstall OneDrive.

If the first three fixes do not work, reinstall OneDrive. You might ask how you can reinstall OneDrive when backing it up seems to be problematic.

On newer Windows versions, your OneDrive data appears as online-only files. These files, although they appear like ordinary files, save local hard drive space as they are simply just placeholders that store thumbnail and metadata information about the actual files. The real files aren’t really on your computer unless you open them.

Once a file is opened and saved to your computer, it automatically becomes available offline. This means it is saved locally on your computer and can be used without internet access. To back up online-only files, you can use third-party apps that you can find on Google.

Alternatively, you can create a backup of your OneDrive files by downloading them to an external storage drive.

Follow the guidelines below to know how:

1. Go to https://www.microsoft.com/en/microsoft-365/onedrive/online-cloud-storage  and input your login details.
2. Make sure that you change the location of the downloaded files to your external drive. You can do so by opening your favorite web browser. And then, click the Tools button and choose View Downloads. Select Options and decide on a default download destination. Set it to your external drive and hit OK.
3. Now, select the specific OneDrive files that you wish to back up.
4. After selecting the files, click Download.

Once you have created a backup of your OneDrive files, you can proceed with reinstalling OneDrive. Do this by following the instructions below:

1. Before you uninstall OneDrive, make sure that you have a backup of your OneDrive files.
2. Next, press the Windows and X keyboard keys.
3. Choose Command Prompt (Admin).
4. Input this command: taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe.
5. Hit Enter.
6. Depending on the Windows version you are using, input the following command into the command line:
   • 32-Bit: %systemroot%\System32\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall
   • 64-Bit: %systemroot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall
7. Install OneDrive again. Do this by entering the appropriate command for your Windows version:
   • 32-Bit: %systemroot%\System32\OneDriveSetup.exe
   • 64-Bit: %systemroot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe
8. Reboot your computer.

Fix #5: Delete System Junk.

There are times when junk files that are hiding on your system may cause errors to occur on your computer. So, it’s a good habit to get rid of them every now and then.

To delete system junk the quick and easy way, use a reliable reliable PC Repair tool. In just a few clicks, all unnecessary files on your system will be identified and deleted.

Fix #6: Update Windows 10/11 to the Most Recent Build.

As mentioned above, a bad update can cause the error 0x8007016A to appear. It is for that reason that Microsoft releases hotfixes and includes them in the latest builds.

If you’ve installed the KB4457128 update, you might have to run Windows Update manually to install the hotfix. Here’s how:

1. Open the Run dialog box using the Windows + R combo.
2. Into the text field, enter ms-settings:windowsupdate.
3. Hit Enter. The Update tab of the Settings app should now open.
4. Once you’re inside the tab, hover over the right-hand side of the window and click the Check for Updates button.
5. If new updates are available, click the Update button and follow the onscreen prompts.
6. Once the update is installed, reboot your computer and check if the problem has been fixed.

Fix #7: Disable the File On-Demand Feature.

Some Windows 10/11 users have reportedly managed to resolve the problem by disabling the File On-Demand feature of OneDrive. After doing it, they deleted the semi-synced files (those that have thumbnails but show 0 KB as their size) on OneDrive and restarted their computers. It’s that easy.

Here’s a quick guide on how to do so:

1. Be sure that the OneDrive service is up and running, and skip to step 6. If it isn’t, reboot your computer.
2. Next, open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows + R combination.
3. Enter cmd into the text field.
4. Hit Enter to launch the Command Prompt window.
5. On the command line, input this command:
   start %LOCALAPPDATA% \Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe /client=Personal
6. Navigate to the bottom-right section of the active window and look for the OneDrive icon. Click on it and then press More.
7. Select Settings.
8. Go to Settings and scroll down to the Files On-Demand section.
9. Tick the box next to the Save space and download files as you use them option.
10. Hit OK to save the changes. Wait until the OneDrive service restarts.
11. Now, click the OneDrive icon and select Open Folder.
12. Search for the folder that you’re having problems with. Once you find it, right-click on it and hit Delete.
13. Restart your computer to completely restart the services associated with OneDrive.
14. Once your computer has rebooted, check if the problem persists by trying to delete, rename, or move the files inside your OneDrive folder.

Fix #8: Modify Your Computer’s Power Plan.

Is your computer running on a restrictive power plan? It is likely that it’s the culprit behind the error 0x8007016A. Luckily, you can easily modify your power plan settings to ensure nothing blocks OneDrive’s sync feature.

Here’s how to switch to another power plan on a Windows 10/11 PC:

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows + R shortcut.
2. Into the text field, enter powercfg.cpl.
3. Hit Enter.
4. The Power Options menu should now open. While in the menu, navigate to the right-most section and switch from your current option to High Performance or Balanced.
5. After making a switch, restart your computer.

Fix #9: Contact a Professional Windows 10/11 Technician.

If none of the above fixes worked, then it is time that you seek help from Windows 10/11 professionals. Let them identify and troubleshoot the problem, and seek expert advice on how to fix it. If the solution is too complicated for you, then leave the work to them. They can resolve the problem on your behalf so as to ensure nothing gets broken in the process.

Keep in mind that fixing things on your own might cause irreversible damage to your computer. If you are not confident about what you’re doing, we highly suggest that you take our advice and follow this last fix.

Conclusion

Hopefully, at least one of the fixes above has helped you get rid of the 0x8007016A error on your Windows 10/11 computer. If none of them worked, you may always seek help from professionals. This way, you can avoid incurring irreversible damage to your computer, which may cost you a lot.

Do you know other effective solutions on how to fix the 0x8007016A error? Share them with us below.