onedrive

OneDrive Won't Sign In

Resolution Checklist

  • 1 Understand OneDrive Sign-In Failures
  • 2 Step 1: Synchronize System Date and Time Settings
  • 3 Step 2: Clear Cached Accounts in Windows Credential Manager and macOS Keychain
  • 4 Step 3: Reset Network Proxy and Winsock Configurations
  • 5 Step 4: Perform a Clean Reset of the OneDrive Sync Client
  • 6 Summary Checklist

OneDrive Won’t Sign In

When Microsoft OneDrive won’t sign in, the application may display errors like “There was a problem signing you in”, lock you in a repetitive loop requesting credentials, or show an endless loading wheel next to the login box.

These sign-in blockages are typically caused by out-of-sync system clocks, corrupted credential stores, or local proxy blocks that intercept the secure authentication handshake with Microsoft’s servers.

This guide provides troubleshooting steps to resolve OneDrive sign-in issues on Windows and macOS.

Understand OneDrive Sign-In Failures

To resolve sign-in loops, it helps to understand what the client requires:

  • Secure Time Stamps: Microsoft authentication servers (login.microsoftonline.com and login.live.com) require your computer’s local clock to match UTC within a few seconds. An out-of-sync clock causes security certificate handshakes to fail.
  • Active Directory / Account Cache: OneDrive stores authentication tokens locally. If these tokens get corrupted, the app will loop or fail to sign in.
  • System Proxies: If your network settings route web traffic through a dead proxy server, the client will time out during the login handshake.

Step 1: Synchronize System Date and Time Settings

An inaccurate system clock is a very common cause of login failures.

On Windows (Sync Time via Command Prompt)

  1. Right-click the Start menu and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Terminal (Admin).
  2. Start the Windows Time service and force a synchronization with the time server: 
    net start w32time
w32tm /resync
  3. Close the command prompt and check if the login screen loads.

On macOS (Sync Time via Terminal)

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Force the network time daemon to sync immediately with Apple’s NTP servers: 
    sudo sntp -sS time.apple.com
  3. Enter your password when prompted.

Step 2: Clear Cached Accounts in Windows Credential Manager and macOS Keychain

Corrupted credentials can lock the client in a sign-in loop.

Windows: Purge Cached Credentials

  1. Press the Windows Key, type Credential Manager, and select it.
  2. Select Windows Credentials.
  3. Under the Generic Credentials header, look for all items starting with MicrosoftAccount:user= or OneDrive Cached Credential.
  4. Click the dropdown arrow next to these entries and click Remove.
  5. Restart OneDrive and try signing in again.

macOS: Purge Keychain Entries

  1. Open Keychain Access (via Spotlight search).
  2. In the top-right search box, type OneDrive.
  3. Locate all items named OneDrive Cached Credential and MicrosoftOffice15_2_Data:ADAL:....
  4. Right-click on these items and select Delete.
  5. Open OneDrive and enter your login details.

Step 3: Reset Network Proxy and Winsock Configurations

Network proxies can block OneDrive from reaching authentication endpoints.

Windows Network Reset

  1. Open Command Prompt (Admin).
  2. Run these commands to clear active proxies and reset the network catalog: 
    netsh winhttp reset proxy
netsh winsock reset
ipconfig /flushdns
  3. Restart your computer.

macOS Proxy Check

  1. Go to System Settings → Network.
  2. Select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and click Details → Proxies.
  3. Ensure that all proxies (like SOCKS, HTTP, or HTTPS proxies) are toggled OFF unless required by your network administrator.

Step 4: Perform a Clean Reset of the OneDrive Sync Client

If sign-in issues persist, resetting the client clears the local databases and prompts a clean login window.

Windows Reset

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run window.
  2. Paste the command below and press Enter: 
    %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
  3. If it fails, run: 
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset

macOS Reset

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Run the built-in reset command: 
    /Applications/OneDrive.app/Contents/Resources/ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command
  3. Launch OneDrive and enter your account information.

Summary Checklist

Action ItemTarget PlatformExpected Outcome
Sync System ClockWindows / macOSResolves security handshake errors caused by incorrect local time.
Purge Cached CredentialsWindows / macOSClears corrupted login tokens that trigger credential input loops.
Clear Active ProxiesWindows / macOSEnsures OneDrive has a direct path to Microsoft’s login servers.
Run Client ResetWindows / macOSClears out the app cache and prompts a clean login window.