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Project files will not sync

If OneDrive, SharePoint, Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) / BIM 360, Bentley ProjectWise, Egnyte, Box, or Dropbox is not syncing your project files, the cause is almost always one of: the wrong account, a path or permission problem, low disk space, or a single file the sync engine cannot handle. Work the checks below before clearing saved local data or unlinking accounts.

Step One

Confirm the browser version is correct

Treat the web version as the source of truth

Open the cloud service in a browser (OneDrive web, SharePoint, ACC, ProjectWise web, Egnyte web, Box web, Dropbox web). If the files you expect are correct in the browser, the sync app is the problem. If the files are also wrong in the browser, the issue is permissions, account, or somebody actually deleted the files - not your sync app.

Confirm the right account in the sync app

The desktop sync app should show the same work account as the browser. A common cause of "missing files" is the desktop app logged into a personal account or an old work account.

Check whether you actually have access

Project membership and folder permissions can change without anyone telling you. If a project folder vanished, ask whether the project owner removed your access or moved the folder. The sync app cannot show files you no longer have access to.

Step Two

Look at the sync app itself

Check the sync icon in the system tray

OneDrive, Box Drive, Dropbox, Egnyte Desktop, Desktop Connector, and ProjectWise all show their state in the Windows system tray (bottom-right) or macOS menu bar. A red, yellow, or "paused" icon tells you sync is not working before you change anything.

Pause and resume sync once

Most sync apps have Pause and Resume options. A single pause-then-resume often unsticks a stalled queue without the risk of unlinking the account.

Check free disk space

Sync apps struggle when the system drive is below ~10 GB free. Check disk space (Settings > System > Storage on Windows). Empty the recycle bin, the Downloads folder, and remove any unused offline folders if you are below the 10 GB mark.

Look for one bad file in the queue

Many sync apps list files that failed to sync. Common causes: file name too long, illegal characters (like: *? " < > |), the file is open in another app, or the file is locked by another user. Fix the one file rather than treating the whole sync as broken.

Step Three

Service-specific quick checks

OneDrive / SharePoint

Confirm the OneDrive icon shows the correct work account, not a personal one. If a SharePoint library will not sync, open it in the browser and use Sync - that re-establishes the link cleanly. Restart OneDrive (right-click tray icon > Quit, then re-launch).

Autodesk Construction Cloud / BIM 360 (Desktop Connector)

Open Desktop Connector and confirm the assigned Autodesk account is signed in. If a project is missing, confirm a project owner has added you to that project at acc.autodesk.com or docs.b360.autodesk.com. Do not delete local Desktop Connector folders - pending uploads can be lost.

Bentley ProjectWise

Confirm CONNECTION Client is signed in with the right Bentley account. Confirm you can reach the data source (it may be VPN-gated). Files are often "missing" because they are checked out by another user - that is normal, not a sync failure. Do not clear the local work area until checked-out file ownership is confirmed.

Egnyte / Box / Dropbox

Confirm the right account in the desktop app. If the company uses company sign-in, complete the company sign-in fully. Conflicted-copy files (with names like "filename (Conflicted Copy from Bob 2026-04-30).docx") are normal when two users edit the same file at the same time - keep both copies until you have merged the edits manually.

Slow Down

Do not do this yet

Do not unlink, reset, or uninstall the sync app

Reset and unlink remove the local sync mapping. If pending uploads have not finished, the changes are lost. Use unlink only as a last resort and only after IT confirms the cloud copy is the source of truth.

Do not delete files in the local sync folder to "fix" sync

Deleted local files often delete from the cloud too. If the sync engine looks confused, leave the files alone and contact IT before doing cleanup.

Do not move sync roots to network drives or external drives

Most sync apps require the sync folder to be on the local drive. Moving it elsewhere causes intermittent sync failures that are very hard to diagnose later.

If You Need IT

What to send support

Which sync service and version

"OneDrive 24.x," "Desktop Connector 16.x," "Box Drive 2.x," "ProjectWise CONNECT Edition 10.00.x." Get this from the app's About / version screen.

The work account shown in the sync app

Match it against the account you expect. This rules out the most common cause in seconds.

Whether the browser version of the same content is correct

"Files look right in OneDrive on the web" or "ACC web shows the same project as missing." This tells IT whether to look at the cloud side or the local side.

Specific file or folder name and a screenshot of the error

"The folder Survey Drawings under project Riverside School will not sync, error code [code]" beats "my files are not syncing" by an order of magnitude.

CAD / AEC Notes

Protect project models while syncing is unhealthy

Do not keep editing a live model if sync is failing

If Revit, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, or MicroStation is working from a synced location that shows errors, stop and confirm the cloud or data source copy first. Continuing to edit can create conflicts or orphan local changes.

Check project membership before troubleshooting the computer

Missing ACC / BIM 360 projects, ProjectWise data sources, SharePoint libraries, or Egnyte folders are often permission problems. If the browser view does not show the project either, the local sync app is probably not the cause.

Capture the exact local path

For CAD support, the path matters: OneDrive, SharePoint, Desktop Connector, ProjectWise working directory, mapped drive, and local Documents all behave differently. Copy the full path from File Explorer if you can.

Related

Related guides

OneDrive guide

OneDrive-specific sync issues, account checks, and what to send support.

Open guide

SharePoint guide

SharePoint library sync, open-in-app, and IRM-related checks.

Open guide

ProjectWise guide

Bentley ProjectWise data source, CONNECT identity, and check-in/check-out checks.

Open guide

Before contacting IT: what to collect

The five details that make every IT ticket go faster.

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