Office 365 AutoSave Not Syncing With OneDrive — 2025 Fix

AutoSave in Office 365 is supposed to back up your documents in real time. But sometimes Word, Excel, or PowerPoint stops syncing with OneDrive — leaving your files stuck in “Saving…” or “Upload Pending.”

In this 2025 guide, you’ll learn why Office AutoSave stops working and how to fix OneDrive sync issues permanently.

🔍 Why AutoSave Stops Working in Office 365

AutoSave depends on OneDrive, your Microsoft account tokens, and Office file permissions. AutoSave may stop syncing if:

• Your OneDrive app is outdated
• You're working on a local file instead of a cloud file
• Your Microsoft account token has expired
• Office lacks permission to access folders
• Conflicting sync from another cloud service (Dropbox, Box, iCloud)
• The file name contains invalid characters
• Your OneDrive storage is full

✔️ Fix 1 — Make Sure AutoSave Is Enabled

Open any Office app (Word/Excel/PowerPoint) and check the top-left corner:

• If AutoSave toggle is OFF → turn it ON
• If toggle is greyed out → OneDrive is not connected

Save the file to OneDrive by clicking:

File → Save As → OneDrive

✔️ Fix 2 — Sign Out & Sign In Again (Refresh Token)

Credential tokens often expire and break AutoSave. Refreshing the session fixes it.

1. Open Office App → Account
2. Click Sign Out
3. Restart the app
4. Sign in again using your Microsoft account

This rebuilds the authentication token and restores AutoSave.

✔️ Fix 3 — Check OneDrive Sync Status

Click the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar:

• Blue cloud → working normally
• Grey cloud → paused / not signed in
• Red X → sync error

If paused, click Resume Syncing.

✔️ Fix 4 — Reset the OneDrive App (100% Working Fix)

This repair method solves 90% of sync issues.

Press Windows + R and run:

onedrive.exe /reset

Wait for 20–30 seconds → OneDrive icon disappears and reappears. This forces full sync rebuild and restores AutoSave instantly.

✔️ Fix 5 — Check File Path and Invalid Characters

Microsoft Office won’t sync files with unsupported characters like:

%, #, *, ?, “, :, <, >, |

Rename the file:

Right-click → Rename → Use simple name (no symbols)

✔️ Fix 6 — Move File Into OneDrive Folder

If your file is saved on Desktop or Downloads, AutoSave won’t work.

Move it into:

C:\Users\YourName\OneDrive\Documents

Now reopen the file → AutoSave will turn ON automatically.

✔️ Fix 7 — Update Office and OneDrive

Open any Office app →

File → Account → Update Options → Update Now

Then update OneDrive:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/download

✔️ Fix 8 — Repair Office (Without Losing Data)

Use Quick Repair to fix AutoSave errors:

1. Press Windows + R → type appwiz.cpl
2. Select Microsoft Office
3. Click Change → Quick Repair

Restart your PC after repair.

✔️ Fix 9 — Make Sure OneDrive Storage Is Not Full

Open:

https://onedrive.com

If storage is 100%, AutoSave will stop syncing.

• Delete unnecessary files
• Buy extra space if needed

✨ Recommended: Related Guides

• Fix Office 365 Search Not Working After Update
• Fix Office 365 Login Problems
• Office 365 Apps Not Updating Automatically

📞 Need Direct Support?

If AutoSave or OneDrive is still not working, get expert help instantly.

❓ FAQ — Office 365 AutoSave Not Syncing

1. Why is AutoSave greyed out?
Because the file is not saved in OneDrive. Save it to the cloud to enable AutoSave.

2. Does resetting OneDrive delete files?
No. It only refreshes sync connections.

3. Why is OneDrive not updating on PC?
It can be due to outdated app, expired token, or corrupt sync cache.

4. Is Quick Repair safe?
Yes. It does not delete any Office apps or data.