Did you encounter an error code 0x8004def7 while starting OneDrive or when connecting to it on your Windows PC? In this article, we are going to discuss all possibilities that might result in this error code and five workarounds that should address this issue on Windows 11/10.
In most cases, this error resolves by merely deleting the unnecessarily stored files and folders in OneDrive. There are four main folders from where Microsoft directly copies and creates a backup into your OneDrive account. These folders are Desktop, Documents, Pictures, and Personal Vault. Navigate to each one of these folders first and check if either of them has a big file that you have downloaded or put there unintentionally.
To access them, reach out to this location on Windows – C:\Users\<username>\OneDrive.
If you do find any big file available inside these folders and that file is not much important to you, copy/paste or simply delete that file from its current location. That’s it, this error code 0x8004def7 resolves automatically when you restart your computer next.
What is Error 0x8004def7 and how do I fix it?
The error 0x8004def7 is a OneDrive error and it mostly occurs when there is a shortage of free storage spaces in your OneDrive account. To solve this issue, you may either free up the used spaces or purchase a premium plan available on Microsoft’s official website.
Before you go ahead and sign up for a OneDrive subscription, make sure to check if the storage space is indeed low on your account. This is because there are a few other reasons which might also result in this error code 0x8004def7 and they are as follows –
- Your account is either blocked or temporarily suspended
- The OneDrive application has been corrupted somehow
OneDrive Error 0x8004def7 in Windows, Fixed
If you are encountering an error 0x8004def7 while opening OneDrive or while connecting to it on Windows, go through the below set of solutions and attempt them one after another –
1] Restart your computer
Before you apply any workaround, make sure to reboot your device once. Restarting Windows often resolves bugs and issues that seem to be complex in nature. When you reboot your computer, all system processes and services are reset to their default values and thus free up the used system resources.
When Windows 11/10 restarts, sign in to your official account and check if you can launch OneDrive without getting into some error code again. If not, follow the next set of solutions discussed below.
2] Check if your OneDrive Account is still active
OneDrive should start working fine after you restart your computer. In case the error code 0x8004def7 is still appearing the problem might lie within your account itself. At times, Microsoft suspends or deactivates your OneDrive account if you violate its terms and conditions. Check if your account is still active by following these easy steps –
First of all, open Microsoft Edge and visit this site. You may visit this website on other web browsers as well like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Vivaldi, Brave, etc. Try signing into your OneDrive account and after a successful login, you may check the following –
- If your account is locked or terminated by Microsoft: Microsoft locks your account if it notices an unusually large traffic volume, suspicious activity, or a violation of the Microsoft Services Agreement or code of conduct. In such cases, you won’t be able to sign into your account and when you try to do so, you will get this error message –
Your account has been locked
You may solve this issue as well, however, for this to happen, you need to contact Microsoft support for further assistance.
- You haven’t accessed your OneDrive account for the past 12 months: Microsoft temporarily suspends your account if you were not using the OneDrive services on your computer for the past 12 months. In such cases, you will receive the following error message –
Your account has been temporarily suspended
Since the suspension is temporary, you may recover your account by simply clicking on the Continue button. However, you must verify your identity using the 6-digit verification code sent to your Mobile number or to your Email account.
- You have exceeded the free storage capacity provided by OneDrive: Fix this issue by either choosing a premium plan offered by OneDrive or by deleting the non-essential files available inside your OneDrive account. This topic is explained more clearly in the below section.
3] Check for sufficient free storage spaces in OneDrive
By default, OneDrive lets you use 5 GB of free storage space on it. The moment you start using more than the allotted disk space, the OneDrive icon turns Red or stops syncing files and folders over it. This may also be the reason behind the occurrence of an error code 0x8004def7 in OneDrive.
Go and check if there are sufficient free storage spaces left inside OneDrive or not. To do so, visit OneDrive’s official page, and locate Storage in the left pane (lower side). If you have fully utilized the storage spaces here, you may go for a premium subscription to OneDrive.
Alternatively, you may also move the unnecessarily stored data to some other folders inside your PC. Do this and check if the error code 0x8004def7 resolves while opening OneDrive in Windows. If not, try the next fix –
4] Reset OneDrive
Several users reported fixing this error 0x8004def7 on Windows after they reset OneDrive to its default settings. Unlike other applications in Windows, you can’t reset or modify OneDrive through the Settings app. For this, you must launch Command Prompt as administrator first and then execute the following code on the elevated console –
%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
Wait for the next few minutes and check if OneDrive starts working normally now. When completed, you will see a message stating this – “Reset completed“.
5] Uninstall and then Reinstall OneDrive
If none of the above fixes help to resolve the error code 0x8004def7 appearing in OneDrive, consider uninstalling OneDrive from your computer once. After the uninstallation completes, make sure to restart your PC. This way, any residual or leftover files from OneDrive delete as well.
Sign back into your device again and reinstall the latest version of OneDrive from Microsoft Store. Launch this app and check if you can view all items without getting into an error code 0x8004def7 again. Hopefully, this solution works in your case.
What to do when encountering OneDrive Errors?
Different OneDrive error occurs due to different reasons. In order to overcome an issue in OneDrive, you must know the reason why it occurred in the first place. Only when you know and understand the underlying causes behind an error code, you may apply the relevant fix.
However, most of the issues in OneDrive occur when there is a shortage of storage space inside your account. So, you may work on the solutions provided above and check if the OneDrive error resolves this way.
How do I free up the used storage spaces in OneDrive?
Freeing up storage spaces in OneDrive resolves this error code 0x8004def7 in most cases. However, if it doesn’t, this must be due to some associated cache within your account. Unlinking and then relinking your OneDrive account might prove to be a useful thing to do in such cases. Here’s how to perform this task in Windows –
- Open your default web browser, and visit the OneDrive Live site.
- Click the Gear icon (available in the top-right corner) and select Options.
- You will be redirected to the Manage Storage section on the next page.
- On the right pane, you can view the total disk spaces under Storage Summary.
If the 5-GB free storage space quota has already been consumed, click Empty recycle bin and hit the Delete option.
Doing so will free up the selected storage spaces from your OneDrive account. Do note that this deletion is permanent and you can’t recover the deleted files and folders once deleted.
