Fix OneDrive Error: “The source and destination file names are the same.”

Problem: I encountered an error while trying to open a file in OneDrive: “The source and destination file names are the same.”

The source and destination file names are the same

Solution:

This error usually occurs when you try to sync, move, sync, copy, or open a file in many cases and the solution is below:

  1. It could be caused by a file name + address length being too long – above 260 characters! The OneDrive client is unable to create a local copy on your local disk. Try renaming the file to something smaller or using fewer nested folders.
  2. The files were not downloaded until I opened them. Once I used the “Always keep on this device”, the sync started, the files were on my HD, they opened without a problem, and everything worked as expected.
  3. Accessing the file through the web browser by selecting “View Online” also worked.

Salaudeen Rajack

Salaudeen Rajack - Information Technology Expert with Two decades of hands-on experience, specializing in SharePoint, PowerShell, Microsoft 365, and related products. Passionate about sharing the deep technical knowledge and experience to help others, through the real-world articles!

2 thoughts on “Fix OneDrive Error: “The source and destination file names are the same.”

  • The fix is simple. It’s not even a fix. It’s just how it works. Click on the cd drive with the files to be written. Make sure no files are selected. Right click avoiding the files and select “burn to disc” from the drop down. (You may have to select “more options” to see burn to disc.)
    Works for me every time. The key is to not have a file selected, it knows what files to burn already.

    Reply
  • I had the same issue, when I simply tried to copy some files from a One-Drive-Folder to another location. Turns out that the corresponding files were still syncing and the error disappeared, after the files were fully synced (green checkmark symbol).

    Reply

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