How to Delete OneDrive Files and Clear OneDrive Cache Safely

OneDrive is great at quietly backing things up without a fuss. Sadly, it is not that great at explaining why your storage is suddenly full or why files you deleted months ago still seem to exist somewhere.

If you are running out of space or dealing with sync issues, learning how to delete OneDrive files and clear the OneDrive cache can make a noticeable difference.

The key is knowing what to delete, what not to touch, and how to clean up without breaking active folders or ongoing syncs. This article walks you through how to effectively achieve that without disrupting your workflow.

Why OneDrive fills up faster than you expect?

Most OneDrive clutter builds up silently without you even realizing it. Old project folders, forgotten backups, duplicate exports, and auto-synced files from other devices all pile up over time. Because OneDrive syncs in the background, many users do not realize how much unused data they are storing until they hit a limit on their free storage (which, in most cases, is a measly 5GB).

Common causes include outdated work folders, large media files synced automatically, legacy backups from previous laptops, and shared folders that are no longer relevant. Over time, this creates both storage pressure and syncing slowdowns.

Deleting OneDrive files the right way

Deleting OneDrive files sounds simple, but manual cleanup can be risky if you are not careful. Files are often nested deep inside folders, and OneDrive does not clearly show which ones are still active or recently used.

Manually clicking through folders makes it easy to delete something that is still needed or miss large files that are quietly consuming space. This is especially frustrating if you use OneDrive across multiple devices or for work projects.

Tools like Mult Cleaner help simplify this by showing your OneDrive data in a clearer way. Instead of guessing, you can see file size, last opened date, and file type in one place, which makes it easier to identify what is safe to remove.

How to bulk delete OneDrive files with Mult Cleaner

Mult Cleaner connects to OneDrive using secure OAuth and gives you a single dashboard to review your files. You can filter OneDrive data by size to surface oversized files, sort by last opened date to find stale folders, and target specific file types such as old exports or backups.

Before deleting anything, you get a full preview of selected files. This lets you double-check that active projects and current folders are not affected.

What is the OneDrive cache and why it matters

The OneDrive cache is local data stored on your device to help with syncing and performance. Over time, this cache can become bloated or corrupted, leading to issues like slow syncs, repeated errors, or files refusing to update properly.

Clearing the OneDrive cache does not delete your cloud files. It simply resets local sync data so OneDrive can rebuild it cleanly.

How to clear OneDrive cache safely

On Windows, clearing the OneDrive cache usually involves resetting the OneDrive app. This forces OneDrive to resync files from the cloud and often resolves syncing problems. On macOS, clearing cached OneDrive data can help if the app is stuck or behaving unpredictably.

Before clearing the cache, it is important to make sure files are fully synced. Interrupting sync while files are uploading can cause temporary confusion, even though data is usually recoverable.

If your main issue is storage usage rather than sync errors, deleting unused OneDrive files will have a much bigger impact than clearing the cache alone.

When to delete files vs clear the cache

As an everyday user who just wants to be able to back up their files to the cloud without mshc hassle, you might be confused about when you should delete files or clear the cache. While both are viable solutions, they apply to different situations.

Deleting OneDrive files frees up actual cloud storage and removes clutter permanently. Clearing the OneDrive cache helps fix syncing problems but does not reduce your storage usage in the cloud.

Many users benefit from doing both. First, clean out unused files and folders to reclaim space. Then, if OneDrive still feels slow or buggy, you can reset the cache to restore smooth syncing.

Final thoughts

OneDrive clutter builds up quietly, and by the time storage warnings appear, it often feels overwhelming to fix. Knowing how to delete OneDrive files and clear the OneDrive cache gives you back control without risking important work.

Thankfully, there’s a handy solution to help you quickly get back into the swing of things. With clear previews, smart filters, and background cleanups, Mult Cleaner makes OneDrive cleanup safer and more intentional. Instead of guessing what to delete, you can clean confidently and keep your storage under control.