When you enable OneDrive sync in Microsoft Teams, the wiki tab in a channel can suddenly show empty pages or lose recent edits. This happens because the wiki tab stores its data as .mht files inside a hidden SharePoint folder, and OneDrive sync can conflict with that storage. This article explains why the conflict occurs and gives you a reliable way to recover missing wiki content without losing other files.
The fix involves stopping OneDrive sync for the affected channel, restoring the wiki files from SharePoint, and then re-syncing in the correct order. You will also learn how to prevent the problem from happening again by changing your sync settings. The steps below work for both Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Key Takeaways: Recover Missing Teams Wiki Content After OneDrive Sync
- Teams admin center > Teams apps > Manage apps > Wiki: Allows you to disable the wiki app temporarily to stop sync conflicts.
- SharePoint site > Site contents > TeamsWikiData: The hidden folder where wiki .mht files are stored and can be restored.
- OneDrive settings > Backup > Manage backup: Lets you stop syncing a specific document library and then re-sync it after restoring files.
Why OneDrive Sync Causes Teams Wiki Content to Disappear
The Teams wiki tab is not a separate database. It stores each page as a .mht file inside a hidden SharePoint document library named TeamsWikiData. This library is located in the SharePoint site that backs the channel. When you enable OneDrive sync for that site, OneDrive downloads the entire library, including the wiki files, to your local device.
The conflict occurs because OneDrive and Teams both try to manage the same files. Teams expects the wiki files to remain in the cloud and only be accessed through its interface. OneDrive, however, treats them like any other synced file and may lock them, rename them, or move them to a local folder. If a sync error occurs, OneDrive can delete the local copy, and that deletion propagates to SharePoint, removing the wiki content for everyone in the channel.
Another common trigger is when you pause OneDrive sync or sign out of OneDrive while Teams is open. The wiki tab then tries to read files that are no longer available locally, resulting in a blank page or an error message. The good news is that in most cases the files still exist in the SharePoint recycle bin, so you can restore them.
Steps to Recover Missing Wiki Content After OneDrive Sync
Follow these steps in order. Do not skip the recycle bin check, because that is where the deleted wiki files usually end up.
- Stop OneDrive sync for the affected channel
Open OneDrive settings by clicking the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray. Select Settings and then Account. Under Choose folders, locate the SharePoint site that contains the channel with the missing wiki. Uncheck the document library for that site and click OK. This stops OneDrive from syncing the wiki files while you restore them. - Open the SharePoint site in your browser
In Teams, go to the channel where the wiki is missing. Click the Files tab, then select Open in SharePoint. This opens the site in your default browser. You need this URL to access the hidden wiki folder. - Navigate to the TeamsWikiData folder
In the SharePoint site, click Site contents in the left navigation. Look for a document library named TeamsWikiData. If you do not see it, click Site contents and then Recycle Bin to check for deleted items. Open the TeamsWikiData folder to view the .mht files that contain your wiki pages. - Restore deleted files from the recycle bin
If the files are missing from the folder, go to the SharePoint Recycle Bin. Select all the .mht files that belong to your wiki and click Restore. After restoration, the files appear back in the TeamsWikiData folder. - Re-sync the SharePoint site with OneDrive
Go back to OneDrive settings and under Choose folders, re-check the document library for the SharePoint site. Click OK and allow OneDrive to download the restored files. This ensures the local copy matches the cloud version. - Open the wiki tab in Teams
Return to Teams, go to the channel, and click the Wiki tab. The pages should now appear. If the tab still shows a blank page, close Teams completely and reopen it. This refreshes the connection to the wiki files.
If Teams Wiki Still Shows a Blank Page
Why does the wiki tab show a blank page even after restoring files?
Sometimes the .mht files are present in SharePoint, but the wiki tab cannot read them because the file names or the folder structure changed during sync. To fix this, compare the file names in the TeamsWikiData folder with the page names in the wiki. If a file name was altered, rename it back to the original format, which is usually PageName.mht. Then refresh the wiki tab.
Why did the wiki content disappear for all members of the channel?
OneDrive sync deletion propagates to SharePoint, so when one user’s local copy is deleted, the deletion is sent to the server. This removes the files for everyone. To prevent this, you should disable OneDrive sync for the SharePoint site that contains the wiki. The wiki tab does not need local sync to work; it accesses files directly from SharePoint in the cloud.
Why does the wiki tab show an error like “This page can’t be displayed”?
This error often occurs when the wiki tab tries to load a file that is still locked by OneDrive. Wait a few minutes after re-syncing, then close and reopen Teams. If the error persists, clear the Teams cache by deleting the folder %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams and restarting Teams. This forces Teams to rebuild its local data.
New Teams Wiki vs Classic Wiki: Key Differences with OneDrive Sync
| Item | New Teams (default) | Classic Teams (legacy) |
|---|---|---|
| Wiki storage | Stored in SharePoint as .mht files | Stored in SharePoint as .mht files |
| OneDrive sync behavior | Syncs the entire TeamsWikiData library | Syncs the entire TeamsWikiData library |
| Recovery method | Restore from SharePoint recycle bin | Restore from SharePoint recycle bin |
| Recommended sync setting | Disable sync for the wiki library | Disable sync for the wiki library |
Prevent Future Wiki Content Loss by Adjusting OneDrive Sync Settings
To avoid this problem, you can stop OneDrive from syncing the TeamsWikiData folder. Open OneDrive settings, go to Account, and under Choose folders, uncheck the document library for the SharePoint site that contains the wiki. This does not remove the wiki from Teams; it only prevents local sync. The wiki will continue to work because Teams reads the files directly from SharePoint.
If you must sync the site for other files, you can exclude the TeamsWikiData folder by using the Files On-Demand feature. Right-click the folder in File Explorer, select Free up space, and the folder will no longer be stored locally. This way, OneDrive will not lock or delete the wiki files.
Another preventive measure is to regularly back up the wiki content. Open the TeamsWikiData folder in SharePoint, select all files, and click Download. Save a local copy to a safe location. This gives you a manual backup that you can restore even if the recycle bin is emptied.
You can now recover missing wiki content by stopping OneDrive sync, restoring files from the SharePoint recycle bin, and re-syncing the library. To prevent recurrence, disable sync for the TeamsWikiData folder or use Files On-Demand. As an advanced tip, use the Ctrl+Shift+R shortcut in Teams to force a refresh of the wiki tab after restoring files.