OneDrive Reports Show Zero Activity for Active Users: OneDrive for Business Fix

You open the Microsoft 365 admin center and run the OneDrive usage report. The report shows zero activity even though you know users are actively syncing, sharing, and editing files. This problem usually occurs because the OneDrive sync app is not sending activity data to the reporting service, or because the report filters exclude the correct data. This article explains the root causes and provides step-by-step fixes to restore accurate OneDrive usage reporting.

Why OneDrive Reports Show Zero Activity for Active Users

The OneDrive usage report in the Microsoft 365 admin center pulls data from two sources: the OneDrive web portal (sharepoint.com) and the OneDrive sync app on Windows and Mac. When the report shows zero activity for users who are clearly active, the cause is almost always a gap in data collection from the sync app. The sync app sends heartbeat signals and file-change events to the reporting service every few minutes. If the sync app is outdated, if a registry key disables reporting, or if the user’s license does not include the reporting feature, the service receives no data and the report stays at zero.

Outdated OneDrive Sync App

The OneDrive sync app must be version 22.022 or newer to report activity. Older versions do not send the required telemetry. Users may have automatic updates enabled, but group policies or offline installers can prevent the update from reaching all machines.

Registry or Group Policy Blocking Reporting

An administrator may have set the registry key DisableReporting to 1 to reduce network traffic. This key stops the sync app from sending any activity data. The same setting can be enforced through Group Policy under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > OneDrive. When this policy is enabled, the report will always show zero activity.

User License or Service Plan Issue

The OneDrive usage report requires the user to have an active Microsoft 365 license that includes the Microsoft Graph reporting service. If the user is assigned a license that does not include Microsoft Graph reports, their activity will not appear. This is rare but can occur with some education or kiosk plans.

Steps to Fix OneDrive Reports Showing Zero Activity

Follow these steps in order. After each step, wait 24 hours and check the report again. The reporting service updates once per day.

1. Verify the user is active in the OneDrive web portal
   Open the Microsoft 365 admin center. Go to Reports > Usage > OneDrive. Select the user in question. Check the Last Activity column. If it shows a date, the web portal is reporting correctly. If it shows “Never,” the user may not have signed in to onedrive.com or the SharePoint site. Ask the user to sign in at onedrive.com and upload or edit a file there.
2. Check the OneDrive sync app version
   On the user’s computer, right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area. Select Settings. Go to the About tab. The version number appears at the top. If it is lower than 22.022, download and install the latest version from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/download. Restart the sync app after installation.
3. Remove the DisableReporting registry key
   Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\OneDrive\Accounts\Business1. Look for a DWORD value named DisableReporting. If it exists and is set to 1, double-click it and change the value to 0. If the key does not exist, no change is needed. Close Registry Editor and restart the OneDrive sync app.
4. Check for Group Policy that disables reporting
   On a domain-joined computer, open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc). Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > OneDrive. Find the policy named “Disable reporting of OneDrive activity.” If it is set to Enabled, change it to Not Configured or Disabled. Run gpupdate /force in an elevated command prompt. Restart the OneDrive sync app.
5. Confirm the user license includes Microsoft Graph reports
   In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Users > Active users. Select the user. Click the Licenses and apps tab. Ensure the user has a license that includes “Microsoft Graph reports” or “Usage reports.” If the license is correct, proceed to the next step.
6. Reset the OneDrive sync app
   Press Windows + R, type %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset, and press Enter. Wait 30 seconds. The OneDrive setup window appears. Sign in with the user’s work or school account. After the sync app reconnects, perform a sync operation — upload a file, edit a document, or share a link. Wait 24 hours and check the report again.

If OneDrive Reports Still Show Zero Activity After the Main Fix

OneDrive sync app shows “Updating” but no files change

The sync app may be stuck in a processing loop. This prevents it from sending new activity data. To fix this, pause sync for 15 minutes and then resume. Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon, select Pause syncing, choose 2 hours. After 15 minutes, right-click again and select Resume syncing. Check the report the next day.

Activity appears for some users but not others

If the report shows data for most users but zero for a specific group, check if those users are on a different network that blocks the OneDrive reporting endpoint. The sync app must reach https://graph.microsoft.com and https://login.microsoftonline.com. Ask your network team to verify that these URLs are not blocked by a proxy or firewall.

Activity data is delayed by more than 24 hours

The Microsoft 365 usage report updates every 24 to 48 hours. If you made changes and the report still shows zero after 48 hours, open a support ticket with Microsoft. Include the user’s UPN, the date range, and the steps you already performed. Support can check the backend service for missing telemetry.

OneDrive Sync App Version vs Activity Reporting: Key Differences

Item	Version 21.x or older	Version 22.022 or newer
Sync activity reporting	Not supported — no data sent	Supported — sends file-change and heartbeat data
Registry key DisableReporting effect	No effect (reporting not present)	When set to 1, blocks all reporting
Group Policy support for reporting	No policy available	Policy “Disable reporting of OneDrive activity” controls the feature
Default update behavior	Manual or deferred	Automatic via Microsoft 365 Apps update channel

You can now identify why the OneDrive usage report shows zero activity and apply the correct fix. Start by checking the sync app version and the DisableReporting registry key on each affected machine. If the issue persists after 48 hours, submit a support request with the user’s UPN and the steps you already took. For ongoing monitoring, set up a recurring task in the Microsoft 365 admin center to review the OneDrive report weekly and catch reporting gaps early.