OneDrive upload speed: What is the limit & how to speed up?

OneDrive is the redesigned and rebranded SkyDrive, available for all Windows users who want to upload and sync their folders and files to the cloud.

But, as it turns out, it comes with problems for some.

OneDrive is very slow on uploading/Sync. Please try to find whether something is wrong on your servers in China rather than telling us check the PC, reading tips on Maximizing uploading speed, etc. Any changes Microsoft made on the servers in China can give you the hint.

So, by looking at the above-pasted excerpt, we can see that the affected OneDrive user is from China, where multiple users have been saying that their uploading speeds are incredibly slow.

This comes just a few days after we have reported that OneDrive uploading wasn’t working at all for Windows 10 users.

How can I improve OneDrive upload speeds?

1. Maximize OneDrive transfer speed

If you too are experiencing similar problems, here are some things you could do in order to maximize the transfer speed.

You should avoid running other apps on your device when you’re uploading or downloading a large amount of data and don’t use your Internet connection for other activities while you’re transferring a large amount of data.

Also, of course, if your Internet speed isn’t quite fast and you’re also uploading big files, these might be the biggest reasons.

And here’s another user weighing in with his input and confirming the issue:

Same here. I can’t say whether I like OneDrive or not, now. I recommended outlook and onedrive to all my relatives. Suggest winphones and surface. And now I have to explain why they can’t send mail to others with only several photos or can’t sync photos from PC to pad. Maybe we know the reason, maybe not. It’s your responsibility to turn things around.

The affected users claimed that the problem occurs to both upload and download speed.

The thread has been joined by more and more affected users, and it seems that China indeed is the most affected by slow OneDrive uploading speeds.

And, as of now, an official fix hasn’t been issued, here’s the latest reply of a Microsoft representative:

We apologize for the delayed response. As per our Support Escalation engineers, we haven’t gotten any other reports with this slow upload issue in China. For further investigation, please provide us the log files of your OneDrive application that came from the computer(s) where the issue is originated. Kindly refer to the private message that I provided for more information. Make sure that you are signed in to the Microsoft Community (this site) to be able to view it. The conversation in the private message area is secure. Only you and our moderators can view it.

However, the problem doesn’t seem to be impacting only those who’re using OneDrive in China only.

There have been multiple threads appearing on various forums in Europe, the United States, and various other parts of the world.

2. Try another cloud storage solution

There are various cloud storage solutions to pick from these days and most of them will offer you the right amount of online storage.

In spite of that, upload speeds aren’t always as high as expected. Since you’re no stranger to this issue, maybe it’s time to forget all about OneDrive and try out a different cloud storage platform.

Our top recommendation is Sync. No matter the files you’re trying to back up, they are all safeguarded from intrusive access.

On top of that, you can effortlessly send files of any size to all friends and family members even if they don’t use Sync just yet.

UPDATE: Since the writing of this report, we compiled a list of the best solutions that you can use to fix slow OneDrive upload problems. More specifically, they include:

• Using a wired Internet connection
• Closing background apps and programs
• Avoiding uploading files in batches
• Checking for updates, and more.

Do check out our troubleshooting guide and let us know which solution worked for you by leaving your comment below.

Finally, let us share a few more tips for those interested in finding more about:

• OneDrive upload speed limit – OneDrive, by default, never limits the speed that your content is downloaded or uploaded. If the slow speed in an issue, use the above tips.
• OneDrive throttling upload speed – Verify that your OneDrive speeds are not throttled by entering into Settings > Network tab. While here, make sure Don’t Limit isn’t ticked.
• Speed up OneDrive uploads – If closing background apps/programs and other basic troubleshooting tips made no difference, think of some great cloud storage alternatives.