How to fix upload pending error message in Microsoft word?

Microsoft Word is one of the most valuable tools to have in your computer arsenal. You can create documents, definitions, reports, and more with it. When uploading the documents on OneDrive, you may encounter the Upload Pending error.

This error is typical in Microsoft Word, especially when uploading files on the Cloud platforms. Before moving into the solutions for this error, let’s first understand what this error is.

Table of Contents

What does it mean by Microsoft Word Upload Pending error?

Microsoft Word lets you upload documents directly to OneDrive. This functionality allows you to share and collaborate documents with others and also access them anywhere. However, the upload procedure may get stuck, and your changes may get lost.

Primarily, this error appears when you don’t possess the file ownership or if it owns an unsupported name. Moreover, add-ins and extensions can also interfere with the upload procedure and create this error.

The “Upload pending” error indicates that Microsoft Word has stopped saving the new changes to OneDrive (or your other chosen Cloud storage).To ensure you don’t lose your chances, you can try the following methods and fix this error.

1. Check Internet connection:

Microsoft Word requires a continuous Internet connection to sync the latest changes on the Cloud storage. But if your computer has poor internet connectivity, your Microsoft Word document will keep showing the “Upload Pending” status.

Follow the below steps:

Step-1: Open the “Windows Settings” menu.
Step-2: Click on “Network & Internet” from the left sidebar.
Step-3: Ensure that it denotes ‘connected’ below your Wi-Fi name.
Step-4: Now check the Wi-Fi properties and ensure there is a 5 GHz frequency for your Wi-Fi network. If you work with a 2.4 GHz frequency, you may encounter errors. You can either connect to a 5 GHz frequency or even higher. You can use an Ethernet cable to get smooth Internet connectivity.

After enabling Internet connectivity on your laptop or computer, Word will automatically begin saving your document and remove the ‘Upload Pending’ status.

The alternate method to fix the Internet connectivity issue:

Step-1: Visit the below website to check your Internet connection stability and speed,

https://testmy.net/

Step-2: If the results show lower speed and stability, you can check the Physical network connections, run the Windows Network Troubleshooter, ensure you have a valid IP address, or contact your ISP.

Step-3: If OneDrive servers are experiencing downtime, you can’t upload files to the platform. So, visit the Microsoft Office server status website and check the OneDrive status. If its service is down, you must wait until the problem gets resolved.

2. Check OneDrive Storage space:

OneDrive provides 5 GB of free storage once you open a Microsoft account. This storage space is inadequate, specifically if you frequently upload huge files on OneDrive.

If you encounter an upload pending error, there’s a high chance you may have insufficient storage space on OneDrive. So, to confirm this, open OneDrive in the browser and check the storage status at the bottom-left corner.

If you run out of space, you can delete unnecessary files or buy Microsoft 365, which provides 1TB OneDrive storage and a license to all Office applications.

You can also buy additional OneDrive storage, transit to another cloud provider, or save the Word file offline on the PC.

3. Check OneDrive status:

If OneDrive servers show an issue, you will continue encountering an error when saving the Word file. So, you can open the Downdetector and search for OneDrive (or M365S) to approve the issue. You will detect high outage graphs when other people report the same.

You can either wait for Microsoft to resolve OneDrive issues or temporarily save the document to Dropbox, Google Drive, or on the PC. But you can’t begin a real-time collaboration if you keep your files offline.

Step-1: Open a Word document where you encounter an upload pending error.
Step-2: Now choose the file in the top left corner.
Step-3: Click on “Save a copy.”
Step-4: Select Browse.
Step-5: Select Google Drive on your PC and a local folder from the “File Manager.” Click on the “Save” button.

Word will transit from OneDrive to another folder and then sync the latest changes.

4. Save the file with a different name:

You can quickly fix the error by altering the file name while uploading. This is chiefly applicable in scenarios where the file is not yours or originates from an external source. You would still face the issue if you Save. So, you need to save the file with another name and then upload it on OneDrive. Follow these steps.

Step-1: Click on File at the top bar.
Step-2: Click “Save As” from the left pane.
Step-3: Select OneDrive as the storage location.
Step-4: Now provide a different file name and click “Save.”

5. Check word file name:

You may face an issue if you have tried renaming the Word document in PC or OneDrive with an invalid character. Microsoft Word will not allow you to open or make changes until you discard the special characters, like*, #,<, >, etc., from the file name. So, you can either rename the document from “File Manager” or click on the Word file name at the top and eliminate special characters.

6. Check file location:

Open a Word document on one computer and use your other laptop/mobile/ OneDrive web to modify the original file location. On your main computer, you will face an upload pending error.

Word tries to use the original location to sync the newest changes. However, since the document is already transferred to another folder, the software couldn’t find it and shows an error. So, you must close the current Word file and open the same from a new location and begin editing.

7. Take ownership of the file:

If the error still exists even after saving the file with a different name, the problem may be that you don’t own full access to it. Usually, this happens when the document originates from an external source. You need to accept full ownership of the file. Follow these steps.

Step-1: Right-click on the file you need to upload and select “Properties” from the context menu.
Step-2: Click on the “Security” tab and select the “Advanced” option.
Step-3: Click on “Change” beside the “Owner” description.
Step-4: Choose the “Advanced” option from the dialog box.
Step-5: Click on “Find now.”
Step-6: Select those users to whom you want to provide full access to the selected file, and then click “OK.”
Step-7: Shut down all the windows.
Step-8: Again, right-click on the “File” and choose “Properties.” Now select “Security.”
Step-9: Search for the “Advanced” option and click on “Add.”
Step-10: Choose “Select a principal” beside the “Principal” description.
Step-11: Click on Advanced > Find now.
Step-12: Select an account and click “OK.”
Step-13: Tick mark the “Full control.”
Step-14: Click on “OK,” then “Apply,” and then “OK.”

8. Repair Microsoft Office:

If Microsoft Word still shows this error, you can use the default Windows repair tool and resolve the Office issues. Follow these steps.

Step-1: Use Windows + I keys to open the Windows 11 Settings menu.
Step-2: Choose “Apps” from the left side and open the “Installed apps” menu.
Step-3: Navigate to Microsoft 365 and choose the three-dot menu next to it. Select “Modify.”
Step-4: Select the radio button next to “Quick Repair” and click on the “Repair” button.

After the repair process finishes, open Word, and now you will not face the “Upload Pending” error.

Now Microsoft Office will detect and solve any corruption in the suite.

9. Open Microsoft Word in Safe Mode:

The Office apps will load without add-ins and extensions in the “Safe Mode.” If you want to open Microsoft Word in “Safe Mode,” open the Run dialog box. Now type “winword / safe,” and hit Enter.

If you can now upload the file to OneDrive without an error in Safe Mode, the installed add-in or extension is the cause of the error. You can disable it by the below steps:

Step-1: Open Word and follow the below path.

File > More > Options.

Step-2: Choose the “Add-ins” from the left pane.
Step-3: Click on the drop-down icon beside “Manage” and choose “COM Add-ins.”
Step-4: Click on “Go.”
Step-5: Unmark all the “Add-ins” to disable them.
Step-6: To determine which add-in is creating the problem, you need to gradually re-enable each add-in and then upload files to OneDrive until the issue appears again.
Step-7: After you detect the faulty add-in, select it and click on the “Remove” button.

10. Update Microsoft Word:

Microsoft regularly releases updates with bug fixes and new features. You can manually update the app to the latest version and remove the bugs to get these benefits. Follow these steps to update Microsoft Word.

Step-1: Open any document and select the “File” menu from the top left corner.
Step-2: Now select “Account” from the left sidebar.
Step-3: Select “Update Options” and click on “Update Now”.
Finally, Word will install pending updates and also reboots the app.

11. Download the Latest Microsoft Office Update:

Using an old Windows Office is another key reason behind this error. So, you can download the latest Office update and fix it.

Step-1: Open File in Microsoft Word.
Step-2: Select “Account” from the left pane.
Step-3: Click “Update Options”, and select “Update Now” from the context menu
Step-4: After you download the update, reboot the system.

The error will be fixed.

12. Alternate Method:

Step-1: Ascertain that the Finder is open and all Office apps are closed (including Microsoft Word).
Step-2: Click “Go” in the top bar.
Step-3: Hold the OPTION key on the keyboard from the drop-down menu. You will now see a folder named “LIBRARY”, click on it.
Step-4: Click on the “CONTAINERS” folder.
Step-5: Navigate until you find a folder named “com.microsoft.Word”.
Step-6: In that folder, you need to delete “com.microsoft.Word” from your computer.
Step-7: Reopen your Microsoft Word document, and check whether the “Upload Pending” error is solved or not.

If you are facing this issue with PowerPoint and/or Excel, you can fix it in this same way. You simply have to delete “com.microsoft.Powerpoint” and/or “com.microsoft.Excel” respectively. All the steps up to that will be identical.

Note: If any of the above methods don’t work, you can contact Microsoft support while signing into your Microsoft account and opening its chat room. You can communicate with a specialist and solve the issue.

Disclaimer: The Questions and Answers provided on https://www.gigxp.com are for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose.