Microsoft Unveils New OneDrive Command-Line Tool to Manage Sync Deployments

Microsoft has introduced a new command-line tool that gives IT admins a faster way to check and manage OneDrive sync across company devices. Microsoft introduced the OneDrive Sync Client Command Line Interface (CLI) at the OneDrive + Copilot event held today. It is aimed at teams that look after large Microsoft 365 setups.

The tool runs with a simple command called odsync and can be used from PowerShell. In the live demo, Microsoft’s Andrey Esipov showed how admins can pull detailed device health information without clicking through settings screens or digging through log files.

According to the demo, the CLI lists every OneDrive account set up on a device, including machines with more than one account, and it can narrow the results down to a single account. It also shows the version of both the sync client and the CLI, whether OneDrive is running, and how it was installed on the system.

Admins can also see Folder Backup settings, including which folders are being backed up to the cloud. One of the most useful features for security teams is the ability to view the Group Policy settings applied to the sync client. This helps confirm that a device actually follows company rules.

The tool also reports overall status at the client, account, and Folder Backup level. When something goes wrong, admins can switch on verbose output for deeper troubleshooting.

Built for Scripts, Automation and AI Agents

A key detail is that the CLI can return results in JSON format. This makes it easy to plug the output into scripts, Microsoft Intune remediation jobs, or reporting tools. Microsoft says the tool works in both interactive and non-interactive modes. It is designed for admins, developers, scripts, and AI agents such as GitHub Copilot CLI.

For example, an admin could run a script across many devices to spot machines where Folder Backup is turned off or where OneDrive is not running at all. Until now, this kind of check often needed custom scripts, registry checks, or third-party utilities.

OneDrive sync is a common blind spot in many companies. Settings that drift away from policy can leave sensitive files outside approved storage or sync them to places they should never reach.

Cyber Security News has earlier reported how OneDrive auto-sync exposed enterprise secrets in SharePoint Online, showing how small sync mistakes can grow into real data leaks. Threat actors have also abused the sync client itself, as seen when hackers exploited OneDrive.exe through DLL sideloading to run malicious code.

A tool that quickly shows the sync client’s real state on each device gives defenders better visibility. It also helps them catch weak setups before they turn into security incidents.

The OneDrive Sync CLI is not yet generally available. Microsoft says it is coming soon to private preview. The company has not shared a public release date, the supported platforms, or a full list of commands. Based on what has been shown so far, the tool focuses on reading and reporting device state rather than changing settings.

Admins who want to get ready can review Microsoft’s guidance on planning file sync for SharePoint and OneDrive and watch the official OneDrive sync release notes for updates.

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