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Is a Windows 11 Bug Blocking Your OneDrive Access If Your Azure Name Has an Umlaut?
A problem with the latest Windows 11 update, version 25H2, is preventing some people from using OneDrive. This issue specifically affects users whose work or school accounts, managed through Microsoft Azure, contain special characters like umlauts (for example, ä, ö, ü) in their username.
How the Bug Works
If you use Windows 11 25H2 and your Azure account username has a special character, you may not be able to open the OneDrive program on your computer.
- The issue is linked to how Windows creates user profile folders. A username like “Max Müller” might have its folder created as “MaxMüller” under C:\Users\.
- Previous versions of Windows 11 handled this without any issues.
- With version 25H2, the OneDrive desktop application fails to start for these users.
The Error You Will See
When an affected user tries to open OneDrive, the application does not launch. Instead, an error message appears that says, “A problem occurred while signing in.” This message prevents you from logging in and accessing your files. Even setting up OneDrive on a new computer with a new user account does not work if the name contains an umlaut. The setup wizard will stop and show a different error before it can finish.
What We Know About the Issue
This problem was identified by a user in Germany who tested it carefully. The tests confirm the issue is directly related to the special characters in the username on systems running Windows 11 version 25H2.
- The bug happens on any device with the Windows 11 25H2 update.
- It affects multiple versions of the OneDrive application, including the latest public and Insider preview releases.
- Creating a brand new Azure user with an umlaut in the name reproduces the exact same error on a clean installation.
This means you cannot use the OneDrive desktop service in an Azure environment on a Windows 11 25H2 computer if your username includes these characters.