Enable sync client (NGSC) to allow editable syncing of document libraries with secondary versions turned on
Comparable to the described problems in this post https://onedrive.uservoice.com/forums/262982-onedrive/suggestions/17864110-enable-sync-client-to-allow-editable-synching-of-t the NGSC is not able to sync libraries (neither SharePoint nor O365-Groups), that have secondary versions turned on. The synced files are write protected and can’t be edited by library owners or other write-permitted users.
This really restricts the possibilities in scenarios where companies use the secondary-versioning and publishing-to-full-version-feature to secure the presentation of content in document libraries and keep content-producers productive.

Thanks for the suggestion!
19 comments
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Karl Gerd Schneider commented
OneDrive files not editable syncing with content approval. This is a major bug...
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Rob A commented
I can't believe that this fundamental issue with synchronisation between our SharePoint Libraries and OneDrive exist, and cannot handle what is an extremely basic approval process whilst allowing groups with 'Edit' and 'Full Control' to make changes to documents inside of actual Microsoft programs.
To simplify my issue:-
1. I have configured a SharePoint site that has the following setting enabled:-
Library Settings -> Versioning Settings - Required Content Approval for Submitted Items? = Yes
Library Settings -> Who should see draft items in this document library? = Only users who can edit items
2. I have configured a 3 stage reviewal process for documentation, and in the final stage this will then set the document to 'Approved', when it will then become available to all the remaining groups.
3. However, everybody is now forced to use the Microsoft Word Online, or Microsoft Excel Online (etc..) software to make changes to documentation, as the files now appear locked because of the 'Require content approval for submitted items?' setting AND the 'Any user who can read items' setting, which complete negates the entire approval process.Please can you let me know if you need more information
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Karl Gerd Schneider commented
Not possible to use OneDrive with Content Approval and Draft Security? This is useless for professional DMS...
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Vicki Little commented
This has been going on far too long and now there are issues syncing with the old groove.exe One Drive for Business, I'm sure orchestrated by Microsoft. If One Drive for Business could do it, I'm sure that Microsoft can figure a way to make it work with the new one Drive Client since that is what they want us to use. This is ridiculous!!!!
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Anonymous commented
How is this just still in thinking about it. This is a frustrating issue and can cause some serious issues for users of onedrive. I recently published a version so that users with View permissions could see the latest published version of a continuously changing document. Unfortunately I had my OneDrive reinstalled as I could no longer sign in. After finding out that my team were viewing the unpublished version that has information that was not supposed to shared at that time I went into settings and noticed that the
Who should see draft items in this document library was reset to the default. I changed it to those with Edit permission and bam i had the same problem that the Desktop tech reinstalled OneDrive to get rid of. I reset to the default action and voila i could log back into the OneDrive.
If this feature doesn't work - which it doesn't at least have the decency to turn it off in the next release. That way the unsuspecting won't inadvertently share information.
Why does Microsoft always insist on removing good features and replace them with bad or non working features.
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Itpro44 commented
The lack of this is crippling.
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Stephen commented
It seems that if you (a) have a file synced (as read-only) and (b) have the "Use Office 2016 to sync Office files that I open" setting enabled (which is the default) then the Office 2016 client applications are no longer able to edit the file at all, even if the file is opened from the SharePoint web page. (Because it tries to save the file to the local synced folder and fails as OneDrive blocks changes.)
It seems to be necessary to disable the "Use Office 2016 to sync Office files that I open" setting to be able to edit these files, which leads to a worse user-experience for those libraries which do not have secondary versions enabled.
Whilst the ideal solution is for OneDrive to be able to sync these files, would it would be a simple and quicker short-term change for Office 2016 to automatically use the "Office Upload Center" for syncing for libraries that OneDrive can only sync read-only, so that I can still use the "Use Office 2016 to sync Office files that I open" setting for those libraries that do support it?
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Ben commented
Any update on this? That's a big problem for us. This "issue" has to be solved urgently!
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Helen Eyssavel commented
Please update status. It is unbelievable that such a question doesn't at least get an update, as it is a major question for SharePoint editors ... and please don't tell me that "nobody cares" or "this is not requested" ( as heard on the hotline earlier today )
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claudio commented
Unbelievable, removing a key feature and calling the client “next generation” ☹ (and ! using ntfs deny permissions for implementing this on the client :-(
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Tomas commented
I'm wondering how Microsoft can remove one of the key features from sync client and now thinking about it for half a year to return it back.
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Flo commented
We introduced the NGSC and learned that synched files are write protected if minor versioning as well es "require checkout" was activated on a given library. This is a very important feature to be implemented in the NGSC so hopefully it'll arrive sooner than later.
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Dave commented
This issue is not acknowledged in the newest announcement pushing this sync client to all customers.
No mention that under Draft Item Security checking "Who should see draft items in this document library? : Only users who can edit items" should cause all files to sync read only.
I'll say again as I have in another post, this feature is one of the very few reasons we even use Sharepoint.
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Anonymous commented
Hi Douglas,
Here we are months later, and the latest news is "not only are we not fixing it, we are making it so that you can no longer use the old client which you were using as a workaround also".
Checking in and out documents and having extra metadata are some of the best features in SharePoint. I'm glad that you are giving us an option to opt-out of the change that permanently removes the old client that allowed this functionality, but it sounds like doing that also means that we are opting out of updates for the NGSC, which works GREAT for OneDrive.
Why do we have to lose one functionality in order to have another? Why can't we have a great OneDrive sync experience AND retain some of SharePoint's best features?
-- David
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MichaelP commented
Just identified very similar contraints and lost some hours understanding what was going on. Not documented properly anyway.
Microsoft you really ought to change from "Thinking about it" to "Implementing". This lack of 'coordination' between your tools are killing their core purpose. OneDrive and SharePoint cannot live without each others in many use cases.Here is the feedback report I have made via the OneDrive client:
As an IT Staff member I want to report what I consider as an anomaly.I just lost few hours, to understand why one of my SharePoint online Sync library was showing the lock icon, and all files within being Read-Only.
Browsing on internet I found some sites discussing about that and start digging on my side.
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/OneDrive-for-Business/Onedrive-readonly-green-locks/td-p/39365
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Sync-SharePoint-files-with-the-new-OneDrive-sync-client-6de9ede8-5b6e-4503-80b2-6190f3354a88?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=USIn my case I activated the Minor/Major Versioning settings together with the option Draft Item Security to “Only users who can edit items”. Deactivating the later would bring back the Synced OneDrive folder back to editable mode.
I tell you: this is not acceptable. You must find a solution to have your tools working together, not introducing constraints to each others. I must be able to hide the draft version to the "standard" audience on my SharePoint library for obvious reasons, AND i must still have access to the file in my OneDrive for edition.
In the same veins, I must be able to activate Checkout required option, and been able to trigger checkout of a document either from my OneDrive folder of from the edition apps (Excel, Word, Etc). As a reminder the later was possible not so long time ago. -
Anonymous commented
Hi Douglas, it has been three months since your response. Can we get an update? We keep discovering new ways the need to run both the old and the new sync client blocks the collaboration that is supposed to be the core purpose of SharePoint.
This month's exciting discovery: there is NO prior sync client (groove.exe) for Macs. Since we have to keep SharePoint set to NOT use the new client so that the majority of our staff can use check-in/check-out functionality that we've relied upon for years, the Mac people don't have a sync client at all.
I can't wait to see what we find next month.
Some indication that Microsoft didn't remove functionality and then abandon its users would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
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Anonymous commented
Douglas, can we get an update on this?
Thanks in advance,
David -
Abdulrahman umar zurmi commented
So much thanks
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Christian commented
This one would be really helpful. We cannot use the new NGSC due to problems with synchronizing libaries that use versioning. The old client supports it.