Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10  

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    Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10

    Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10

    How to Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Apps & Features
    15 Jun 2023
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10


    OneDrive is a cloud-based storage service where you can view, browse, upload, and share the files you saved online to OneDrive.com. When you save files to OneDrive, the files are automatically available to access or share from any device, even if something happens to your PC.

    Microsoft is introducing changes to how OneDrive syncs your files. In Windows 8.1, Microsoft used placeholders on your PC to represent files you have stored in OneDrive. People had to learn the difference between what files were “available online” (placeholders) versus what was “available offline” and physically on your PC. Microsoft heard a lot of feedback around this behavior. For example, people would expect that any files they see in File Explorer would be available offline by default. Then they would hop onto a flight (or go someplace without connectivity) and try to access a file they thought was on their PC and it wasn’t available because it was just a placeholder. It didn’t feel like sync was as reliable as it needed to be. For Windows 10, having OneDrive provide fast and reliable sync of your files is important. OneDrive will now use selective sync. This means you choose what you want synced to your PC from your online OneDrive and it will be. What you see is really there and you don’t need to worry about downloading it. You can choose to have all of your online OneDrive files synced to your PC, or just the ones you select, and what you want to keep safe on your online OneDrive cloud.

    See also:

    This tutorial will show you how to use OneDrive selective sync to choose folders and files from your online OneDrive that you want to sync to the OneDrive folder on your PC in Windows 10.



    Here's How:

    1 Do step 2 or step 3 below for how you would like to choose folders to sync on your OneDrive.

    2 Open your OneDrive folder in File Explorer. Right click or press and hold on a file or folder in OneDrive, click/tap on Choose OneDrive folders to sync, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)

    Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10-choose_onedrive_folders_context_menu.jpg

    3 Right click or press and hold on the OneDrive Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10-onedrive_icon.jpg icon on the taskbar notification area, click/tap on Help & Settings (gear) icon, and click/tap on Settings. (see screenshot below)

    Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10-onedrive_settings.png

    A) Click/tap on the Account tab, and click/tap on the Choose folders button. (see screenshot below)

    Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10-onedrive_choose_folders-2b.png

    4 Do step 6 (choose) below for what folders you want to sync on your OneDrive.


    5 To Sync All Files and Folders on your OneDrive

    A) Select (dot) Sync all files and folders in my OneDrive, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

    Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10-onedrive_choose_folders-2.png


    6 To Choose Folders to Sync or Unsync on your OneDrive

    A) Check or uncheck the folders you want to sync under Sync only these folders, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

    Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10-onedrive_choose_folders-3.png


    7 Your selected folders will now sync on your PC. You can do either option below to check the sync status.

    A) Click/tap on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar notification area. (see screenshot below)

    Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10-onedrive_status.png

    OR

    B) Open your OneDrive folder in File Explorer. (see screenshot below)

    Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10-onedrive_folder.jpg


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink


    Related Tutorials






  1. Posts : 7,724
    3-Win-7Prox64 3-Win10Prox64 3-LinuxMint20.2
       #1

    Nice one Shawn,
    One thing you forgot was at the ending,

    And that's it,
    Shawn
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 22,740
    Windows 10 Home x64
       #2

    Thanks Shawn..
    Great information as usual!
    Jeff
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 68,654
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #3

    ThrashZone said:
    Nice one Shawn,
    One thing you forgot was at the ending,

    And that's it,
    Shawn
    Hehehe
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 281
       #4

    Thanks Shawn. I couldn't convert ESD to ISO so tried in place to 9879. Within hours I got fatal error OneDrive couldn't find Desktop causing it to flash uncontrollably from intact Desktop to error box - without any help from killing tasks, SysRestore, Startup Repair, Refresh or Reset using 9860 disk WinRe. I reimaged 9860.

    Do you think clean install will help making these settings adjustments like in the OneDrive desktop app in 7? Looks like that's what they've fallen back to? This works fine for me since I want all files available offline.

    Is there any reason to rethink rooting my active User folders in OneDrive and rooting OneDrive in E? This is the config on all my other PCs

    One other thing. Will these moves affect built-in Backup of Libraries to another PC on Network which I'm trialing in 10?

    Thanks! :):)
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 68,654
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Hey Greg,

    If you had moved the OneDrive folder before doing the in-place to 9870, then that could be the issue. If you move them back to default, the in-place may then work properly for OneDrive.

    Yeah, it looks pretty much the same as what the OneDrive desktop app for Windows 7 now, but now integrated into Windows.

    I've always found that moving user folders usually causes issues. Instead, I usually use include folders in libraries if I want to keep something saved at another location.

    It shouldn't affect backing up of libraries.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 281
       #6

    Prob is I want real time User folder synch across all devices. How to do that via Libraries? Abandon Shells to create parallel set in OneDrive added to Library?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 68,654
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Yeah, you could add the OneDrive folders to libraries once you get it working.

    If you like, you could also just sync the OneDrive folders across all devices that you sign in with the same Microsoft account.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 281
       #8

    Aha! No need to create parallel User folders, just select my existing OneDrive set and add each to Library, then set as default save?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 68,654
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Bingo, or just use OneDrive directly.
      My Computers


 

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