VHD created within OneDrive - any views? Pros and cons?

tfwul · 11 Aug 2019

Somewhere I read about creating a VHD on OneDrive.

Would appreciate views on this idea, also the pros and cons.

Say I
- would create VHD's on PC and laptop
- applications should store their data within VHD (Office documents, Outlook (Exchange), PDFs, etc)
- in most cases PC is used

then, when using the laptop, VHD is opened before using Office.

Probably both VHD and laptop should be open at the same time, else there is no sync?
Also, it seems that when shutting down, the entire VHD will sync?
When creating a VHD of -say- 200GB that will take quite some time then?

Thanks.

Kari · 11 Aug 2019

Please do not take this wrong, I just want to make my point absolutely clear and therefore tell exactly what I think.

It seems that there is a complete misunderstanding here, about what VHD is and how it works and can be used. Using a VHD in OneDrive to store user data is about the most pointless and useless ideas I have ever heard. Only thing it would do is to make using OneDrive more difficult.

For the first, a VHD is just a file. For this to work even theoretically, it must be mounted every time computer is booted (tutorial) before OneDrive is started.

Second, only thing needed for PC and laptop to sync user data is to setup OneDrive on both using the same Microsoft account, and store all user data on both to OneDrive. That's it.

tfwul said:

Somewhere I read about creating a VHD on OneDrive.

I really would like to know where you found such a bad advice. If possible, please post links here.

PROS:

Absolutely nothing. I repeat: absolutely nothing!

CONS:

Making use of OneDrive harder
Possible sync issues

Kari

tfwul · 11 Aug 2019

Thanks for the above. I understand you are very much opposed to this idea.

Please do search for:
Encrypt data synced to OneDrive with BitlockerCreate a encrypted Volume (VHD/VHDX) on your OneDrive

As you know (or maybe you don't) I very much value your advice, I do. Hence pls allow me to bring up the following.

Currently I protect my personal data in a kind of password protected encrypted container, like Veracrypt.

On my laptop I can do the same and try to use WiFi sync (or copy files using and usb device) from PC to laptop, having both containers open at the same time.
By experience this is not really an ideal situation. So I thought of the VHD on OneDrive solution.
I should forget that solution.

Now, if one needs to have the laptop or PC serviced and Windows log in has been disabled (using netplwiz) then everything on OneDrive is freely accessible, which is an uncomfortable feeling to say the least.
Any suggestion as to how to avoid that?

bro67 · 11 Aug 2019

Kari knows his stuff. Trying to use a Virtual Hard Disk that has to sync from something like Onecloud would not work. Depending on the data, standard 2FA for a Cloud storage folder will work.

Securing by Bitlocker and believing that a tech would be able to work on the machine is not the best for of thinking. If the machine is infected and the malware is hiding in that Bitlocker secured area, the tech cannot fix it.

I keep no personal data on my devices. Everything syncs with secured Cloud Storage that requires 2FA. Even with 2FA, if say a person got ahold of one of my devices, I could in theory lose access to my data in the same way that if I did not secure them. That is the risk that we take and have always taken. Securing data is only as best as the person doing it.

Samuria · 11 Aug 2019

It would take for ever to sync 200gigs every time you turn on the pc even at 50meg it takes 5hours + not to mention cost of that much storage

tfwul · 12 Aug 2019

Thank you all for the feedback. Indeed, it takes way too long to synchronise. Merely to see what would happen, I gave it a try with with a 4GB 'test' VHD. No success. So I dropped this idea.

@bro67 - Yes, surely there are levels of security and surely there may always be a chance of facing some kind of worst case scenario. However, with various 'protections' in place, you and I and all here try to stay away from that as much as possible. Storing data with some kind of protection is better than nothing.