How would restoring a system image affect One drive?

OneDrive simply would sync with the cloud and update to latest version

Good thought- actually makes this a valuable complement to imaging...if it works reliably as you might hope.. but..

Should presumably apply to settings you've synched as well (example - couldn't quickly find a pure Win 10 example- :
How to Change OneDrive Sync Settings in Windows 10
)

- but any data on C: that is not synched would not be updated of course, remembering this:
Sync Any Folder to OneDrive in Windows 10

perfection said:

On restoration of image the files would typically be older (and probably lesser in number). So when this folder syncs with one drive cloud, will i have to contend with older versions of these files. Is this what will happen?

I've seen OneDrive recognize the OneDrive folder of an older Macrium restored image as the new master and send those files to OneDrive's Cloud, essentially overwriting my newer versions that were up there.


There's been discussion about this on Microsoft's forum as recently as February of this year here:

Is OneDrive Deleting Newer Files After Backup Restore?

And starting a year ago here:

When is Microsoft going to fix OneDrive when a computer image is restored?


Supporting the overwrite is this comment a while back:

Kari said:

Just to clarify this: if OneDrive folder is included in Macrium system image and you will add files and folders to OneDrive folder after creating the image, then restore the image, all content added since image was made will be deleted from OneDrive and all devices syncing the same OneDrive account, as well as from OneDrive cloud.

This is of course logical and as far as I know the same with all cloud sync services.

Example: When Macrium image is created, it contains OneDrive with personal folders Folder1, Folder2 and Folder3. Later on, after creating image user adds Folder4, File1 and File2.

PC crashes, user must restore the image. At this point, after restore, the local OneDrive folder does no longer contain Folder4, File1 and File2. OneDrive service sees this as deletion, deleting said folder and files from cloud and from all devices syncing the same OneDrive account.

Folder1, Folder2 and Folder3 would naturally remain and be synced to other devices because they were included in image.

For this reason I wholeheartedly recommend that you set OneDrive to use another partition than Windows system partition C:, then exclude this partition from backups:
Attachment 137863

This makes sense because OneDrive is already backed up to cloud, you do not have to include it in system image. After an image restore simply set up OneDrive using this location and you are done.

If your PC only has Windows partition, no additional data partitions, simply shrink C: in Disk Management and create a new partition for OneDrive.

Kari

The overwrite issue is further supported by this comment and 'workaround' from a Microsoft Agent a year ago to the OP in the link previously posted: When is Microsoft going to fix OneDrive when a computer image is restored?

Qing Tang MSFT

• Microsoft Agent |
• Moderator

Hi Rob,

"Thanks for posting the query on our forum.
I am very sorry about the inconvenience for you.

As you have synced OneDrive to your computer, there will be a OneDrive folder on your computer.
When you did anything on the OneDrive folder, the changing will be synced to cloud.

Given your situation, as you restore the PC, the OneDrive folder also was restored, then the restored folder has been synced to cloud.

To prevent the situation, I suggest you unlink OneDrive sync before restoring the PC, after it, you can sync OneDrive again, the OneDrive will not be restored:
1. Right click OneDrive icon on the right bottom.
2. Click Settings as below:

3. Click Unlink this PC.

Regards,
Qing"


Worth noting: Dropbox however, with an older restored Macrium image sees the old image's Dropbox files as old, and brings the newest version down from the Dropbox cloud and is what I would expect based on dates.