Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10  

Page 1 of 8 123 ... LastLast
    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. Windows 11 Tutorials



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

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

    And that's it,
    Shawn
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

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

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

  5. Brink
    Posts : 70,661
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #3

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

    And that's it,
    Shawn
    Hehehe
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  6. gregrocker
    Posts : 281
       New #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
    Quote Quote

  7. Brink
    Posts : 70,661
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #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
    Quote Quote

  8. gregrocker
    Posts : 281
       New #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
    Quote Quote

  9. Brink
    Posts : 70,661
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #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
    Quote Quote

  10. gregrocker
    Posts : 281
       New #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
    Quote Quote

  12. Brink
    Posts : 70,661
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #9

    Bingo, or just use OneDrive directly.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

 

Tutorial Categories

Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10 Tutorial Index Network & Sharing Instalation and Upgrade Browsers and Email General Tips Gaming Customization Apps and Features Virtualization BSOD System Security User Accounts Hardware and Drivers Updates and Activation Backup and Restore Performance and Maintenance Mixed Reality Phone


  Related Discussions
Apps & Features Sync Any Folder to OneDrive in Windows 10
in Tutorials

How to Sync Any Folder to OneDrive in Windows 10 OneDrive is free online storage that comes included with Windows 10 and used with your Microsoft account. Save your files to OneDrive, and you'll be able to get to them from any PC, tablet, or...
I have OneDrive set up to sync pictures from my iPhone to the Pictures folder in OneDrive. I want to sync pictures from my iPad to a different folder in OneDrive. How do I do that? I am running Windows 10 on my Desktop computer if that...
When I run msconfig, it shows that Selective Startup is selected. I click on Normal Startup - but as soon as I select "OK", it reverts back to Selective Startup. Thank you.
I have 2 computers both running Windows 10, one of which is brand new. When I setup the new computer, I signed in using Microsoft account, expecting the new computer to sync the settings from the old one. But instead, the new computer's default...
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

 © Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:33.
Find Us




Windows 10 Forums