.png?2.1.1 "Vokash")
.png "Trending")
18 hours ago
If you don't salary observant attraction erstwhile mounting up a caller Windows PC aliases completing installation aft a characteristic update, you could find galore of your information files abruptly relocated to nan cloud. That mightiness beryllium a bully thing, aliases it mightiness beryllium a mess. And, of course, Microsoft is frustratingly unhelpful erstwhile it comes to explaining really this characteristic works.
Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11: Two ways
Should this hap to you, please travel nan 1 elemental norm Douglas Adams group down truthful galore years ago: Don't panic. Before you do anything, it helps to understand precisely what's going on.
When you group up a caller personification relationship connected a Windows PC, Windows creates a group of modular folders for you: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, Videos. These "known folders" are stored connected your strategy drive, arsenic portion of your personification floor plan (C:\Users\Username), conscionable arsenic they person been successful each type of Windows for nan past fewer decades.
Also: The eventual Windows 11 upgrade guide: Everything you request to know
When you motion successful pinch a Microsoft relationship connected Windows 10 aliases 11, Windows creates 1 further files successful your profile, OneDrive, and gives that files a salient nexus successful nan navigation barroom connected nan near broadside of File Explorer. When you motion successful to OneDrive for nan first time, that folder's sanction changes to bespeak your username. After setup is complete, clicking Home successful File Explorer should look thing for illustration this:
Show more
This is what a caller personification floor plan looks for illustration successful Windows 11. Notice nan wording nether each those modular folders: "Stored locally".
The explanation nether each of those known folders tells you they're stored locally. All good and good, right?
Well, yes, until OneDrive decides to get involved.
When you group up a brand-new PC, it's each excessively easy to rustle correct past nan Out of Box Experience (OOBE) surface for this feature, which encourages you to click nan "Back up now" button, arsenic shown here.
Show more
If you click nan "Back up now" button, immoderate of your files move to nan OneDrive files and statesman syncing to nan cloud.
If you do not want this characteristic enabled, you request to click nan very mini bluish nexus that sounds "Only prevention files to this PC."
Beginning pinch Windows 11 type 24H2, moreover this action goes away. If you motion successful pinch a Microsoft account, nan literal good people advises you that "We'll besides backmost up your files and photos connected this instrumentality to OneDrive to thief support them safe."
During my testing, I recovered immoderate configurations successful which simply clicking nan OneDrive icon successful File Explorer turns connected this feature, pinch nary confirmation required and nary warning. In caller versions of Windows 11, opening 1 of nan known folders successful File Explorer displays a salient "Start backup" fastener for illustration nan 1 shown here.
Clicking this fastener opens nan OneDrive Folder Backup dialog box, pinch each 3 folders selected.
And location are different places successful Windows wherever you mightiness beryllium asked if you want to backmost up your files. In astir cases, it's not clear that this characteristic moves your files to a different location alternatively of simply creating a backup copy.
Also: Have a Windows problem that you conscionable can't fix? Try this eventual troubleshooting trick
All of these options usage a distinctly nontraditional meaning of nan connection backup. Most group deliberation of "backing up" arsenic a measurement of making a transcript of your files successful a safe place, while leaving nan original files untouched. As you'll see, that is not really this characteristic works. And arsenic I mentioned earlier, this tin create a mess, particularly if you don't understand what's going on.
So, what happens erstwhile files backup is on?
Show more
- First, Windows creates Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders successful nan OneDrive files successful your personification profile.
- Next, it resets nan location of nan known folders to constituent to those recently created OneDrive versions.
- Finally, it syncs nan OneDrive files successful your personification floor plan pinch nan OneDrive files successful nan cloud, utilizing your Microsoft account.
Your files that were successful C:\Users\Your_profile_name\Documents are now successful C:\Users\Your_profile_name\OneDrive\Documents. The Desktop and Pictures folders person besides been relocated.
Also: The champion Windows laptops: Expert tested and reviewed
And you mightiness ne'er notice. If you only usage nan shortcuts successful nan Windows 11 navigation bar, you'll automatically unfastened and prevention files from nan caller locations. It's magic!
Or is it?
If you've paid for a Microsoft 365 Personal aliases Family subscription, you person 1 TB of OneDrive abstraction available, which is simply a batch of space. Unless you are a integer hoarder, each your section files should fresh successful nan cloud, and they will so beryllium backed up and synced crossed each nan devices you own. This is simply a bully thing, and you should not effort to alteration it.
Also: How to usage Windows Backup to reconstruct cardinal files and settings onto a caller PC
Even a $1.99-per-month Microsoft 365 Basic subscription gives you a generous 100 GB of unreality retention space, which mightiness beryllium capable to grip backup needs for astir people.
But things get dicey if you've decided you'd alternatively not salary Microsoft for their unreality storage. In that case, your free Microsoft relationship includes 5 GB of unreality storage, which is not bad, but besides beautiful easy to usage up successful a hurry.
Show more
Things quickly go problematic if you already person a ample postulation of integer photos successful your Pictures folder, aliases if you've stuffed your Documents files pinch much than 5 GB of stuff. (It happens.)
In that case, you will tally retired of unreality retention and you will tally into problems backing up your files. The very problem that OneDrive files backup was expected to lick will go an issue.
Also: Is your Windows licence legal? Should you moreover care?
Things besides go confusing if you alteration nan File Explorer defaults to show each folders alternatively of utilizing nan simplified Windows 11 navigation bar. In that case, you will spot a group of quiet folders successful your individual floor plan (C:\Users\Your_profile_name\). And if you commencement trying to prevention caller files location alternatively of to nan known folder, things get very messed up, very quickly. At that point, you person 2 Documents folders and their contents are wholly separate.
Show more
If you person much files stored locally than will fresh successful your OneDrive storage, you'll spot this correction message
To reconstruct order, you person 3 choices.
Option 1: Pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription. If you do this, you tin safely sync those section files to your 1 TB of OneDrive unreality storage. It's really a very bully backup strategy and moreover protects you from ransomware attacks. But there's a financial cost, and you mightiness for illustration not to person your files successful nan cloud, aliases you mightiness for illustration to usage a different unreality retention service.
Also: Yes, you tin upgrade that aged PC to Windows 11, moreover if Microsoft says no. These readers proved it
Option 2: Turn disconnected OneDrive files backup completely. To start, unfastened File Explorer, right-click nan OneDrive icon successful nan navigation pane connected nan left, and take OneDrive > Manage OneDrive Backup. That opens nan dialog container shown below. For each of nan folders wherever files backup is presently turned on, descent nan On/Off move to nan near (Off) position, corroborate that yes, you really want to extremity Folder Backup, and past click Save Changes
When you do that, Windows will reset nan default location of those known folders to nan ones successful your section personification profile. But your saved files are still successful nan section OneDrive folders. You'll request to unfastened those folders and transcript their contents backmost to your section thrust to regain easy access.
Show more
The 3 folders astatine nan apical of this database are being synced to OneDrive. Slide nan switches to nan near to move disconnected files backup.
When you do that, unfortunately, OneDrive doesn't move your files backmost to nan section files wherever you expect them to be. Instead, it adds a shortcut to your section folder, pointing to nan synced OneDrive files containing those files.
When you move disconnected files backup, your files are still successful 2 places and you request to move them manually.
If you want to move those files backmost to nan default files successful your personification profile, double-click that shortcut to unfastened nan OneDrive folder, property Ctrl+A to prime each file, past property Ctrl+X to trim those files; past return to your section files and property Ctrl+V to paste nan files successful nan correct location. Repeat that action for each of nan 3 backed-up folders.
Also: The champion unreality retention services: Expert tested
Option 3: Use files backup sparingly. This is simply a hybrid attack that allows you to return advantage of Microsoft's 5 GB of free OneDrive unreality storage. You tin support syncing your section known folders to OneDrive, but make judge nan full contents of those folders are nether nan 5 GB limit. Create abstracted archive folders for older files you want to backmost up locally, not successful nan cloud. Of course, you'll request to make judge you person bully backups for those archive folders.
It's unfortunate that Microsoft has done specified a unspeakable occupation of documenting really OneDrive useful because it's an highly reliable work and it represents a awesome measurement to support section files backed up. Maybe personification connected nan OneDrive squad will publication this station and recognize they request to rethink this characteristic truthful others aren't bedeviled by it.
English (US) · 
Indonesian (ID) ·