Using One Drive to automatically back up My Documents folder

Anonymous
2014-05-28T20:37:52+00:00

Hello 

I would like to automatically sync the My Documents folder to One Drive. What is the best way of achieving this ?  The online information on OIneDRive does not make this clear 

Tony

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2014-05-29T03:22:52+00:00

Perhaps the easiest way is to set the Documents folder to be saved inside your OneDrive folder.

  1. If you don't already have one there, create a folder named "Documents" inside your OneDrive folder.
  2. Right-click the original Documents folder (not the one created in step 1), and choose Properties
  3. On the Location tab, click Move, and choose the Documents folder you created in step 1.
  4. Confirm that you want to move your Documents folder.

You'll still see a Documents folder inside your C:\Users\Tony folder, but it's actually become a redirect -- anything put there will actually be inside OneDrive (both on your hard drive and, of course, synced up to OneDrive cloud).  You can even do this for your Desktop folder and other special shell folders that have a location tab on their properties.

Windows 8's Internet Explorer already syncs your bookmarks, but if you have a PC using 7 or older, this is also a great way to sync your bookmarks (Favorites).

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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2014-05-30T21:58:38+00:00

The "Restore Default Location" button won't be available, but you will certainly be able to put Documents back to the proper location if you decide to do so later.  That warning is actually a bit of a stretch.

It's possible (although incredibly unlikely), that you would have to go set the Documents folder path correct in the registry, but even that is actually pretty quick and easy if you needed to.

In the registry, this value controls which folder is considered the "documents" folder.  It's under HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

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  1. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2017-11-25T20:14:38+00:00

    I guess my original instructions were missing numbers. Breaking it apart might make it easier to follow.

    1.  If you don't already have one there, create a folder named "Documents" inside your OneDrive folder.

    2.  Go to the C:\Users folder, and then into the folder with your username. Here you'll find your original Documents folder (not the one created in step 1). Right-click it and and choose Properties.

    3.  On the Location tab, click Move, and choose the Documents folder you created in step 1 (the one inside OneDrive, not the one inside your username folder).  Note that when you click OK you may get prompted to confirm. Just answer Yes/OK to the questions.

    You'll still see a Documents folder inside your C:\Users\Tony folder, but it's actually become a redirect -- anything put there will actually be inside OneDrive (both on your hard drive and, of course, synced up to OneDrive cloud).  You can even do this for your Desktop folder and other special shell folders that have a location tab on their properties.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-11-25T20:09:47+00:00

    Step 1 says, "

    1. If you don't already have one there, create a folder named "Documents" inside your OneDrive folder.
    • I already had a folder named "Documents".

    At Step 2, Right-click the original Documents folder (not the one created in step 1), and choose Properties.

    • Since I did not create one, I assume the Documents folder is the original. Am I supposed to have two?

    At Step 3 there is no Location tab.

    I have Windows 10. Please let me know what I am doing wrong.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-09-26T15:52:38+00:00

    This is excellent! We have been searching for just this solution.

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