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. Anonymous
    2015-12-29T11:07:38+00:00

    This is why windows is a beast!

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-12-29T03:12:07+00:00

    Shawn,

    Yes, you are correct. I was not signed in to OneDrive at the time so that is why it was grayed out.

    As previously noted I am using win10.

    Let me say that I am extremely frustrated right now with OneDrive... here is where I am at the moment...

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

        -by default this is already there so this would not normally be needed.

    1. In my C:\Users\John folder I right clicked the Documents folder, chose Properties, selected the Location tab, selected the Move button and chose the Documents folder you mention in step 1.
    2. I then Confirmed that I wanted to move the Documents folder.
    3. It then appeared to be "syncing" or moving my files.

    I now have a C:\Users\John\OneDrive\Documents folder with what appears to be all my folders/subfolders in all the right places - BUT NO FILES whatsoever in ANY of those folders/subfolders!

    And that is the same for both my local drive AND the web OneDrive! All the folders/subfolders BUT NO FILES whatsoever!

    Just for the heck of it I placed a folder with files in the Public folder on OneDrive to see if it would sync up with the cloud... no dice.

    And now the OneDrive cloud icon (in the taskbar by the clock) has disappeared from the tray. :j

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  3. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2015-12-28T22:09:57+00:00

    The button being grayed out makes me think you're not signed into the OneDrive service, maybe it's not connected for some reason.  Do you use OneDrive to login to your Windows 8.1 computer here?

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