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
    2014-05-30T20:36:03+00:00

    HI Shaun,

    I started to implement the solution you have suggested and got a warning just as I was about to proceed saying that I would not be able to restore the default settings for the location of My Documents if I proceeded. Is that the case ? What happens if I want to stop using OneDrive in the future ? 

    Tony

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-06-01T17:09:55+00:00

    Hi Shaun

    Many thanks for that. Not being desperately confident with detailed level computer stuff, I'd be reluctant to get into a situation where I was having to amend registry values. 

    But do I understand from what you say that if I switch the location of my Documents sub- folder  from the This PC folder   to the  OneDrive folder , while I wouldn't be able to 'Restore Default Setting;' I WOULD still be able to go into the location tab under Properties of the my Documents folder and change it back from 'OnDRive' to 'This PC' ?

    Also just one other question - Once the Documents sub-folder is transferred to  my OneDrive folder how does the syncing of folders happen with OneDrive on the web ? If  I change a document in the Documents folder on my computer will it automatically just sync this change on the cloud storage ?  Will it automatically sync the other way as well. Eg if I am out and about and change a file in the Documents folder on my cloud storage will it sync to the Documents folder on my computer ?

    Many thanks for your help

    Tony

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  3. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2014-06-02T14:23:54+00:00

    I can understand.  Yes indeed, you will be able to go back to the location tab and put the Documents folder back under "This PC" (or any other location on the PC that you want).

    As for the syncing.  Yes it's just like you describe.  If you open a file up from your Documents folder, it will sync automatically to OneDrive.com, as well as the reverse (changes you make from any other computer or OneDrive.com will sync to your Documents folder as well).

    I actually use the setup that you are considering, I long ago put my Documents folder into OneDrive (then called SkyDrive) and love it... I wish it was the default setting so that everyone could enjoy cloud backup and synchronization of their files).

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