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
    2016-08-15T21:41:13+00:00

    :jwalker:

    Those aren't really copies or "ghosts" so to speak, just simply shortcuts.  They all show the same thing because they are all the same thing, just different ways to reach it.  Just like I can reach my car by entering my garage from the back of the kitchen, or the side door outside.  No matter what route I take, I still reach my one and only car :)

    Adrian W_1000:

    You have a few options.  You can "move your documents folder", as described earlier in this conversation.  Or the way I do it:  I just created a folder named "Documents" in my OneDrive and keep all my files there, pain and simple. My real local C: drive "Documents" folder still exists, it's just empty (except for the junk that some programs like Adobe or Visual Studio put there automatically).  I didn't redirect/move it, I simply don't use it.   But it's your choice of course.

    As far as offline access, that's the default.  You don't need to do anything special.  But to make sure, just right-click your OneDrive icon by the clock, go to Settings, and "choose folders" and pick which folders OneDrive keeps available for offline access (default is all of them).

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-08-15T21:10:14+00:00

    I would like to move my Documents folder to OneDrive so that I can access/edit my files from two laptops.  Once I move the files, will I be able to set up both laptops so that I can work on the files when I'm offline?

    Also, I seem to have two OneDrive for Business folders in Windows Explorer.  The first folder was created when I had Office 2013; the second folder was created when I installed Office 2016 (I uninstalled Office 2013 after installing Office 2016, which is why I think I now have two OneDrive for Business folders.  How can I uninstall the 2nd folder?  There is not a Delete/Remove option when I right click on the folder.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-08-15T03:48:29+00:00

    Shawn,

    Well, I got my new PC up and running... took your advice and installed Win10 Pro on an SSD... sweet.

    Once I had everything running and looking the way I wanted I "mapped" my Documents, Pictures & Music folders to OneDrive... I'm thinking that I should have only mapped the Documents folder as I now have 3 separate folders with the same name "Documents" (appearing both under "Quick Access" & "This PC") in the File Explorer... see attached image.

    All three of these "folders" contain exactly the same thing as what appears under the OneDrive folder and all three have the same exact path in folder properties.

    Are these "ghosts"... can I delete them? Should I just start over (reinstall Win10) and only map the Documents folder to OneDrive... quite perplexing!! LOL!!

    Regards and thanks,

    John

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