OneDrive Update Removed Essential File Control Features

The recent changes are part of broader OneDrive and Windows experience updates, and some behaviors have indeed been removed or altered rather than being broken on a single device.

From the available information:

1. Replacement of older file‑control experiences
   • The new OneDrive app is replacing older “My Content” and related experiences in Microsoft 365 web and Windows.
   • As part of this change, direct access to local device files from that older My Content experience has been removed, and some organizational features (like tagging) are no longer available.
   • The new experience focuses on cloud‑centric management and uses favorites, filters, and search across OneDrive and SharePoint instead of the older tagging and local‑file surfacing model.
2. Files On‑Demand and offline controls
   • Files On‑Demand is still a supported feature on Windows (with requirements such as Windows 10 1709 or later / Windows Server 2019 and a recent OneDrive build), and it is enabled by default in newer OneDrive builds.
   • Files On‑Demand lets files be online‑only or always available locally, and individual files or folders can still be marked as:
     • Always keep on this device (always available offline)
     • Free up space (return to online‑only)
   • These controls are accessed by right‑clicking files or folders in File Explorer, not via the older My Content UI.
3. Scenarios where offline support was removed
   • On some Windows 10 device types (Xbox, HoloLens, Surface Hub, tablets) using the legacy OneDrive Store app, “making files available offline” in that app was explicitly removed. In those cases, the guidance is to use standard OneDrive sync in Windows instead.
4. Alternatives and mitigation
   • For controlling where files are stored (cloud vs local) on a PC:
     • Use File Explorer with OneDrive Files On‑Demand:
       1. Right‑click the file or folder in the OneDrive folder.
       2. Choose Always keep on this device to ensure local storage, or Free up space to make it online‑only.
   • For organizing and finding content now that some older features (like tagging in My Content) are gone, the supported alternatives are:
     • Favorites and filters in the new OneDrive app.
     • Search across OneDrive and SharePoint.
5. Feedback and escalation
   • The removal of older controls and tagging is a product decision rather than a local fault. To influence future design, the supported path is to submit product feedback and/or engage with the OneDrive team:
     • Commercial customers can join the monthly OneDrive Office Hours (via the sign‑up link in the documentation) to raise these workflow impacts directly with the product team.
     • General feedback can be submitted through the standard Microsoft 365 feedback channels referenced in the docs.

In summary, some legacy UI features for local vs cloud control and tagging have been intentionally retired with the new OneDrive app and related platform changes. The supported way to manage storage location is now via Files On‑Demand in File Explorer, and the supported way to organize and locate files is via favorites, filters, and search in the new OneDrive experience.

References:

• Introducing the new OneDrive app for Microsoft 365 web and Microsoft 365 Windows
• Use OneDrive on Windows 10 devices (Xbox, HoloLens, Surface Hub, or tablets)
• Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows