Issues Bulk Downloading All Files From OneDrive to Mac

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Issues Bulk Downloading All Files From OneDrive to Mac

Onasis91 0

Hello, I am trying to download all of my Onedrive files (50GB) from the cloud to my external hard drive. I am on a Mac. I have gone on the One Drive website, selected all files, and downloaded. However, when the download is complete, there are files deep in the filepath that are missing, and whole folders that are empty. I then tried to download in about 10 smaller batches, and got the same issue. This is really frustrating. Any fix would be much appreciated.

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Anonymous

Please note that we're not Microsoft Support; this is a user-to-user community forum. Moderators here don't have access to your environment or Microsoft's backend systems, so we can only provide guidance based on public documentation and community experience.

Hi Onasis91

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum.

I understand how concerning this can be, especially when you're trying to download a large amount of data and discover that files or folders appear to be missing afterward.

Based on my research, when you select multiple files, OneDrive packages them into a ZIP file before downloading. Web downloads are also subject to certain conditions, such as file count and ZIP size constraints. Depending on these factors, some files may not be included in the downloaded ZIP.

Reference: Download files and folders from OneDrive or SharePoint | Microsoft Support

Given the size of your OneDrive (~50GB), you may want to try using the OneDrive sync app instead:

Install the OneDrive app on your Mac and sign in
Let your files sync to Finder
Right‑click your OneDrive folder and choose “Always keep on this device”
Once everything is fully downloaded locally, copy the files to your external drive

Best regards,

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Onasis91 0 Reputation points

2026-06-24T03:16:14.9+00:00

Thank you for your response. The problem is I don’t have enough room on my computer so I am trying to download on my external hard drive. I’m not sure if I use the “always keep on my device” if it is possible to put that information on the external drive
Anonymous

2026-06-24T04:22:07.0266667+00:00
Hi Onasis91

The workaround I mentioned (using "Always keep on this device") typically involves downloading the files to your Mac first, then copying them to your external drive afterward.

If your Mac doesn't have enough free space to download everything at once, you can apply this on a per-folder (or even per-file) basis instead:

In Finder, right-click a folder that fits within your available free space and select Always Keep on This Device

Once the folder has finished downloading, copy it to your external drive

Right-click the same folder and select Free Up Space to remove the local copy and reclaim storage

Repeat the process for the remaining folders until everything has been transferred

While looking into this further, you may also refer to Microsoft's guidance on using OneDrive with an external drive: Install OneDrive on an external drive | Microsoft Support

However, there are some requirements and conditions that need to be met for this setup, so it may not be suitable for every external drive configuration. For that reason, the per-folder approach above may be the simplest option to try first.

Best regards,
Onasis91 0 Reputation points

2026-06-24T14:12:04.9766667+00:00

Thanks Dora. Unfortunately it will take ages if I download folders in smaller batches given the lack of space on my Mac hard drive. Is there a better way? Someone mentioned Ediscovery tool?
Anonymous

2026-06-25T04:53:46.2166667+00:00

Hi Onasis91

Unfortunately, based on the publicly available information I have access to, the workaround I suggested is the best approach I can offer for this scenario.

If the eDiscovery tool you mentioned is Microsoft Purview eDiscovery, then yes, it can be used to export OneDrive data.

However, based on my research and testing, after the export is prepared, the data is still downloaded to your local machine. You would then need to manually copy the exported files to your external drive afterward. As a result, it may not fully address the storage limitation you described if your Mac doesn't have enough available space for the download.

Best regards,