General Enable or Disable Show OneDrive Status on Navigation Pane in Windows 11

Brink · Dec 5, 2022

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off always show availability status of your OneDrive files on-demand in the navigation pane of File Explorer for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

You can use OneDrive to sync files and folders between your computer and the cloud, so you can get to your files from anywhere - your computer, your mobile device, and even through the OneDrive website at OneDrive.com. If you add, change, or delete a file or folder in your OneDrive folder, the file or folder is added, changed, or deleted on the OneDrive website and vice versa. You can work with your synced files directly in File Explorer and access your files even when you’re offline. Whenever you’re online, any changes that you or others make will sync automatically.

OneDrive Files On-Demand helps you access all your cloud storage in OneDrive without having to download all of them and use file storage space on your Windows device.

When you turn on Files On-Demand, you’ll see all your files in File Explorer and get new information about each file. New files created online or on another device appear as online-only files, which don’t take up space on your device. When you’re connected to the Internet, you’ll be able to use the files like every other file on your device.

You will know that Files On-Demand is turned on if you see the status icons next to your files in File Explorer.

Your files will have these status states in File Explorer:

Online-only	A blue cloud icon next to a OneDrive file or folder indicates that the file is only available online. Online-only files don’t take up space on your computer. You see a cloud icon for each online-only file in File Explorer, but the file doesn’t download to your device until you open it. You can’t open online-only files when your device isn’t connected to the Internet.
Locally available	When you open an online-only file, it downloads to your device and becomes a locally available file. You can open a locally available file anytime, even without Internet access. If you need more space, you can change the file back to online only. Just right-click the file and select Free up space. With Storage Sense turned on, these files will become online-only files after the time period you've selected.
Always available	Only files that you mark as Always keep on this device have the green circle with the white check mark. These always available files download to your device and take up space, but they’re always there for you even when you’re offline.

Contents

Option One: Turn On or Off Show OneDrive Availability State on Navigation Pane in Folder Options
Option Two: Turn On or Off Show OneDrive Availability State on Navigation Pane using REG file

EXAMPLE: OneDrive "Always show availability status" on navigation pane turned on and off

Option One

Turn On or Off Show OneDrive Availability State on Navigation Pane in Folder Options

1 Open Folder Options.

2 Click/tap on the View tab. (see screenshot below)

3 Check (on - default) or uncheck (off) Always show availability status for what you want.

4 Click/tap on OK.

Option Two

Turn On or Off Show OneDrive Availability State on Navigation Pane using REG file

1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.

2 Turn On Show OneDrive Availability State on Navigation Pane

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_ON_show_OneDrive_availablity_status_in_navigation_pane_of_File_Explorer.reg

Download

(Contents of REG file for reference)

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NavPaneShowAllCloudStates"=dword:00000001

3 Turn Off Show OneDrive Availability State on Navigation Pane

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_OFF_show_OneDrive_availablity_status_in_navigation_pane_of_File_Explorer.reg

Download

(Contents of REG file for reference)

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NavPaneShowAllCloudStates"=dword:00000000

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 If File Explorer is currently open, then close and reopen File Explorer to apply.

8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn Brink