Solved Has OneDrive gone insane?!

hader · 2026-07-22T14:27:19-0400

Scannerman said:
OneDrive is included as part of the Windows OS. I paid for my OS. I realize not everyone does but even if they just purchase a license key that OS was technically paid for. If MS never claimed that OneDrive was a backup solution they certainly imply it. If you chose their "Backup Now" option this is precisely where it takes you. Your data is backed up on OneDrive. If you don't have enough space you will be required to purchase more. You start out with 1TB if you have Office 365. You still have the option to purchase more. Your files and folders are backed up to OneDrive. It sounds easy.

So let's say you no longer choose to pay MS to keep your data backed up. Can you get it back? A: Not easily and not always. Funny stuff happens. There are issues. There are bugs. There are updates that can adversely affect your selections. In effect MS is in a position to hold your data until you agree to pay for it. Indubitably others have had a more positive experience with OneDrive. In all fairness I can only express what I have personally experienced with this app. I agree that OneDrive is NOT a true backup solution. This should be enough to cause someone to consider using a different method of backing up their data and their operating system. Sadly, many of these "Clouds" can generate issues when the user chooses to keep their data backed up on their own systems in addition to someone else's data base. I have found what works for me. Not everyone has a PC with 60TB of storage. I understand. Again: User preference prevails. Mileage may vary. There are so many better options available than OneDrive.

In essence simple users don't know what a real backup means. They assume something that is not true. OneDrive can backup some of your personal data and maybe all of it if you pay for it. (that is not free) I have seen so many times that people assume something and only after a fatal crash saw their data was gone. Could retrieve some of it with OneDrive but not everything. You have paid for Windows OS. (Even that is not true anymore. You can have Windows for a small fee now. (You only have to buy a licence. Just for Windows. Not for with or without Onedrive.) In exchange they harvest your data in order to sell that information to advertisement and other company's who are interested in that data.) That OneDrive is an extra free service. It is not a real part of the OS. Just an add-on. They saw what Google did earlier and wanted one of their own as an extra service. You did not pay for that extra service. MS profits from that sold data not from licences. Their businessmodel has changed. Less Windows users means not less sold licences but less data to sell. They put more and more stuff into Windows we did not asked for. More data to sell is the reality. That where their real profits comes from.

And I can't afford 60Tb of storage either. Not needed. 1 good backup at a secure location is enough. And important personal data on a USB stick and other personal data on a different disk. I only have in total of 14Tb of disks connected by many means to my PC (portable USB's/NMVe's/HDD's) . Not all of them are active. And much of the data is old. So I throw stuff away that is outdated. And by using swappable HDD of 4Tb's somewhat more. An other solution is using tapes but was in a gone by era. All my precious documents and photo's fit's on a 1Tb disk. (For a photo enthousiast much more) No need to have 60Tb.... Bought programs are on DVD or when download I burn onto a DVD together with the rest of the programs. Some stuff becomes outdated. That goes into the bin because there are new versions of the same program.

And

If MS never claimed that OneDrive was a backup solution they certainly imply it. If you chose their "Backup Now" option this is precisely where it takes you. Your data is backed up on OneDrive. If you don't have enough space you will be required to purchase more.

Assumption. Where did you see that OneDrive backups complete drives? It just backups a part of your personal data. Not your whole system. When every thing is lost. 2 solutions. 1) Restore a backup you have made earlier. Or 2) Install windows, programs etc. and retrieve some of your personal data by using OneDrive. Everything outside OneDrive is lost. So by definition this is not a real backup. MS never claimed it was. Because a button says "Backup now" doesn't mean it is uploading a complete image of your entire PC to MS. Yet again an assumption. It just is what i have earlier. Some people don't understand what the technical word "backup" really means. (That is not a OneDrive, Google Drive or whatever solution!!) People assuming too much and are disappointed if reality does not match what they thought what that ment in reality. OneDrive is also a milk cow. For free 5Gb. (teaser) Not enough? Buy more and more. I am IT person. In company's I have to deal with backups. 1 important disk not backed-up? Forgotten? Client's data gone? Fired!

Edwin · 2026-07-22T14:33:30-0400

Well..., that pretty much caps my quota of OneDrive banter for this month!
Sorry if I offended anyone!
My apologies to the OP for not being helpful!
Besides..., I'm fresh out of popcorn!

pparks1 · 2026-07-22T14:38:56-0400

hader said:
In essence simple users don't know what a real backup means. They assume something that is not true. OneDrive can backup some of your personal data and maybe all of it if you pay for it. (that is not free)

True, but also true with other operating systems as well. Apple doesn't give you unlimited storage for free.

hader said:
They put more and more stuff into Windows we did not asked for. More data to sell is the reality. That where their real profits comes from.

But lots of people do want their data available to them from various devices that they may own. The real profit comes in from selling storage on a subscription service that people keep paying for. I'm more than willing to pay that for the convenience and piece of mind I get.

hader said:
And I can't afford 60Tb of storage either. Not needed.

Yeah, I only put in things on OneDrive and such that are personally created documents, or pictures that cannot be replaced. I don't backup ISO file's of OS's, or MP3 files of music that I have ripped from my CD's, or TV shows that I have downloaded. All of that stuff can be easily replaced and I don't care to back it all up.

TraderGary · 2026-07-22T15:09:46-0400

@hader
Microsoft does not harvest and sell your data. Don't promote conspiracy theories.
I know English is not your first language, so if I misunderstood what you said, please tell me.

gunrunnerjohn · 2026-07-22T15:16:45-0400

OneDrive is not backup by any measure IMO. Backup presumes just that, a backup copy! Ideally, a backup copy is one that you write, check to make sure it's written, and then never access unless you need to restore the file. It's not a dynamic location where you read/write files willy-nilly as you work! Mirroring a file to the cloud doesn't do any good if with a keystroke you can kill off your local copy and the cloud copy, that's NOT backup.

Marie SWE · 2026-07-22T15:47:28-0400

Edwin said:
Besides..., I'm fresh out of popcorn!

Should i make more for you?

*lol*

Edwin · 2026-07-22T15:56:54-0400

Marie SWE said:
Should i make more for you?

Naw..., I'm good, but, thank you for offering!

I could use a toothpick though!

(Damn!!! I just re-watched!!!)

Marie SWE · 2026-07-22T16:01:57-0400

Edwin said:
Naw..., I'm good, but, thank you for offering!
I could use a toothpick though!

(Damn!!! I just re-watched!!!)

sticks

and a toothbrush.

will they do?

cheaterslick · 2026-07-22T16:29:51-0400

Scannerman said:
"Back up your PC now.. " lol

Hey, sounds like a back up plan!

Oh goody! A back up plan! A back up plan! :star:

gunrunnerjohn · 2026-07-22T18:06:44-0400

cheaterslick said:
Hey, sounds like a back up plan!

Oh goody! A back up plan! A back up plan!

Obviously we're no longer talking about OneDrive, right?

Edwin · 2026-07-22T18:22:22-0400

I think the question that needs to be addressed here is:
Who should be held accountable when OneDrive behaves abnormally behind the back of an unsuspecting user, Microsoft for not fully disclosing how radical OneDrive implements itself, or the user themself for neglecting to take the OneDrive 101 course prior to using their PC?

HeavyHemi · 2026-07-22T18:42:17-0400

Edwin said:
I think the question that needs to be addressed here is:
Who should be held accountable when OneDrive behaves abnormally behind the back of an unsuspecting user, Microsoft for not fully disclosing how radical OneDrive implements itself, or the user themself for neglecting to take the OneDrive 101 course prior to using their PC?

Ha... well first, this being Microsoft, define what is abnormal. Frankly I think MS could solve 75% of the issues if they made OneDrive opt in with clear options on how you set it up and how it interacts with your system.

pparks1 · 2026-07-22T18:45:23-0400

gunrunnerjohn said:
OneDrive is not backup by any measure IMO. Backup presumes just that, a backup copy! Ideally, a backup copy is one that you write, check to make sure it's written, and then never access unless you need to restore the file. It's not a dynamic location where you read/write files willy-nilly as you work! Mirroring a file to the cloud doesn't do any good if with a keystroke you can kill off your local copy and the cloud copy, that's NOT backup.

Kinda is, when you have revision history for the copy in the cloud. Just sayin

pparks1 · 2026-07-22T18:46:54-0400

Edwin said:
I think the question that needs to be addressed here is:
Who should be held accountable when OneDrive behaves abnormally behind the back of an unsuspecting user, Microsoft for not fully disclosing how radical OneDrive implements itself, or the user themself for neglecting to take the OneDrive 101 course prior to using their PC?

I think when the user just uses OneDrive without a bunch of tinkering, it's not really that difficult to understand.

KevTech · 2026-07-22T18:55:45-0400

TraderGary said:
Microsoft does not harvest and sell your data. Don't promote conspiracy theories.

But they do retain the right to do whatever they want with your content.

From #2 Your Content of the Microsoft Services Agreement

To the extent necessary to provide the Services to you and others, to protect you and the Services, and to improve Microsoft products and services, you grant to Microsoft a worldwide and royalty-free intellectual property license to use Your Content, for example, to make copies of, retain, transmit, reformat, display, and distribute via communication tools Your Content on the Services.

Edwin · 2026-07-22T19:01:50-0400

Selling your data as opposed to using your data for targeted advertising..., it amounts to the same thing.

TraderGary · 2026-07-22T19:10:06-0400

HeavyHemi said:
Ha... well first, this being Microsoft, define what is abnormal. Frankly I think MS could solve 75% of the issues if they made OneDrive opt in with clear options on how you set it up and how it interacts with your system.

Agreed. Up until 2023 OneDrive was OFF by default and purely a user option. MS should have left it that way.

TraderGary · 2026-07-22T19:19:55-0400

Edwin said:
Selling your data as opposed to using your data for targeted advertising..., it amounts to the same thing.

You must grant Microsoft the option to use your data for targeted advertising. Unfortunately, that's the default for those with limited reading abilities who just rapidly click through settings accepting everything. :eyeroll:

Solved Has OneDrive gone insane?!

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