OneDrive for Windows 11 set up

I want to use OneDrive as a backup as security for my files and for sharing with my other computers. I DO NOT need to save space on my local drive and want my files to stay on my local drive! I have looked high and low for a simple answer on how to set up OneDrive to do this resulting in nothing but confusion. Also, if OneDrive can't operate that way, I had hoped someone could clarify that for me I've seen all kinds of suggestions on how to restore my files back to my local computer, but that's not what I'm looking for. So far it has messed up my desktop, and though I'm "almost" sure I still have the files. It deleted my document, desktop, and pictures folders from within my user folder. I've tried to restore things to the way they were before OneDrive, but I'm just very uneasy about using it. Their promotion of the program sounded like just what I wanted, but either due to its inability to and/or my ignorance about how to set it up has really freaked me out! Please, any help would be appreciated, or even a recommendation just forget the program. I just hate to let the cloud space I've paid for with Office 365 go unused.

I'm running Windows 11 Pro, version 22H2, OS build 22621.2070

shaverdave said:

I've tried to restore things to the way they were before OneDrive,

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It's very difficult to advise how to fix it since we have no idea what your have done thus far nor do we know the current state of your user folders. To move your files back to your hard drive you should have used this tutorial. https://www.elevenforum.com/t/turn-on-or-off-onedrive-folder-backup-syncing-across-windows-11-devices.4321/

We'll try to straighten it out.
Please RIGHT click on each of your user folders (Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Videos, Downloads, Music)
Select properties, Select location tab,
Report back what is in the location box of each of those folders.

I've used OneDrive for the last 16 years and do exactly what your wanting to do.

OneDrive has done one thing with Windows 11 that has a lot of folks confused and I also disagree with how they did it. It's easily explained though. As soon as you implement OneDrive it moves the data in your Documents and PIctures folders to the folders with the same names that are located inside the OneDrive folder. Your local Documents and Pictures folders are now empty and your Documents and Pictures data is now in the folders with the same names in the OneDrive folder. It isn't anything to be concerned about once you understand what has happened. In fact, it's actually doing exactly what you want to do. Microsoft certainly should have better explained what they were doing though.

I also subscribe to Microsoft 365 and, as you know, it includes a Terabyte of cloud OneDrive. I keep all of my data and photos in my OneDrive folder and I then choose the option to TURN OFF "Files On Demand". What this does is create a real-time mirror of all the data you choose to keep in your OneDrive folder. I have 202.7GB of data and pictures that I mirror in cloud OneDrive. This allows me to always have a real-time backup of all my pictures and data in my Terabyte of cloud OneDrive. I have a second computer and it also is kept up to date with my data and pictures in real-time. I also have access to all my data and pictures using OneDrive on my Pixel 7 Pro smart phone. I love it.

If you have questions or are unsure of anything, just ask, and I will be monitoring this thread.

To understand what's going on in cloud OneDrive, you use the little cloud icon in the Tray area over on the right hand side of the task bar.

Click on the cloud icon. At the top of the window you now see a gear icon (Settings) that you use to change from the default of "Files On Demand" = ON to "Files On Demand" = OFF. This keeps everything in real-time sync between cloud OneDrive and your local OneDrive folder.

In the bottom center of the window, you can choose to look at your files as they exist in cloud OneDrive.
In the bottom left of the window, you can choose to look at your files as they exist in local OneDrive.

This should put your mind at ease as to what is actually happening with OneDrive.

In a nutshell, everything that you have in your local OneDrive folder is mirrored in real-time in cloud OneDrive. If you have anything you don't want in cloud OneDrive, don't put it in the OneDrive folder. Anything that you want mirrored (backed up in real-time) in cloud OneDrive, put it in your OneDrive folder. It's really as simple as that.

Thanks to all for your replies and help. I believe I have now solved the problems I was having. I had missed the "Files On-Demand" setting in "advanced settings". After I un-ticked the setting and restored my files to my computer it appears that it is now working the way I wanted. Thanks again!

Sounds great @shaverdave !

BTW, another advantage of using Files On Demand OFF and keeping all your data locally as well as in cloud OneDrive is the ability to use other backup strategies in tandem with OneDrive. I also use Microsoft File History and Macrium Reflect drive images in my 3 tier backup strategy.

Again, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, as I have decades of experience with OneDrive and I absolutely love it.