OneDrive: Still the elephant in the room.

Dru2 said:

I'm simply going to say the biggest issue with OneDrive is the end user's fear and lack of understanding.

And yes, I use OneDrive and find it extremely convenient to the point I couldn't live without. It's even on my Android phone.

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And I too am in agreement with you on all points. I too would not want to use Windows without OneDrive!

And, as always, here come the Microsoft conspiracy theorists.

pparks1 said:

Microsoft is pushing OneDrive as it's a great way for Non techies to have their files not only stored on their local computer, but also have a secondary copy in the cloud that is taken care of without them having to lift a finger.

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If the User Folders are being automatically placed on Onedrive how are they being stored locally? I don't think I can test it out because only my Pictures and Documents are on OneDrive and I moved them there. The other folders I moved to my D: drive.

Winuser said:

If the User Folders are being automatically placed on Onedrive how are they being stored locally?

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With all due respect, that question illustrates a misunderstanding of how OneDrive works.

Anything you put in your local OneDrive folder is mirrored in cloud OneDrive. Whatever you put in your OneDrive folder exists in two places. It exists on your computer and it exists in cloud OneDrive at the same time.

If you have data you don't want stored in cloud OneDrive, you simply don't put it in your local OneDrive folder.

@Winuser You can make this experiment.

Make two windows. Make one local OneDrive. Make the other cloud OneDrive.

Create a text file in cloud OneDrive. Within seconds an exact copy of that file appears in your local OneDrive folder.

Now delete that file in your local OneDrive folder. Within seconds the file in cloud OneDrive disappears.

Your local OneDrive folder and cloud OneDrive are kept identical in real-time.

What's the deal with the constant OneDrive War!?!?!?

Either use it or uninstall it! What's the big deal???

Edwin said:

What's the deal with the constant OneDrive War!?!?!?

Either use it or uninstall it! What's the big deal???

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Right on brother!

TraderGary said:

With all due respect, that question illustrates a misunderstanding of how OneDrive works.

Anything you put in your local OneDrive folder is mirrored in cloud OneDrive. Whatever you put in your OneDrive folder exists in two places. It exists on your computer and it exists in cloud OneDrive at the same time.

If you have data you don't want stored in cloud OneDrive, you simply don't put it in your local OneDrive folder.

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When you check the location of one of your user folders and as an example it says something like C:\Users\User name\OneDrive the folder is actually stored on your local drive? Don't you have to actually access the file/folder while being connected to the internet first. And that only depend on how you have your OneDrive setting setup?

Winuser said:

When you check the location of one of your user folders and as an example it says something like C:\Users\User name\OneDrive the folder is actually stored on your local drive?

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Yes.

TraderGary said:

Yes.

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If I remember correctly when I setup my folders stored on OneDrive I had to choose the option to download any files or folders I accessed to my computer. I could be wrong but that's the way I remember it.

Winuser said:

I totally agree. I also think that MS needs to realize that not everyone needs or wants it. IMHO they want OneDrive to not only be installed but to takeover the User Folders so they can either sell more OneDrive storage or Microsoft 365 subsciptions.

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sure, it could sell more storage space, and the cheapest and best way to get it from MS is Office 365.......but it could also be that Microsoft would like to save their end-users data such that if they change computers, (either upgrading or their computer died) and their more important data is still there with no input from the end-user.

WIth systems like Chromebooks that save to the cloud, Apple which likes to save and backup to iCloud, why would MIcrosoft not want to have an option to keep them in good graces with their consumers.

Winuser said:

If I remember correctly when I setup my folders stored on OneDrive I had to choose the option to download any files or folders I accessed to my computer. I could be wrong but that's the way I remember it.

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You're remembering correctly.

There's an option in OneDrive settings called "Files On Demand". The default is to set Files On Demand to ON. What that does is allow you to keep only designated files to be stored BOTH locally and in cloud OneDrive. That way you can have cloud OneDrive storage that is actually larger than your local OneDrive folder. You just tell OneDrive which files you would like to always be stored locally.

When you set Files On Demand to be OFF, then all files on OneDrive are kept both locally and on OneDrive. I set my Files On Demand to OFF. That way when I do my FileHistory and Macrium Image backups, I back up everything. My local drive is one terabyte and my cloud OneDrive is also one terabyte and they always mirror each other.

pparks1 said:

sure, it could sell more storage space, and the cheapest and best way to get it from MS is Office 365.......but it could also be that Microsoft would like to save their end-users data such that if they change computers, (either upgrading or their computer died) and their more important data is still there with no input from the end-user.

WIth systems like Chromebooks that save to the cloud, Apple which likes to save and backup to iCloud, why would MIcrosoft not want to have an option to keep them in good graces with their consumers.

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If that was their main purpose then they would have increased the amount of free storage space. Did I miss any post of where MS in their generosity and concern for users data that they increased the amount of free storage?

Winuser said:

If that was their main purpose then they would have increased the amount of free storage space. Did I miss any post of where MS in their generosity and concern for users data that they increased the amount of free storage?

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OneDrive storage in the beginning was unlimited. What happened was that users started storing large numbers of huge image backups and huge amounts of music and movies. People abused the unlimited storage like crazy.

Winuser said:

If that was their main purpose then they would have increased the amount of free storage space. Did I miss any post of where MS in their generosity and concern for users data that they increased the amount of free storage?

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I didn't say it was their main purpose, but it certainly doesn't make them look bad either. Also, Google and Apple (Same 5GB) both only supply a small amount of storage space for free.

2TB of iCloud space is $9.99 per month (in the US where I am), so 119.88 a year. For $69 a year, with Office 365, you get 1TB (which is 1/2 the space...for about 1/2 the price) and you get Office on any and every device you may have. If you go with the $99 Office 365 plan, you get 6 users each getting 1TB....so 3x as much space as iCloud. You can share them with friends family, even split the cost if you like. $99 / 6 is $16.50 a year.. For $16.50 you can give a friend 1TB of space and Office on any and every device.

You can also do the Basic sub which gets you 100GB of space for just $2 a month, or $20 if paid yearly.

From a price perspective, Microsoft has always been super competitive with any provider and with Office 365, if you need Office, it's almost a no-brainer. (if you are going to use cloud space).

TraderGary said:

You're remembering correctly.

There's an option in OneDrive settings called "Files On Demand". The default is to set Files On Demand to ON. What that does is allow you to keep only designated files to be stored BOTH locally and in cloud OneDrive. That way you can have cloud OneDrive storage that is actually larger than your local OneDrive folder. You just tell OneDrive which files you would like to always be stored locally.

When you set Files On Demand to be OFF, then all files on OneDrive are kept both locally and on OneDrive. I set my Files On Demand to OFF. That way when I do my FileHistory and Macrium Image backups, I back up everything. My local drive is one terabyte and my cloud OneDrive is also one terabyte and they always mirror each other.

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A true test would be from someone who setup a new computer and let MS place their User Folders to OneDrive and see if any files they added are still available if the first attempt was done without internet access. We have been there and done that so unless we do a completely clean install can't say for sure. You may be correct but that's the only way that I see we can know for sure is with a new setup and one disconnecting from the internet after uploading their files and before trying to access them the first time. There is no way in heck without actual proof that you're going to convince me that the motive of what MS is doing is not about either selling more OneDrive Space or a Microsoft 365 subscription.

TraderGary said:

OneDrive storage in the beginning was unlimited. What happened was that users started storing large numbers of huge image backups and huge amounts of music and movies. People abused the unlimited storage like crazy.

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I didn't say that it should be unlimited but the free limit is far from being adequate for most user.

pparks1 said:

I didn't say it was their main purpose, but it certainly doesn't make them look bad either.

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Yes it does. And the reason is that they are trying their best to steer new user to use a very limited amount of free One Drive storage space. If not they would have made new users choose to opt in to OneDrive storage instead of making it the default.

Winuser said:

Yes it does. And the reason is that they are trying their best to steer new user to use a very limited amount of free One Drive storage space. If not they would have made new users choose to opt in to OneDrive storage instead of making it the default.

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On the flip side, for average joe who doesn't consider himself a computer guy, and doesn't have the knowledge to do backups, if Microsoft didn't automatically put things in OneDrive for him, there would be 0 benefit to that customer of having OneDrive around. They probably wouldn't discover it on their own and get it setup. It sorta needs to just automatically work for them.

These same consumers when they fill up their space, will either just accept a few bucks a month to increase it to 100GB, or will get somebody to help them move their data elsewhere.

You can never make everyone happy.

I hope this makes my feelings about OneDrive more understandable. OneDrive is great and I use it. It's the way MS is trying to make everyone use it and it's wrong. If MS isn't trying to force users into buying more storage space or a Microsoft 365 subscription they should increase the amount of free storage space or make OneDrive a opt in choice and not an opt out choice.

pparks1 said:

On the flip side, for average joe who doesn't consider himself a computer guy, and doesn't have the knowledge to do backups, if Microsoft didn't automatically put things in OneDrive for him, there would be 0 benefit to that customer of having OneDrive around. They probably wouldn't discover it on their own and get it setup. It sorta needs to just automatically work for them.

These same consumers when they fill up their space, will either just accept a few bucks a month to increase it to 100GB, or will get somebody to help them move their data elsewhere.

You can never make everyone happy.

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Do we really need Momma Microsoft holding our hands and telling us what we want and need? I and many others don't.