OneDrive: Still the elephant in the room.

My main beef with One drive is my internet bandwidth and data limit. Too much data to sync all the time.
Another one is limited space that is somewhere between 5-10% of my data backups on several locally accessible HDDs. over USB. There are other cloud storage services with more favorable conditions. OD is far from only game in town.

Edwin said:

Jeebus!!!
This could go on for decades!!!

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HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

CountMike said:

My main beef with One drive is my internet bandwidth and data limit. Too much data to sync all the time.
Another one is limited space that is somewhere between 5-10% of my data backups on several locally accessible HDDs. over USB. There are other cloud storage services with more favorable conditions. OD is far from only game in town.

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The best cloud is the cloud you provide for yourself. Of course, not everyone can do that but the best is rarely ever common. The house burns down, there's a flood, the sky falls... Oh well. Life goes on. In the meantime there are alternatives. If I can't even make a safe recovery with Windows software why should I trust them to keep my data safe on their server? A: I can't. I'm better off keeping a server in the garage or basement.

I do respect other people's choices and if they're happy with One Drive then bully for them. For me it is more hassle than it is worth. But that's just me. Once again, user preference rules.

CountMike said:

My main beef with One drive is my internet bandwidth and data limit. Too much data to sync all the time.

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You can run it once in a while (a week or a month), let it sync and then close it. I sync icedrive like that.

The Quiet Mouse in the House

Install>Sign in>Choose a folder>Done!

antspants said:

I still don’t understand why it’s a problem that people like mysef just don’t trust our stuff being online. Why would you, is what goes through my mind. But I have said before, I respect that people want to use it. It’s a choice, not an argument.

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Exactly. It took me a long time to even think about uploading my stuff to "the cloud", and I still don't completely trust it. A lot of files are there for convenience, but my most sensitive files are still with me. All files, "cloud" or not, are backed up nightly or weekly on three external drives.

But like you say, it's a choice. There's no reason to look down on either side, because we all have different ways of doing things. That being said, I'm looking at finding a way to not need "the cloud".

And yes, I put that name in quotes because it's a silly marketing label. And it worked on a lot of people, lol.

cbiweb said:

And yes, I put that name in quotes because it's a silly marketing label. And it worked on a lot of people, lol.

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Clouds have specific meaning in network diagrams. That’s where the term comes from.

One thing some might not be aware of is the fact that OneDrive contains a folder within it called Personal Vault. It is a secure folder requiring its own set of credentials (separate from OneDrive) to access it.




For those (me) who use/want to use OneDrive but have sensitive information you'd like to keep a bit more secure within OneDrive, Personal Vault is the answer. If you're the "I don't trust OneDrive no matter what" person, then this isn't addressed to you.

@Dru2 I've made good use of the OneDrive Vault since it was introduced. It's quick and easy to use with Windows Hello and Biometric 2FA.

TraderGary said:

@Dru2 I've made good use of the OneDrive Vault since it was introduced. It's quick and easy to use with Windows Hello and Biometric 2FA.

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Definitely

antspants said:

I still don’t understand why it’s a problem that people like mysef just don’t trust our stuff being online. Why would you, is what goes through my mind. But I have said before, I respect that people want to use it. It’s a choice, not an argument.

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cbiweb said:

Exactly. It took me a long time to even think about uploading my stuff to "the cloud", and I still don't completely trust it. A lot of files are there for convenience, but my most sensitive files are still with me. All files, "cloud" or not, are backed up nightly or weekly on three external drives.

But like you say, it's a choice. There's no reason to look down on either side, because we all have different ways of doing things. That being said, I'm looking at finding a way to not need "the cloud".

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No, my friends, it's not so simple as a CHOICE. It's a barrier one has to figure out and implement a way around every SINGLE TIME: 1) Microsoft deems it's time to accept a system update; 2) you try and download a pdf file describing the bill you just paid because the company you just paid just quotes you a final figure and not all the charges leading up to it; 3) any software program download automatically; 4) most of all, every new (Word, Excel, etc, etc, etc,) document you try and save to your hard drive.
No, your hard drive--as consequential as we all, who dream that maybe something we discovered or found interesting, might change the world, is potential profit to a company that only needs, with artificial intelligence or not, sift through YOUR documents--and steal it.

What's annoying is that, in the process of setting us all up, Microsoft doesn't care to even bother about instructing their programmers to create clean programs. Constantly (as I displayed in my earlier post to this thread, and many more examples I've not immediately recorded) I'm finding inconsistent and sloppy (UI-specific, cause that's all we get to see) programming errors. When you've got your grip on your user base this tight, it doesn't matter how well or consistently your program works...

Scannerman said:

*posting tip - When you criticize Windows with humour make certain that you make it absolutely clear that you are doing just that. Some people are liable to take it personally and think you're poking fun at them. I'm not saying that you're doing this, I'm saying that I've done it and I didn't know what the problem was until I realized they were taking my jokes about a product personally.

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*LOL* Linux forums is hundred times worse then 7,8,10,11forums are.. Just say one negative thing about the Linux distribution in question on the forum you are on, and you get more or less lynched. On tenforums my first post had get me lynched, killed and banned for life if i had made the same entry on a linux forum. *LOL*

But yeah i do agree some fanboys/girls on linux and windows and mac forums do get personally offended if you say things about the OS in question.. almost as if they had been the original programmer at Microsoft/Apple/Linux-distro so you crap down on their life-work.
I do find it kind of fun sometimes to pis-s them off a bit, just because they are so easy offended.
to 99.9999999% all OS's sucks.. Windows, Mac, Linux.. it all boils down to what sucks less and works best for your needs and needs less work to make it work as you want it to.. and that is not to criticize, its just the truth. So why should people that isn't the programmer get offended for that
I say speak your mind.

and if you ever get the chance to talk to the programmer and you dont like things.. Be nice but still speak your mind and give them good critique so they can make the product better.

Scannerman said:

Nobody is forcing any of us to use anything. This is why I make the marriage comparison. You can always divorce Windows. There will likely be some consequences should you decide to leave, but that's the price of clicking that "accept" button. Once you do that you agree to roll with the punches and embrace the good, the bad, and the downright oglee.

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almost..
sadly today's society demands we have computers and a lot of functions is digital only today and those services demands you using some software that is Microsoft or Mac only..
So some countries services do forcing us to use Windows or Mac-OS and smartphones then Its Google VS Apple instead of Microsoft VS Apple.
and sadly you can not use the product if you dont agree with the policy or user agreement. So be without Banking or Use the software for the banking.. Be without some healthcare services or use the software.. Sure you can skip it and have no bank and no healthcare.. and how long can you live in a modern society then?
So sadly we are forced if we want to live.

But some things like Facebook if our work dont DEMAND we have an account can be avoided. *LOL*






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as for cloud storage.. That is good if its used correct.. Do i trust my data on Onedrive/googledrive and so on... heck no.. But its still a good service for right type of data.. the one i dont go under if its leaking out or MS/Google/apple uses for AI training or other..
Do i trust Onedrive private-somthing-somthing to keep my sensitive data safe.. absolutely not.. But you can use an encrypted container on your computer and then you upload that encrypted container(file) to onedrive and your data is encrypted in an encrypted environment.. so even if they would manage to hack onedrive or some CVE makes a backdoor in to the data thats gives access to your files.. It's still an encrypted file they only can see.. That way you get a dual layer of security and not all eggs in the same basket.
So cloud storage is good.. if you use it for the right things and the right way if its sensitive stuff.


I like the thread, i have to read it from the beginning.

Marie SWE said:

*LOL* Linux forums is hundred times worse then 7,8,10,11forums are.. Just say one negative thing about the Linux distribution in question on the forum you are on, and you get more or less lynched. On tenforums my first post had get me lynched, killed and banned for life if i had made the same entry on a linux forum. *LOL*

But yeah i do agree some fanboys/girls on linux and windows and mac forums do get personally offended if you say things about the OS in question.. almost as if they had been the original programmer at Microsoft/Apple/Linux-distro so you crap down on their life-work. I do find it kind of fun sometimes to pis-s them off a bit, just because they are so easy offended. to 99.9999999% all OS's sucks.. Windows, Mac, Linux.. it all boils down to what sucks less and works best for your needs and needs less work to make it work as you want it to.. and that is not to criticize, its just the truth. So why should people that isn't the programmer get offended for that I say speak your mind. and if you ever get the chance to talk to the programmer and you dont like things.. Be nice but still speak your mind and give them good critique so they can make the product better.


sadly today's society demands we have computers and a lot of functions is digital only today and those services demands you using some software that is Microsoft or Mac only.. So some countries services do forcing us to use Windows or Mac-OS and smartphones then Its Google VS Apple instead of Microsoft VS Apple. and sadly you can not use the product if you dont agree with the policy or user agreement. So be without Banking or Use the software for the banking.. Be without some healthcare services or use the software.. Sure you can skip it and have no bank and no healthcare.. and how long can you live in a modern society then?
So sadly we are forced if we want to live. But some things like Facebook if our work dont DEMAND we have an account can be avoided. *LOL*

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as for cloud storage.. That is good if its used correct.. Do i trust my data on Onedrive/googledrive and so on... heck no.. But its still a good service for right type of data.. the one i dont go under if its leaking out or MS/Google/apple uses for AI training or other.. Do i trust Onedrive private-somthing-somthing to keep my sensitive data safe.. absolutely not.. But you can use an encrypted container on your computer and then you upload that encrypted container(file) to onedrive and your data is encrypted in an encrypted environment.. so even if they would manage to hack onedrive or some CVE makes a backdoor in to the data thats gives access to your files.. It's still an encrypted file they only can see.. That way you get a dual layer of security and not all eggs in the same basket.
So cloud storage is good.. if you use it for the right things and the right way if its sensitive stuff.


I like the thread, i have to read it from the beginning.

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Hello, Marie

I've been giving this thread the occasional pat on the back since it was first posted and it just keeps on rolling under its own momentum. I'm glad to read that you enjoyed reading this thread so far, as it has provided me a rather convenient receptacle for venting. For the most part I find this forum is a pretty good crew. There's enough tolerance and regard for one another for all of us to take part in dignified and meaningful discussion. Being on the Windows forums (all moderated by the same) from 7 on up, I'm inclined to agree with you.

Some of the forums in the Linux community can be extremely harsh, but I've also found good help there as well. My observation is that there will be trolls no matter where one goes. Myself, I save my ridicule and browbeating for companies and products. Despite all the legalese I do not think a corporation to be a person per se and I do not regard a product in the same way as I regard a genuine member of homo sapiens, no matter how "good" the AI. So yes, I will ridicule, degenerate, castigate, excoriate, and reprimand these things freely and openly regardless of whose sacred cow they might happen to be.

The reason I made that "Nobody is forcing any of us to use anything" statement is because someone had already made it before I did in defence of One Drive. I agree with them completely in that regard. Ultimately we are not so much forced into such things as you have mentioned (see above) as we are compelled to embrace them. We could all live as Luddites if we so chose, but because this choice of lifestyle is not necessarily convenient or even practical most of us do not make this choice. There are very likely no Luddites reading this thread.

So once again we come to the crux of the matter: Convenience and user preference. Personally, I respect user preference, but I question the level of convenience that the proponents of the "cloud" would defend here. Personally, I'm just not seeing it. What I'm seeing is a great deal of frustration, annoyance, and needless grief among those who try to turn off the "cloud" and it just keeps on returning. Now, I'm only brushing up against what all of this entails because I've seen that it can culminate in quite the nightmare for some individuals.

Some have claimed that One Drive is extremely convenient and would never want to be without it. I say, good for them and I'm happy for them. This should not mean that everyone should be compelled to use it to the extent that it is next to impossible to deactivate. I am of the persuasion that I am my own best first line of defence when it comes to security. I would much rather operate my own, personal cloud on my own, personal hardware. I accept that that is my own personal user preference. I should not have to be brow beaten, humiliated, or cajoled into paying for more storage on the part of another party if I want to provide it for myself. Neither do I feel that my operating system should be so compromised that if I choose not to use One Drive (or anything like it) that I should have to expend myself to any great degree declining it and trying to keep it that way.

Options matter.

CountMike said:

My main beef with One drive is my internet bandwidth and data limit. Too much data to sync all the time.
Another one is limited space that is somewhere between 5-10% of my data backups on several locally accessible HDDs. over USB. There are other cloud storage services with more favorable conditions. OD is far from only game in town.

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Yeah, upload speed issues are one of the biggest downfalls with any of these services. For me personally, I keep my OneDrive separate from my documents and local stuff. I choose the things that go out on OneDrive. My things like Macrium backups don't go out to OneDrive as I don't want to upload all of that data and eat into my bandwidth caps. Those go onto USB hard drives and at least one of them is kept offsite in case of disaster. My OneDrive has all of my technical how to documentation that I have written for myself for home and work use, it has scanned copies of receipts, has pictures from my kids events over the years, drivers for the computers i have at home, backup copies of the software and the license keys I have bought, and a handful of things I share with other people.

Scannerman said:

The best cloud is the cloud you provide for yourself. Of course, not everyone can do that but the best is rarely ever common. The house burns down, there's a flood, the sky falls... Oh well. Life goes on.

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Well, my sisters house did burn down. The backup copies of their data that they stored on writeable DVD's wasn't so useful after the fire. Having a copy offsite would have served them better.

And while you can run your own server on your property, it's one more thing to maintain, one more thing to secure, one more thing to backup, and I more thing to configure for remote access (if you so choose to have access to your files from your phone, from work, etc). I still have a file server at home and I still have some important stuff on it. But for things like my families pictures and videos from their cell phones, I don't want to keep piling up GB's and GB's of these and having to continually back them up. I just let it go to OneDrive.

And I've been using OneDrive for years. Never once have I logged in to just find everything gone. If the files went somewhere, it's because I screwed it up. Microsoft seems pretty darn capable of securing data availability and running backups and preserving our data.

Dru2 said:

One thing some might not be aware of is the fact that OneDrive contains a folder within it called Personal Vault. It is a secure folder requiring its own set of credentials (separate from OneDrive) to access it.

View attachment 78293

Enable or Disable OneDrive Personal Vault

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable Personal Vault for your OneDrive account. The options in this tutorial to enable and disable your OneDrive personal vault are no longer available. Personal Vault is a protected area in OneDrive where you can store your most important or...

www.elevenforum.com

Set up OneDrive Personal Vault in Windows 11 and Windows 10

This tutorial will show you how to set up Personal Vault in OneDrive 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...

www.elevenforum.com

For those (me) who use/want to use OneDrive but have sensitive information you'd like to keep a bit more secure within OneDrive, Personal Vault is the answer. If you're the "I don't trust OneDrive no matter what" person, then this isn't addressed to you.

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I too use personal vault. Anything that contains much PII or PIFI data, or sensitive things like passwords go into the secure vault.

Scannerman said:

Hello, Marie

So once again we come to the crux of the matter: Convenience and user preference. Personally, I respect user preference, but I question the level of convenience that the proponents of the "cloud" would defend here. Personally, I'm just not seeing it. What I'm seeing is a great deal of frustration, annoyance, and needless grief among those who try to turn off the "cloud" and it just keeps on returning.

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Convenience for me is a piece of cake. I choose what I save to OneDrive....I don't have it saving everything there. I have my cell phones setup to automatically dump the camera roll/videos to OneDrive. It just works, they take the pictures and it saves on their phone and it saves to their OneDrive account. They have to do nothing.

My son and I mow lawns in our neighborhood. I keep my books in an excel file that I keep on OneDrive. If I am mowing a neighbors lawn and they come out and say..."hey pal, what do I owe you?" I can open my phone, pull up OneDrive and say, you owe me for this week and last week". Or if I am at work and somebody says, "hey didn't you paint your kitchen cabinets?". I can say yep, open OneDrive and show them the pictures of the before and after of my kitchen cabinets and the process that I took along the way. When I go to the car dealership for service and they say, "Sir, you need to replace your trans fluid", I can pull open my online maintenance log on my phone right there and say, "um no, I did that service 15,000 miles ago when I was here in April of last year". And the list of these conveniences for me goes on and on and on.

I guess just like you don't want to be convinced to use cloud storage, those of us who do use cloud storage are often criticized with arguments like you have made, like there is very small amount of convenience here for what you have to give up. The arguments go both ways.

I'm a big proponent of Office 365. I know some people just hate anything to do with subscriptions. But I think Microsoft nailed it with the cost effectiveness of the program. For $99 a year, you are always on the latest version, you can install it on anything (mac and windows), if you are single or only need 2 or 3 licenses, you can share your remaining licenses with friends. You get a total or 6TB of disk space.....you cannot find any other provider who gives you 6TB's for $99 and then also gives you the full Office suite on all of your devices as well. On the flip side, if you are only ever going to use Word or Excel, one just 1 computer, and you have terrible upload speeds and will never be able to utilize the cloud, I can see where 365 makes 0 sense and a 1 time purchase with one of these shady discount license vendors is the better way to go.

Currently, in order to take OneDrive “out of the equation”:

1) I (make sure there are no deep subdirectory structures) take all files from Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop folders and put them into similarly titled Directories (e.g., C:\myDocuments, C:\myDownloads, C:\myPictures, C:\myVideos, C:\myDesktop)--that are not automatically accessed by OneDrive.

2) Uninstall (AddRemove programs) OneDrive. After this I can use the original OD5 (although I refrain from going any deeper, and still empty them periodically…) and could structure the rest of my file system relative to them.

BUT…I wouldn’t mind having a repository, Personal Vault, into which to throw 1TB of useful but less consequential documents than those that automatically went into the “ODGroup of 5” and deeper…

Is there a way to manage this? Can I:
a) Automatically intercept and redirect information on its way to the ODGroup of 5 before OneDrive grabs and redirects it.
b) Reinstall OneDrive (Undo my Add/Remove) and have available ONLY the Personal Vault?

You turn off save to onedrive or turn on save to computer by default and select a folder for your word docs.
It’s the same for word as it is for excel

antspants said:

You turn off save to onedrive = add/remove OneDrive ?

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antspants said:

or turn on save to computer = ??? (what do you 'turn on'?

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antspants said:

by default = by virtue of the fact you add/removed OneDrive...

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antspants said:

and select a folder for your word docs.
It’s the same for word as it is for excel

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= ??? (what do you 'turn on'?

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Look at the image.

Word (or Excel) settings/save..

antspants said:

You turn off save to onedrive or turn on save to computer by default and select a folder for your word docs.
It’s the same for word as it is for excel

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I learned something new again today! Thank you, @antspants!