Seeking a second opinion... Is OneDrive malicious malpractice ?

pparks1 · 2026-08-07T09:43:03-0400

pseymour said:
By the way, one could literally make it an O drive, or some other driver letter.

Batch:

subst O: "%ONEDRIVE%" reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2\O" /v "_LabelFromReg" /t REG_SZ /d "OneDrive"

Correct, you certainly could.

pparks1 · 2026-08-07T09:49:12-0400

nuspieds said:
With the ISP service I have, it includes a Microsoft 365 Enterprise license; so, I use OneDrive Business instead of OneDrive Personal.

For OneDrive Business, believe it or not, there's an additional recycle bin, called the "Second-stage recycle bin:"

View attachment 178848

I made use of it once and it obviously was a life-saver!

By the way, the retention period bumps up to 93 days.

Yeah, at work we use OneDrive for Business extensively. It used to be such a pain at the office to get a new computer, because you had to move all of your files and such around....but now it's so much simpler. All of your data is just there

pseymour · 2026-08-07T10:02:50-0400

pparks1 said:
Yeah, at work we use OneDrive for Business extensively. It used to be such a pain at the office to get a new computer, because you had to move all of your files and such around....but now it's so much simpler. All of your data is just there

Yep, same. You could smash my work laptop right now and I would lose nothing.* When I get a new laptop, it takes me about 30 minutes to install my apps via winget, sign into a couple of things, and I'm back in business.

* : Although I would have some questions about why you did that.

gunrunnerjohn · 2026-08-07T10:11:59-0400

TraderGary said:
For 20 years OneDrive was totally optional. What MS has done is create one of the biggest and most dangerous screwups they've ever made. And what's worse is they've refused to admit their mistake and have doubled down on their screwup.

You have hit on exactly my primary objection to OneDrive! I never argued it didn't work, just that it's certainly not transparent and easy to understand what it's doing out of the gate. This is coming from a guy that had been in software development since he was in his 20's!

Yes, I'm sure I could easily figure it out and use it, but my point is I shouldn't have to "figure it out"! And it certainly shouldn't be the default!

pparks1 said:
Yeah, at work we use OneDrive for Business extensively. It used to be such a pain at the office to get a new computer, because you had to move all of your files and such around....but now it's so much simpler. All of your data is just there

Moving the data is one of the simplest jobs when I migrate to a different computer! All my files are on a separate logical data drive, so I just copy the drive, problem solved! Even stuff like my email data base, etc. are on the data drive. The time consuming part of moving to a new computer is really installing all the applications, and OneDrive ain't gonna do that for you.

Marie SWE · 2026-08-07T10:24:04-0400

Both Bitlocker and Onedrive is a good idea.. but... i give MS an A for the effort, but an F for the execution in the default format of them.

Edit:
How stupid was MS when they put in a backdoor to get around bitlocker.. sure it might make some people happy if they hadn't written down the key.. But encryption is supposed to be unrecoverable if you slip up or the device get stolen.
How stupid is it to have the encryption key in the hands of a company that can be ordered to hand over the key.
How stupid is it that the data in the cloud isn't encrypted so MS can read the data. If they get a data-breach and someone get clear access to their servers. Then they can get to the data.

So A in effort and an F in execution on default solution.
So a user has to take extra step to secure their data before it becomes a good solution.. that is not good as 99% of the people will not take those steps.. only nerd like us do.

pparks1 · 2026-08-07T10:28:55-0400

gunrunnerjohn said:
Moving the data is one of the simplest jobs when I migrate to a different computer! All my files are on a separate logical data drive, so I just copy the drive, problem solved! Even stuff like my email data base, etc. are on the data drive. The time consuming part of moving to a new computer is really installing all the applications, and OneDrive ain't gonna do that for you.

At work, we are all on laptops. We don't have a second logical drive on the laptop. In the event that the device dies and simply won't boot, getting to that data can be a real pain in the butt, if not impossible. We also cannot attach external drives and backup the data, that's all disabled and intentionally broken. Typically i would just copy everything off a working laptop to a network share, and then copy it back to a new drive. But i don't even have to bother doing that with OneDrive.

Agreed that reinstalling apps the time consuming part. I keep a pretty good document on what I have installed and what I have configured so I can put it back. But not having to worry about any of the data has been nice.

TraderGary · 2026-08-07T13:39:02-0400

gunrunnerjohn said:
Moving the data is one of the simplest jobs when I migrate to a different computer! All my files are on a separate logical data drive, so I just copy the drive, problem solved! Even stuff like my email data base, etc. are on the data drive. The time consuming part of moving to a new computer is really installing all the applications, and OneDrive ain't gonna do that for you.

For me one of the most important features that OneDrive offers is a real-time offsite copy of all my data. From personal experience having one component of my backup strategy always offsite and always up to date in real time is vitally important. I never want to lose even a single byte of anything I'm working on throughout my day.

cheaterslick · 2026-08-07T14:38:48-0400

Edwin said:
Will we ever reach a conclusion pertaining to all these OneDrive dilemmas!?!?!?

Sure, when OneDrive is turned off by default.

And when having an email address is no longer a requirement by default to set up a new machine. Just like the good old days.

I think that would go quite a ways....

pparks1 · 2026-08-07T14:41:11-0400

cheaterslick said:
Sure, when OneDrive is turned off by default.

And when having an email address is no longer a requirement by default to set up a new machine.

Im probably minority, but I don't think shutting it off my default is the right answer. For most people who are not enthusiasts. Having it there and on i think is the best thing.

cheaterslick · 2026-08-07T14:47:08-0400

pparks1 said:
Im probably minority, but I don't think shutting it off my default is the right answer. For most people who are not enthusiasts. Having it there and on i think is the best thing.

Given all the problems with it that you are reading about in these forums, I don't see how you came to that conclusion.

Another option would be to leave it off Windows 11 in it's entirety and offer OneDrive through the Microsoft Store as an add-in module. For those who want it, that is. Otherwise the less savvy will continue to come on these forums, frustrated looking for endless 'back-up' answers.

pparks1 · 2026-08-07T15:01:13-0400

cheaterslick said:
Given all the problems with it that you are reading about in these forums, I don't see how you came to that conclusion.

Another option would be to leave it off Windows 11 in it's entirety and offer OneDrive through the Microsoft Store as an add-in module. For those who want it, that is. Otherwise the less savvy will continue to come on these forums, frustrated looking for endless 'back-up' answers.

Most people who hate it, havent used it or just hate the cloud in general. Most of these "problems" are just assumptions about how its gonna work or what-ifs.

Having it on, means for average joe that files are safe in another location so when computer dies, is lost or stolen....files just come back like magic.

cheaterslick · 2026-08-07T15:04:45-0400

pparks1 said:
Most people who hate it, havent used it or just hate the cloud in general. Most of these "problems" are just assumptions about how its gonna work or what-ifs.

How do ya know?

pparks1 said:
Having it on, means for average joe that files are safe in another location so when computer dies, is lost or stolen....files just come back like magic.

Then they don't need to come on these forums and complain about it, now do they.... :winkt:

pparks1 · 2026-08-07T15:08:02-0400

cheaterslick said:
How do ya know?

Then they don't need to come on these forums and complain about it, now do they....

I know because after using it for many years. I know it doesn't work the way they say it does. Just go back and look at my recent demonstration. Microsoft isnt just blowing your files away and making you constantly lose your work

cheaterslick · 2026-08-07T15:13:32-0400

pparks1 said:
Microsoft isnt just blowing your files away and making you constantly lose your work

Never said they did. But how it 'works' is not apparent to many users out there.

~

And besides, if I ever had to use it (and that's a big if) then I certainly wouldn't upload anything to the cloud without using something like VeraCrypt first.

VeraCrypt - Free Open source disk encryption with strong security for the Paranoid

VeraCrypt is free open-source disk encryption software for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. In case an attacker forces you to reveal the password, VeraCrypt provides plausible deniability. In contrast to file encryption, data encryption performed by VeraCrypt is real-time (on-the-fly), automatic...

veracrypt.io

Encrypt everything locally, THEN upload it to the cloud. I've used it before. Easy-peasy.

TraderGary · 2026-08-07T15:16:27-0400

OneDrive is actually built-in to the operating system and is an integral part of Windows itself. Even if you only have a local account and have never had a Microsoft Account, OneDrive functionality is still built into the OS.

pparks1 · 2026-08-07T15:17:15-0400

cheaterslick said:
And besides, if I ever had to use it (and that's a big if) then I certainly wouldn't upload anything to the cloud without using something like VeraCrypt first.

VeraCrypt - Free Open source disk encryption with strong security for the Paranoid

VeraCrypt is free open-source disk encryption software for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. In case an attacker forces you to reveal the password, VeraCrypt provides plausible deniability. In contrast to file encryption, data encryption performed by VeraCrypt is real-time (on-the-fly), automatic...

veracrypt.io

See, there it is. Not trusting the cloud.

I have tons of computer notes about how I setup my machines, shortcuts that I use, etc. These are government secrets, it's safe if they somehow get out into the real world. Same thing for the picture that I take with my cell phone. There is nothing questionable or risque in any way.

My data that I don't have any privacy concerns with is in onedrive. Things that are sensitive, either end up in private vault or on my file server at home.

pparks1 · 2026-08-07T15:18:47-0400

cheaterslick said:
Then they don't need to come on these forums and complain about it, now do they....

I also don't remember anybody saying, hey folks, my computer died and I bought a new one and got it home and dammit, all of my files were available on the new one without me not having to do anything.

cheaterslick · 2026-08-07T15:20:49-0400

pparks1 said:
See, there it is. Not trusting the cloud.

That's right. I don't. And I've never made any bones about it, either.

If I can see it then that means someone else can, too.

pparks1 said:
My data that I don't have any privacy concerns with is in onedrive. Things that are sensitive, either end up in private vault or on my file server at home.

Well that's good to know. What might not be valuable to you, might be valuable to someone else. And since they’re not paying me for it, then why give it to them. That's my attitude.

cheaterslick · 2026-08-07T15:23:08-0400

pparks1 said:
I also don't remember anybody saying, hey folks, my computer died and I bought a new one and got it home and dammit, all of my files were available on the new one without me not having to do anything.

Never said they did. Go back to the beginning of this thread again and start over. Then do a search of these forums for "OneDrive" and see where many of those topics are going.

FrancoDT · 2026-08-07T15:24:53-0400

I'd be curious to know if most average OneDrive users can get by with the free 5GB of storage or if most pay for additional storage. I don't use it so don't know how fast it fills up before you start losing data if you don't upgrade. I looked up the pricing plan out of curiosity:

Free Tier: 5 GB of storage. It includes web versions of Word and Excel but fills up almost instantly if you back up photos or phone data.
Microsoft 365 Basic: $1.99/month (or ~$19.99/year). This expands your pool to 100 GB and removes ads from Outlook.
Microsoft 365 Personal: $6.99/month (or $69.99/year). This jumps your storage up to 1 TB (1,000 GB) and unlocks desktop Office apps.
Microsoft 365 Family: $9.99/month (or $99.99/year). This provides 6 TB total storage space, allocated as 1 TB each for up to 6 family members.

Seeking a second opinion... Is OneDrive malicious malpractice ?

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

I almost never bite.......

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Stock Market Wizard

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Stock Market Wizard

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

My Computers

My Computers

My Computer

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers