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

idgat said:

And the opinion was/is to uninstall it. And if that offends, then you don't understand the dynamics of discussion forums such as this.

Actually I find it a bit incongruous that you've come back to the same forum for a second opinion because you don't like/believe what you were told in the first place ... bit like going to a medical specialist, not liking the diagnosis, then going back to the same practitioner for a second opinion ????

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You've demonstrated flawed logic. I'm not looking for comments from the same practitioner because I already know what he/she said in the other thread.

cereberus said:

Deities fangs - same old conspiracy rhetoric from anti Ondrive Nazis. We have had to endure this irrational gobbledygook for over 10 years.

Answer is blooming simple.

If you do not like it, do not use it and uninstall it. NOBODY IS FORCING YPU TO USE IT.

The old adage applies. A bad workman blames his tools!

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Uninstalling and how it doesn't thoroughly get removed depending upon what instructions you followed were what one of my other threads was about. That's not what this thread is about. I already uninstalled it in an alternative way that involves reinstalling Windows.

Even if the tool were perfect, it ought not to be the default. If Microsoft wants it to be the default or if Microsoft is trying hard to get people to use it, it needs to "packaged" differently. For example, there should be a text box right up front somewhere in the installation process that advises the reader that if you do not want your computers to be synched you need to create a different Microsoft account, otherwise there could be disastrous consequences. Equivalently, there should be text box advice that BEFORE you enable OneDrive on more than one computer, CONSIDER whether you should have a second Microsoft account for your newly acquired second computer. Averting a potential disaster deserves prominently displayed text box advice.

People keep talking about uninstall but this thread is about design and I think in particular the design improvement can be in the "packaging" that surrounds OneDrive in a way that it offers advice about how some users would want to create a different Microsoft account. This thread is to solicit opinions that would be valuable to Microsoft.

H2ONaCl said:

Uninstalling and how it doesn't thoroughly get removed depending upon what instructions you followed were what one of my other threads was about. That's not what this thread is about. I already uninstalled it in an alternative way that involves reinstalling Windows.

Even if the tool were perfect, it ought not to be the default. If Microsoft wants it to be the default or if Microsoft is trying hard to get people to use it, it needs to "packaged" differently. For example, there should be a text box right up front somewhere in the installation process that advises the reader that if you do not want your computers to be synched you need to create a different Microsoft account, otherwise there could be disastrous consequences. Equivalently, there should be text box advice that BEFORE you enable OneDrive on more than one computer, CONSIDER whether you should have a second Microsoft account for your newly acquired second computer. Averting a potential disaster deserves prominently displayed text box advice.

People keep talking about uninstall but this thread is about design and I think in particular the design improvement can be in the "packaging" that surrounds OneDrive in a way that it offers advice about how some users would want to create a different Microsoft account. This thread is to solicit opinions that would be valuable to Microsoft.

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yada yada yada

H2ONaCl said:

For example, there should be a text box right up front somewhere in the installation process that advises the reader that if you do not want your computers to be synched you need to create a different Microsoft account, otherwise there could be disastrous consequences.

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Why would there be disasterous consequences? If you had a PC that you used for years, and you bought a new one and logged in with the same Microsoft account, you would simply see the things you "used to have" from old computer as links to thinks you have available on your new computer. If you already had files in both computers before you signed in, it would merge the files together. In the event that are duplicate files, one will be renamed.

H2ONaCl said:

Equivalently, there should be text box advice that BEFORE you enable OneDrive on more than one computer, CONSIDER whether you should have a second Microsoft account for your newly acquired second computer. Averting a potential disaster deserves prominently displayed text box advice.

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I don't see why anybody would want a second Microsoft account. The entire point of OneDrive is to sync "your stuff" between multiple devices.

pparks1 said:

Why would there be disasterous consequences? If you had a PC that you used for years, and you bought a new one and logged in with the same Microsoft account, you would simply see the things you "used to have" from old computer as links to thinks you have available on your new computer. If you already had files in both computers before you signed in, it would merge the files together. In the event that are duplicate files, one will be renamed.

I don't see why anybody would want a second Microsoft account. The entire point of OneDrive is to sync "your stuff" between multiple devices.

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Absolutely! I've always had just one Microsoft Account. My data and photos are always in real-time sync between my two computers, my two iPads, and my Smartphone. I can't imagine working in any other way.

TraderGary said:

Absolutely! I've always had just one Microsoft Account. My data and photos are always in real-time sync between my two computers, my two iPads, and my Smartphone. I can't imagine working in any other way.

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This is true if you use OneDrive.

With OneDrive keeping data in sync, I can start working on a Word document on System One and transparently move to System Two and continue working, mid-sentence. It's totally transparent which computer I'm sitting in front of; they are both always in real-time sync with each other.

OneNote data is kept in OneDrive. I can make a grocery list in OneNote on my computer, go to the grocery store and simply open OneNote on my phone and there's my grocery list. No paper list to keep track of.

If I'm trading stocks and System One were to fail, I transparently move over to System Two and keep trading as if nothing happened. Whatever data I need is always there in real-time sync.

I can take a photo on my phone and because of OneDrive the photo is automatically there on both my computers.

The PDF owner's manuals of everything I own is instantly there on all my devices whenever needed.

In short, the data and photos on all my devices are always in sync with each other, and I can transparently move from one to the other. I love it.

I've used OneDrive for over 20 years and can't imagine being without it.

H2ONaCl said:

I'm not looking for comments from the same practitioner

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The "practitioner" is the forum as a whole, the sum of its equal parts. If you didn't like the advice of an individual contribution in a thread, why not contest it there, in that thread, rather than starting a new conversation for an existing topic.

Can you set OneDrive to only do oneway sync?
so if you delete something in onedrive(in the cloud) it wont get deleted on the computer?

Marie SWE said:

Can you set OneDrive to only do oneway sync?
so if you delete something in onedrive(in the cloud) it wont get delated on the computer?

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No. OneDrive is designed to do only one thing and that's to keep everything in your OneDrive folder in total sync.

That's why it's also vitally important that you also have a backup strategy. I make daily Macrium Reflect X complete drive images at the end of every day and keep the last 30 days of daily images.

TraderGary said:

No. OneDrive is designed to do only one thing and that's to keep everything in your OneDrive folder in total sync.

That's why it's also vitally important that you also have a backup strategy. I make daily Macrium Reflect X complete drive images at the end of every day and keep the last 30 days of daily images.

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yeah..... sadly.. many people think of onedrive/icloud as backup.
So someone pay for extra storage.. then they cant keep up the payment.. the drive get smaller and stuff get removed.. then it also get removed from the device as its a two way sync.
at least icloud i know.. as i know one that lost over two years of movies and photos...... do you think that person learned the lesson...........................

Marie SWE said:

do you think that person learned the lesson...........................

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Problem is, in so many cases, the lesson learned is too late.

idgat said:

Problem is, in so many cases, the lesson learned is too late.

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yeah... this person has still not learned even i have pointing it out about 20+ times since that incident 5 years ago.

TraderGary said:

With OneDrive keeping data in sync, I can start working on a Word document on System One and transparently move to System Two and continue working, mid-sentence. It's totally transparent which computer I'm sitting in front of; they are both always in real-time sync with each other.

OneNote data is kept in OneDrive. I can make a grocery list in OneNote on my computer, go to the grocery store and simply open OneNote on my phone and there's my grocery list. No paper list to keep track of.

If I'm trading stocks and System One were to fail, I transparently move over to System Two and keep trading as if nothing happened. Whatever data I need is always there in real-time sync.

I can take a photo on my phone and because of OneDrive the photo is automatically there on both my computers.

The PDF owner's manuals of everything I own is instantly there on all my devices whenever needed.

In short, the data and photos on all my devices are always in sync with each other, and I can transparently move from one to the other. I love it.

I've used OneDrive for over 20 years and can't imagine being without it.

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Ditto for OneNote!

It is the one app for which I make updates on multiple devices and I it's great to not have to lift a finger or click a mouse button to see those updates reflected on my other devices.

It's in my top 3 list of removal after a fresh install: onedrive / remote-desktop any "remote access

TraderGary said:

No. OneDrive is designed to do only one thing and that's to keep everything in your OneDrive folder in total sync.

That's why it's also vitally important that you also have a backup strategy. I make daily Macrium Reflect X complete drive images at the end of every day and keep the last 30 days of daily images.

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Although this is true, if you know (or take the time to learn) how OneDrive and Windows works, you can unleash functionality that suits your use case.

For example, I have two identical Surface Laptop Studios and, as I want, neither has any of my OneDrive files physically stored on their local disk. With the exception of OneNote, there is absolutely no regular OneDrive syncing with my primary Surface.

I use my second Surface for backups processing: After taking its backup, it copies of all the other backups (for my primary Surface and iPhone) to my NAS, and then syncs (uploads) them to OneDrive (i.e., the backup files are copied to the local OneDrive folder on the secondary Surface and sync happens in background).

But remember, my preference is for my OneDrive files to not take up any physical space on my PCs, so what do I do? After the backup files have been copied to the local disk of the secondary Surface, I set the attributes to be "Available when online." That's it, that's all! Wonderful!

The backups processing is obviously routinely performed, but for my other files, I use the OneDrive app to manually upload, and files that I manually upload through the app are automatically set as to "Available when online." Again, wonderful!

Yes, when I want to view-only a OneDrive file on my PC, I use the app to download it, do what I want to do, then delete it. On the other hand, if I wish to make an update to a OneDrive file on my PC, then I will directly open and edit it from whatever app, which causes Windows to download the file to the local OneDrive folder and tag it as "Available on this device." When I am done with my edits and save my file, it is synced to OneDrive, and then I manually change the attributes of the local copy back to "Available when online" so that it is not occupying any physical space on my PC. Again, wonderful!

When I go to my phone or either Surface device, I see and have access to all the same OneDrive files and that is great!

OneDrive works and it works great, but if you don't know it and/or how Windows works with it, then you can be tripped up, leading you to falsely blame OneDrive.

Marie SWE said:

Can you set OneDrive to only do oneway sync?
so if you delete something in onedrive(in the cloud) it wont get deleted on the computer?

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No, I cannot think of any reason why I would ever want to do that. The only case would be if I had to free up space in the cloud. To do that, I would copy the file from where ever it was in OneDrive to another location on my local hard drive and then remove the file from the cloud. Files and folders stored under OneDrive are synchronized...that's the entire point.

pparks1 said:

No, I cannot think of any reason why I would ever want to do that. The only case would be if I had to free up space in the cloud. To do that, I would copy the file from where ever it was in OneDrive to another location on my local hard drive and then remove the file from the cloud. Files and folders stored under OneDrive are synchronized...that's the entire point.

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That is one reason to free up space.. but also if you happen to delete a file by mistake.

Klaver7 said:

It's in my top 3 list of removal after a fresh install: onedrive / remote-desktop any "remote access

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Same here. That and disabling Bitlocker.

Oh, and installing Revo to clean up the messes they leave behind.

Marie SWE said:

yeah..... sadly.. many people think of onedrive/icloud as backup.

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To an extent it is. If you have your file stored in OneDrive, and your physical hard drive dies on my local computer, you have a copy safe in the cloud. Also, if you have the file in OneDrive and you make a change and save it. Then later make another change and save it. And then decide, I really wish I wouldn't have saved those changes, you have revision history and can go back to that file at a previous point in time.

Marie SWE said:

So someone pay for extra storage.. then they cant keep up the payment.. the drive get smaller and stuff get removed.. then it also get removed from the device as its a two way sync.

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That's actually not the way it works. I

f you let your subscription lapse, you get 30 days in full read/write mode and don't lose any of your files. You can even create new files.

For the next 90 days, your data goes into a read-only format. You can view and download any files you want during this period, but you cannot edit files, nor can you create new files. If you have more than 5GB of files (the free space limit), syncing stops.

If after 6 months you haven't removed your data, Microsoft will permanently delete the excess over 5GB (Free account limit). Since that data is no longer being synced, it will remain on your machine.

The best plan is that when you decide to not renew, is to unlink your local computer as quickly as possible thus not giving onedrive any chance of touching anything.