Switch Profile on computer within same Account without data loss

Question

I need to switch profiles from the same account on two computers. Right now profile A is logged into Computer A, and profile B is logged into Computer B. Both computers have both profiles files loaded onto the computer and synced to the one drive. I need to have profile A on Computer B and Profile B on Computer A. I need to make sure I do that without losing any data. Any help is very appreciated!

Answer 1

Dear Raven Gogel

Thank you for reaching out via the Microsoft Q&A forum.

To ensure we provide the safest method to swap these without any data loss, could you please clarify what you mean by “Profile”?

Are you referring to:

• macOS User Accounts: Logging out of the Mac entirely and signing back in with a different username/password at the startup screen?
• Switching OneDrive Accounts: You have two different OneDrive accounts (e.g., ******@domain.com and ******@domain.com) and simply want to swap which account is signed in on which computer?

Since your description mentions the same account and “profile,” I just want to make sure I understand correctly.

If your goal is to switch OneDrive accounts between two macOS devices (based on the tags and description), the standard steps would be:

1> Ensure that the current Profile A data on Computer A and Profile B data on Computer B are fully uploaded to the cloud.

• Check the sync status in the OneDrive app and verify via OneDrive online .

• Optionally, select “Always keep on this device” for each account to ensure local copies.

2> Unlink the current account on each Mac by opening OneDrive Preferences > Account > Unlink this Mac.

3> Sign back in with the desired account (Profile A or Profile B) and allow OneDrive to resync. You can choose to keep the existing OneDrive folder or create a new one. However, it is recommended to create a new folder to avoid confusion or accidental file mix-ups.

Recommendation: Since you are swapping accounts, I strongly suggest copying your important files to an external hard drive or a local folder (outside of the OneDrive directory) as a temporary backup. This ensures you have a safety net if anything goes wrong during the switch.

Please confirm which scenario applies so I can provide the most accurate guidance.

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