How can I "restore" the Documents folder associated with my primary account from a "Back Up" to OneDrive back to the orginal folder on the local drive?

Hi Alan,

Thanks for writing us here in Microsoft Community.

Yes, you are correct. If you select the "This computer only" option when stopping the backup of a folder, it will move the files back from your OneDrive folder to the folder on your computer. This should restore your Documents folder and its sub-folders and files to their original location on your local PC.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the OneDrive app on your Windows 10 laptop.
2. Click on the "Back up" tab.
3. Find the Documents folder and click on the toggle to turn it off.
4. A confirmation dialog will appear presenting some options. Select "This computer only" and click "OK".
5. Wait for the files to be moved back to your local Documents folder.

Once the files have been moved back, you should see them in their original location on your local PC.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have concerns or clarifications.

Kind regards,

Froilance T.

Microsoft Moderator

Hi Alan,

We haven't heard from you, so we assume that your issue has already been addressed. We will not be monitoring this thread moving forward so, if you need further assistance, please create a new thread to discuss these concerns by clicking this link: Create a new question (microsoft.com)Thank you for understanding.Regards,Froilance T.Microsoft Moderator

Hello,

Thanks for writing us back. My apologies for the delayed response as I just get back from vacation. I'm happy to help you with your questions regarding OneDrive and Windows 11. Here are inputs to your questions:

1. If you stop backing up your Documents folder to OneDrive, the files will remain on OneDrive. They will not be removed unless you manually delete them from OneDrive.

a. Yes, you can start copying the files back to your Windows 10 laptop and still be able to copy the folders and files to your new laptop. You do not need to perform any copying to the new laptop before making the selection. So long as the files are still in OneDrive, you can just sync them on your no laptop without any problem. Kindly check this article for your reference, Sync files with OneDrive in Windows - Microsoft Support.

b. It is possible to copy the folders and files into a local Documents folder for another Microsoft account associated with your family account on the new Windows 11 laptop. You can set up both accounts on the new laptop and keep the work-related files in the new account. Alternatively, you can also try this other option of transferring files from one account to another by following the steps suggested on the article, Transfer files to your personal OneDrive with the Mover Transfer Wizard - Microsoft Support. However, if manual copy and paste is more convenient to you, you can just keep the traditional process.

c. OneDrive can be a useful tool for keeping files synchronized between devices and the cloud. You can use it to keep your personal work-related Office files synchronized and accessible on your Android phone using the associated Office Apps. Regarding your query about synchronizing files locally and on the cloud, OneDrive provides the option to sync files and folders between your computer and the cloud. You can also access your files from your mobile device using the OneDrive app. Kindly refer to this article for reference. As for your PST file, it is not possible to open a PST file saved on OneDrive in the Android Outlook app. Only desktop Outlook can open PST files.

I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Froilance T.

Microsoft Moderator

Hello Froilance,

Thank you very much.

As a follow-up, I had originally used this function because I wanted to setup my new Windows 11 laptop. I hoped that I could use OneDrive as an intermediary for copying all or most of the folders and files to the new laptop, then perhaps also have it serve in a somewhat traditional backup capacity, where the files would be available BOTH locally and on OneDrive. I'm going to break this into parts to avoid confusion.

1. Will a copy of the Documents folder, sub-folders, and files remain on OneDrive after I make the selection to stop backing up (copying back to my local drive) or will the system perform another MOVE and remove the contents from OneDrive?

a. If the former is the case, I would hope I could make the selection to start copying the files back to my Windows 10 laptop, but still be able to copy the folders and files to my new laptop. Will I be able to do this or should I perform any copying to the new laptop before I make the selection?

b. If possible, I would like to split the work related files that I have on my old laptop into a new Microsoft account that I am setting up on the new laptop and keep the others on my original family Microsoft account and the old laptop. Is it possible to copy the folders and files into a local Documents folder for another Microsoft account associated with my family account (on the new Windows 11 laptop) or must I keep everything in the same account on both laptops and OneDrive? I'm may setup both accounts on the new laptop, but I plan to use it primarily for my work and I would also like to have the new account for that purpose.

c. I would like to get some ongoing business value out of OneDrive and the ability to have files available both locally and synchronized on the cloud when the internet is available is attractive, assuming I don't wind up creating unnecessary problems for myself. This would have some value for personal work related Office files and might be particularly useful if it would work for the PST file for my original Outlook (if that's a realistic option). I would mainly benefit from being able to see the information on my Android phone using the associated Office Apps.

What's the best documentation to read to provide a clear layout of the options and the procedures for setting this up for the new account and laptop?

Thanks again for your help,

Alan