Any idea why OneDrive for Mac is so Bad?

Your last reply puzzles me. You may have helped in that, because the replies were inaccurate - pointing to versions of programs that don't exist and suggesting that .EXE files could be run on a mac - that made clear that microsoft is not doing a good job of supporting mac users on OneDrive but to suggest that our solution (which was to drop onedrive) is somehow supporting MSoft is certainly wrong. I thank you for your efforts and the initial comments but the actual content of your advice was unhelpful and wasted both time and money as engineers we paid to follow your guidance discovered your advice was wrong which lead to delays in settling to our chosen solution.

Dont think there is a download for mac at that page, if i click the download button whilst using a mac I get a setup.EXE which cant be run on a mac.

Hi Nick,

Thank you for your response,

install a stand alone OneDrive app has the same process, you can check that on this link for the installation instructions: Download the OneDrive App for PC, Mac, Android, or iOS – Microsoft OneDrive

Chan G

Microsoft Community Moderator

Thank you Chan, the details provided make it understandable, I feel better knowing that it is hard to simply translate from Windows to Mac OS's and that there are differences between standalone and App store apps may come in useful - we have been using the App store and I think the engineer didnt know of that difference - im hoping he will test the standalone and thta it is better, we have lost several days work - thought a folder was empty when it was just not showing any data married with emptying the deleted items, it would have been more upsetting if it was just us but looking on the web it seems that OneDrive is pretty much one of those programs that causes a lot of people issues. Thanks again

Edit: I have been told that the standalone and app store apps, may have been different but are now identical and to ask if the installation process might give differing permissions ?

Hi Nick,

Thank you for using Microsoft products and making community posts.

The reason why OneDrive behaves differently on Mac compared to Windows due to several underlying technical differences between the two operating systems. Here are some key factors:

1. File System Differences: Windows primarily uses NTFS, while macOS uses APFS or HFS+. OneDrive for Windows is optimized for NTFS, which supports features like file attributes and permissions that OneDrive relies on. On macOS, OneDrive has to work around these differences, which can lead to inconsistencies in syncing.
2. Integration with OS Features: Windows has deeper integration with OneDrive, including features like Files On-Demand, which allows users to access cloud files without downloading them. While macOS supports a similar feature, it doesn't work as seamlessly due to differences in how macOS handles file metadata and caching.
3. Background Syncing Behavior: Windows allows OneDrive to run more efficiently in the background with fewer restrictions. macOS, on the other hand, has stricter app sandboxing and power management policies that can limit OneDrive’s ability to sync files continuously.
4. Folder Backup Differences: Windows has a built-in feature that automatically backs up key folders (Documents, Desktop, Pictures) to OneDrive, whereas macOS does not have an equivalent system-wide integration. This means Mac users must manually manage their OneDrive folder structure.
5. App Store vs. Standalone Version: On Mac, users can install OneDrive either from the App Store or via a standalone installer. The App Store version is more restricted due to Apple's security policies, while the standalone version offers better performance and integration with Office apps

Do let me know if you require any further help on this. Will be glad to help you.

Chan G

Microsoft Community Moderator