How do I move everything from off onedrive and onto my local HDD?

Hello, Rongrong Wang

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

It appears that you need to transfer your OneDrive files to your local hard drive without having them re-uploaded. below are some recommendations "to ensures that all files are safely downloaded and then moved outside of the OneDrive folder so that OneDrive no longer manages them."

1-Download All Files Locally

• Disable Files On-Demand (if enabled): Open the OneDrive app by clicking its cloud icon in the system tray. Go to Settings > Sync and backup Tab and Go to the Files On-Demand option. Click on the"Download all files"This forces OneDrive to download every file rather than keeping some online only. As shown here:
• Alternatively, right-click each folder in your OneDrive directory and select “Always keep on this device”. Wait until every file shows a solid green checkmark, indicating they are fully downloaded.

2-Move Files to a New Local Folder

• Open File Explorer and navigate to your OneDrive folder (usually located at C:\Users[YourUsername]\OneDrive).
• Create a new folder on your local HDD (for example, C:\MyLocalFiles). Then, copy (or cut and paste) all your files and folders from the OneDrive directory into this new folder.
• Ensure all files are accessible from the new location. Because these files are now outside the OneDrive folder,
• OneDrive will no longer attempt to sync or upload them.

3-Adjust Default Save Locations (Optional)

Open Settings > System > Storage and click on “Change where new content is saved.” Set your default save locations (Documents, Pictures, etc.) to your local drive instead of OneDrive. This prevents future files from automatically being placed in OneDrive.

4-Restore the default local locations (e.g., Desktop and Documents) so that they no longer point to OneDrive:

• Navigate to your user folder (typically at C:\Users[YourUsername]).
• For example, right-click the Documents or Desktop folder that’s currently redirected to OneDrive.
• Right-click the folder and select Properties.
• Go to the Location tab in the Properties window. Click the Restore Default button. This will reset the folder path to the local default (usually C:\Users[YourUsername]\Documents or Desktop). As shown here:
• 

As a final step, try Unlink OneDrive from Your PC, which will disconnect OneDrive from your PC so that the default location for file storage afterwards is local. Feel free to reply if anything is unclear!

Best Regards,

Hannah.Z | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

I have done step 1 - no problem - but I have 3 green checkmarks and 3 WHITE checkmarks next to the 6 folders that are being moved. What do the white checkmarks mean? Is the process still ongoing and will they turn green when it's done? Or is it OK to proceed to step 2?

For clarification. When moving files to a new local folder you **"**create a new folder on your local HDD (for example C:\MyLocalFiles)".

I believe Rongrong Wang's intention is to move files to a combo HDD. In that case wouldn't the drive letter be other than "C:"?

If you have enabled the syncing of Documents, Pictures, Music, Desktop, and Videos under Windows Backup, don't you also have to turn that off? My question is when do you do that? If you put the files back in the default location without turning it off, won't they end up on OneDrive again?

Also, calling it Windows Backup without explicitly telling you that the local copy stays put is extremely misleading!

I am also battling.

I need to do a presentation on Google Meet on Tuesday and my client cannot "see" my presentation which is really embarrassing.