Share via

All my files and folders are in One Drive and I want some of them locally but still keep One Drive as a backup

Ian Harpham 20 Reputation points
2026-01-14T11:02:58.8266667+00:00

All my files and folders are in One Drive. This includes the original folders like Documents, Pictures that were once part of the C Drive but now seem to have migrated to One Drive.

If I am editing photos then every alteration I make is constantly being synced to One Drive. Therefore I am constantly wating for One Drive to finish syncing before I can move on to the next photo.

I don't seem to be able to create a local folder that is not synced to One Drive.

I have read answers to similar questions but they advise downloading the entire contents of One Drive and then unlinking the PC from One Drive.

I can't download all my files as there isn't enough storage space

My PC only has 4GB RAM and 256GB solid state hard drive.

One Drive currently stands at 475GB

How do I restore the original folders to C Drive yet keep One Drive as a back up?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

Answer accepted by question author

  1. EmilyS726 227.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-01-14T13:31:23.9766667+00:00

    Hello,

    Unfortunately you won't be able to do that.

    But I think there can be a happy medium.

    So, I assume you currently have Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders all synced with OneDrive right ? The problem is, you cannot pick and choose which sub-folders in those folders to take back to local.

    I think what you can do is determine which of those three folders has the least size. Usually it can be the desktop folder. If that's the case, do the following:

    1. In File Explorer, right click on your desktop folder and choose the always keep on computer option, allow it time to download and wait for all files/folders icons to turn solid green.
    2. Right click on the OneDrive cloud icon on the lower right on your taskbar to go to Settings > Sync and Backup tab > Manage Backup, turn off Desktop folder.
    3. You can now create whatever folder you want on your desktop to work on pictures you want to edit. These are local files and no backup to OneDrive. But whenever you are ready to send to OneDrive, you need to move the folder/files manually from Desktop to your Pictures folder, so OneDrive will sync it from there.

    1 person found this answer helpful.

2 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-01-14T11:03:11.3966667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    To keep your files locally on your C Drive while still using OneDrive as a backup, you can follow these steps:

    1. Create Local Folders: You can create new folders on your C Drive where you can store your files locally. Simply navigate to your C Drive in File Explorer and create the folders you need (e.g., Documents, Pictures).
    2. Move Files: Move the files you want to keep locally from OneDrive to the new folders you created on your C Drive. You can do this by dragging and dropping the files or using the copy-paste method.
    3. Unlink OneDrive for Specific Folders: If you want to stop syncing certain folders with OneDrive, you can unlink them. However, keep in mind that this will remove the files from OneDrive if they are not stored locally. To avoid this, ensure that you have moved the files you want to keep before unlinking.
    4. Use OneDrive Files On-Demand: If you want to keep your files in OneDrive but not have them take up space on your hard drive, consider using OneDrive Files On-Demand. This feature allows you to see all your files in OneDrive without downloading them to your device. You can choose to download files only when you need them.
    5. Manage Sync Settings: You can also manage your sync settings in OneDrive. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the taskbar, go to Settings, and under the Account tab, you can choose which folders to sync. This way, you can limit the amount of data being synced to your local machine.

    By following these steps, you can maintain a local copy of your files while still using OneDrive for backup purposes without overwhelming your storage capacity.

    References:

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  2. Craig Long 17,825 Reputation points
    2026-01-14T22:10:19.2+00:00

    It sounds like you have a slow internet, which is a pain when working with Files On-Demand. With a fast internet, you would have no problems with OneDrive file syncing.

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.