OneDrive - shortcuts, symlinks, and junctions

Question

What are the current OneDrive syncing policies regarding shortcuts, symlinks, and junctions. I have shortcuts on the desktop to network shares that I do not want OneDrive to backup. It is ok for OneDrive to backup the shortcut but not the files from the network share. I am using group memberships to control access to these network folders. I am also thinking of group policy, symlinks and junctions, to control what is copied to the OneDrive.

Answer 1

Hello,

I would like to clarify one by one,

OneDrive and shortcuts: OneDrive treats shortcuts as regular files and syncs them by default. If you have a shortcut on your desktop that points to a network share, OneDrive will sync the shortcut file itself but not the files from the network share. However, if you move or rename the original file that the shortcut points to, the shortcut itself may become broken after the sync.

OneDrive and symlinks/junctions: OneDrive does not natively support syncing symbolic links (symlinks) or junctions. Symlinks and junctions are advanced file system features that create a link between a source location and a target location. OneDrive will sync the actual file or folder pointed to by the symlink or junction, not the symlink or junction itself.

Group policies for controlling OneDrive sync: You can use Group Policy settings to manage and control the behavior of OneDrive sync on Windows devices in an organization. These policies allow you to configure various aspects of OneDrive, including file types and folders to sync or exclude from syncing. You can create rules based on file extensions, file names, or folder locations to control what gets backed up to OneDrive.

It's important to review the official documentation and resources provided by Microsoft to ensure you have the most accurate and up-to-date information on the specific policies and settings available for OneDrive syncing. Microsoft provides detailed guidance on managing OneDrive using Group Policy, including information on the ADMX templates and available policies. You can access the documentation on the Microsoft Docs website or contact Microsoft Support for further assistance with OneDrive configuration and policies.

I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

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Answer 2

Hi,

As far as I know, you can only prevent certain file types from syncing for OneDrive: exclude specific kinds of files from being uploaded

For folder is not available, you can try to give a feedback to Microsoft about your requirement:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-do-i-give-feedback-on-microsoft-office-2b102d44-b43f-4dd2-9ff4-23cf144cfb11

Microsoft values your opinion. Your feedback goes directly to our engineers and helps us shape the future of Microsoft products and services for all our users.

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