Using the xcopy command when also using OneDrive

Question

My topic is the xcopy command. Like every year at the end of the year, I want to copy my empty folder structure for next year. The command for 2020 to 2021 that I successfully used was as follows: "C:\Users\Myname\Documents\Priv 2020" "C:\Users\Myname\Documents\Priv 2021" /T /E

Now I also use OneDrive and have my folders no longer stored in the system folder "Documents" but in the system folder "Pictures". This is necessary to avoid the thing with the Outlook PST file, which OneDrive can not synchronize. Therefore, I created another xcopy command: "C:\Users\Myname\Pictures\Priv 2021" "C:\Users\Myname\Pictures\Priv 2022" /T /E Unfortunately this does not work at all.

I have also tried a lot, but it was in vain. What surprises me is that the file location of my documents is also on my C disk "C:\Users\Siemons\OneDrive", so the name "OneDrive" appears...

So my question to the community is: How can I make the xcopy command work under this circumstances?

Already now many thanks for your help!

Daniel

Answer 1

Hi Palcouk,

As the matter is rather urgent I did find a way, which did cost me about 12 minutes:

I created a folder called "Priv 1 structure" so that it is located on top of all my "Priv" folders. I copied the full content of my "Priv 2021" folder into it. Then I deleted all the data from it, leaving only the folder structure.

Som from now on I simply will copy the empty folder strucure from "Priv 1 structure" into the successing year's "Priv 20XX" folder.

BR

Daniel

Answer 2

You cannot, your docs are stored on OneDrive, not the local PC, what you see in File Explorer, the OneDrive folder is a cached copy of what is on the OneDrive server

Nor can you backup a OneDrive local folder

Answer 3

Hi Palcouk,

Thanks for your reply!

Do you have any idea for a work around so that I can copy my file strucure with the least effort?

Already now many thanks for your reply!

Daniel