Syncing old folder files to another computer with updated files on OneDrive on a computer with Windows 11 - risks?

Question

My Documents, pictures and videos from my old laptop (last used 2 years ago) are on Windows 10. Two years ago I transferred all my office documents and pictures and videos to a new desktop, and have saved everything on OneDrive. Since then, these documents and spreadsheets have been updated yet they carry the same file names as my old computer. I want to start using my old laptop again and upgrade it to Windows 11 and use OneDrive. I'd like to sync all of my Documents, Pics, and Vids, but I want to ensure that only the latest version of those are saved on OneDrive. My question is, if I update my old computer to Windows 11 and get on my OneDrive, will the folders and files all automatically sync to the most recent version or will the old ones override the new ones?

***moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Files, folders, and storage***

Answer 1

Dear NickE55

Thanks for raising your concerns in Microsoft Community.

We understand that you want to inquire about file synchronization in OneDrive.

It needs to be explained that OneDrive will handle file synchronization conflicts. For example, when uploading files with the same name but different contents in OneDrive.com, you will be prompted to coexist or overwrite. For example, the following figure:

However, if you use the OneDrive sync feature, (1) will be automatically added to the end of the file name, and both files will exist at the same time. Therefore, if you do not have many files, we recommend that you upload them to OneDrive.com and manually select the files you want to keep. If you have a large number of files, you can use the OneDrive sync feature.

And based on your description, we recommend that you first confirm whether the computer can be updated to Windows 11. We do not recommend updating computers that do not meet the system requirements to avoid compatibility issues.

I hope the above information is helpful to you. If you need further help, please feel free to reply.

Best Regards,

Tracy - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

If win10 docs were not uploaded to OneDrive under O365 on that win 10 PC, then if they were copied to another PC that had O365 installed the docs would have been uploaded to OneDrive, the file names would not have been changed.

First check that the old win10 PC supports win11, as not all do. If it does it depends what exact O365 licence you have O365 Personal?

Of so simply install O365 via the MS Account, on that new PC