how to remove files to my pc out of one drive.

Question

I am told to move files from One Drive to a drive outside of one drive, but those "documents" and other files are linked to one drive. When I go to Windows for default saving, my only option for each type of tile is OS: I have no other options, but that is what I am told I need to do to have the files stop saving to one drive. I do want some files saved to one drive, but certain ones I want to save to my laptop hard drive (and an external hard drive for backup).

I just purchased a business subscription to MS office/365 and can't believe that my one drive is nearly full. In several years of using a personal copy of 365 I have never experienced this issue, and it's only been a month since I started using the subscription. Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Answer 1

Dear @snow, 

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand you're encountering an issue with OneDrive, and I’m happy to assist you.

Based on my research, it appears that your issue is related to OneDrive’s Folder Backup feature, which redirects your standard Windows folders (such as Documents, Desktop, and Pictures) to the OneDrive directory. This means that anything saved in these folders is automatically uploaded to the cloud, even if you set the save location to your local drive (C:).

To save files strictly to your laptop hard drive, you must first tell OneDrive to stop managing your standard folders.

1. Click the OneDrive icon (blue cloud) in your system tray (bottom right corner).
2. Select the Gear icon (Settings) > Settings.
3. Go to the Sync and Backup tab and click Manage Backup.
4. Toggle OFF the folders you want to keep local (e.g., Documents or Desktop).
5. Click Save changes.

Note: When you do this, your files might seem to "disappear" from your Documents folder. They are not gone, they are still in the OneDrive folder. You will simply need to move them back to the local folder

Once the backup is turned off, your "Documents" folder is now a real local folder again, but it is empty. You need to move your data manually:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to your OneDrive folder (usually on the left sidebar).
3. Open the Documents folder inside OneDrive.
4. Select the files you want to keep only on your PC.
5. Right-click > Cut (or Ctrl + X).
6. Navigate to your local Documents folder (under "This PC").
7. Right-click > Paste (or Ctrl + V).

For the files you want on your "laptop hard drive and an external hard drive," you should save them to your local Documents folder first. Then, once a week (or using backup software), copy that entire folder to your external drive. This keeps your data completely independent of the Microsoft cloud.

This way, you will have three distinct copies: one on the laptop, one on the external drive, and (only for specific files you choose) one in OneDrive.

Regarding your issue with OneDrive being nearly full, this is typically due to one of two factors, especially for business accounts that typically come with 1 TB of storage (1,024 GB):

• The Sync Loop: If you moved a very large folder (like a high-definition video library or a game installation) into your Documents or Desktop while Backup was on, OneDrive is trying to upload hundreds of gigabytes at once.
• Shared Libraries: In a Business environment, if someone shared a massive SharePoint folder with you and you clicked "Add shortcut to OneDrive," that data may be counting against your storage metrics.

To check where your storage is being used:

• Sign in to OneDrive on the web (onedrive.com).
• Click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right and select OneDrive Settings.
• On the left menu, select More Settings.
• Click on Storage Metrics.
• This page provides a hierarchical list of every folder and file, sorted by size.
• You can identify exactly which folder is the "data hog" in seconds.

I hope this information helps clarify the situation and provides you with workable solutions. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're always here to help. Have a wonderful day!

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