help OneDrive

Question

how to download photo and file off OneDrive to keep on my PC

Answer 1

To keep copies of OneDrive photos and files on a Windows PC, either download them from the OneDrive website or sync them with the OneDrive desktop app and mark them to stay on the device.

Option 1 – Download from OneDrive website

1. Go to the OneDrive website and sign in.
2. Browse to the folder that contains the photos/files.
3. Select what to download:
   • To select individual items, click the circle checkbox next to each file or photo.
   • To select all items in the folder, click the circle to the left of the header row or press Ctrl + A.
4. At the top, select Download (or right‑click the selection and choose Download).
5. If prompted by the browser, choose Save or Save as and pick a folder on the PC that is outside the OneDrive folder (for example, C:\Users\<name>\Pictures\LocalBackup).
   • If multiple items are selected, a .zip file is downloaded; extract it on the PC.

Notes:

• The Download button only appears when at least one file or folder is selected.
• If the Download button disappears after a refresh, go up one folder level and back again, or close and reopen the tab.
• Downloads have limits such as a 250 GB per‑file limit and up to 10,000 files per download batch.

Option 2 – Use the OneDrive desktop app and keep files offline

1. Make sure the OneDrive desktop app is installed:
   • On Windows 11 it is already available. If needed, it can be downloaded.
2. Open Start, search for OneDrive, and open it.
3. Sign in with the Microsoft account used for OneDrive.
4. In File Explorer, open the OneDrive folder. All synced files appear there.
5. To keep a file or folder permanently on the PC (offline):
   • Right‑click the file or folder.
   • Select Always keep on this device.

This downloads the selected items to the PC and keeps them stored locally while still syncing changes to OneDrive.

If the goal is to free up OneDrive space after downloading, save the files to a folder outside the OneDrive tree and then delete them from OneDrive.

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References:

• Download files and folders from OneDrive or SharePoint
• Quick tips: Sync files to the cloud with the OneDrive desktop app