Interesting

OneDrive: what is it? Automatic backup of my documents in the cloud!

Good day!

In Windows 10, there is one interesting link / folder "OneDrive" in File Explorer. And many often ask what it is, do I need it, how to remove it, etc. Well, straight to the point ...

OneDrive is a network drive (called a cloud drive) provided to you free of charge (currently 5 GB in size).

Such a volume, of course, cannot be used for a collection of music or films, but it will be enough for backing up documents, for exchanging various files, etc. And for a small fee, this space can be expanded to several terabytes!

And personally, I would not advise you to disable or uninstall this OneDrive ...

I will even say more, in my opinion, Microsoft is doing the right thing in this regard, which increases its system in terms of security: after all, almost every experienced user regretted at least once that he had not made a backup copy of his documents. And now, you can configure everything so that the copy will be made automatically by itself, without your participation. Agree that the function would be very useful!

Actually, this is what I will show below in the article ...

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How to sync your documents with OneDrive

1) Understanding the account on the Microsoft website (in OneDrive)

The first thing to do is go to the address //onedrive.live.com/about/en-ru/ and go through the registration procedure (there is a link for a free option). If you already have an account, of course, you can skip this step.

Registration, in general, is ordinary: indicate your mail, set a password, agree to the terms of service ...

Registration example

Addition! To register on the Microsoft website, you need an email address. If you do not have it, or you do not know where it is better to start it, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with this material: //ocomp.info/kak-sozdat-elektronnuyu-pochtu.html

2) Set up auto-login to OneDrive at Windows startup

By default, your tray icon should be lit in the form of a "cloud" (see example below). By clicking on it (if you have not yet logged into your account), you will see a window for entering your e-mail and password. Actually, enter them (a couple of screenshots, what is at stake, are presented below).

Trey

Setting up OneDrive

Remark!

I must make one digression here. Sometimes the OneDrive preinstalled on the system won't start (especially if your system is not downloaded from the official Microsoft website). In this case, go to Windows Control Panel, click the Programs and Features tab, and uninstall OneDrive.

Then download the app from Microsoft again and reinstall it (OneDrive download link: //onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/download/).

Programs and Features

After you have successfully entered your e-mail and password, I recommend right-clicking on the same cloud icon in the tray (next to the clock) and opening the OneDrive options. It is highly advisable to check the "Account" tab: your mail should be displayed there.

Adding an account

In the "Options" tab, check the box next to "Automatically start OneDrive when I sign in to Windows." Save your settings.

Everything! Now, every time you turn on your computer, your cloud drive will automatically start and sync all files in the "OneDrive" folder (ie, automatically upload them to the cloud storage).

Auto sign in to OneDrive on PC startup

3) We transfer the folder "My Documents" and "Desktop" to OneDrive. We includesync (i.e. automatic backup)

First, open a regular explorer (Win + E key combination). In the menu on the left in the "This computer" tab, you should have all system folders (including "Documents" and "Desktop").

Right-click on "Documents" and select "Properties" from the menu (example in the screenshot below).

Open the explorer and go to properties

Next, open the "Location" tab. You need to specify a new location for the "Documents" folder, move it to the "OneDrive" directory (thereby, all the files in it will be automatically copied to the cloud, thanks to which their safety is achieved. Even if you format the disk, the files can be recovered from clouds!).

To do this, click on the "move" button (see screen below).

We look at the location of the system folder

Then in "OneDrive" create (or select) any folder for documents. See example below.

Create a Documents folder on OneDrive and select it as the main one

Confirm the new location. Windows will ask you again whether you really want to change the location of the system folder - just agree.

We agree to transfer all documents

Next, the transfer of information will begin. As a rule, everything goes quickly enough ...

We wait...

By the way, in addition to documents, I recommend doing the same with the system folder "Desktop" (many users like to store a bunch of documents and records on it ..).

It is desirable to do the same with the desktop.

4) Good Job!

Basically, the setup is now complete. Now, if you open the explorer and go to the "OneDrive" directory, you will see in front of the folders (including those that have been transferred) icons in the video clouds, green checkmarks, etc. Green checkmarks mean that the information in these directories has been synchronized (ie. (i.e., backed up to the cloud).

Synchronization process

By the way, another definite plus: any file in the "OneDrive" directory can be given access to any user in 1-2 clicks!

To do this, just open the OneDrive site, then right-click on the desired file and select "Share".

Share a picture

Then just copy the link and pass it on. By the way, you can also allow to edit the document, send it by mail, or designate the expiration date for the access to the file. Conveniently!

This is how easy it is, just 2 clicks: there is no need to upload anything anywhere (to any exchangers), think in what format where and what can be added, etc. Take it, and give access to any file (no second thoughts ...).

Copy link to picture

PS

I remembered one song:

....

Clouds are white-maned horses!

Clouds - why are you rushing without looking back?

Please don't look down on you

And ride us across the sky, clouds!

...

Good luck!

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