Once you have the OneDrive App installed and signed in, you can configure some of the specific settings to suit your preferences on that specific device. If you choose the option on one device, then your other device(s) can still have different options.  The options vary slightly depending on which Operating system you are using. 


Here are the 2 settings we recommend looking at more closely:

  1. Files On-Demand
  2. Manage Backup


1. Files on Demand 

This is a good option you can select if you want to save space on your specific computer. Such as if your laptop is low on space and you don't want it to download every single file you have saved in OneDrive. 

It will only download files from the OneDrive cloud when you use them. Other files will stay in the cloud until you need them. 


If you all of a sudden don't have an internet connection for some reason, then you may have difficulty accessing those files. The good news is that you can further specify folders or files to always be available on your device even if you choose this Files on demand option.


Below is an example of what the Windows explorer window will look like when you go to view your files and folders. Notice that the symbol changes depending on the current status of those folders.  

  • The cloud symbol means those files are currently just in the cloud (easily downloaded/opened if you just try to open up that folder or file). 
  • The green check-mark means that the folder is downloaded onto your machine already. 
  • The green circle with a white check-mark means that folder is set to always remain on your computer. 
  • The little person symbol means that folder is shared with someone else.

You can change those settings by right-clicking on them and choosing an option such as "always keep on this device"

2. Manage Backup (recommended)

This option will let you backup/sync three other folders to the OneDrive cloud. (Desktop, Documents, Pictures)

It also lets you maintain a similar desktop experience between different computers. For example if you had an office comuter and a laptop and you save a Word document to your desktop folder while at work. Then when you sign into OneDrive on your laptop that same file will show up on the laptops desktop folder. It doesn't transfer programs from one computer to another, just the folders and files. 


Note that once you click on "manage backup" you are presented with 3 folders to choose to "start backup". You can select any or all of them before clicking "start backup". See similar from the image below:

As you can see in the image we have already selected each folder and clicked on the start backup button. The options now let us choose to stop backup on any of those folders if we change our mind. 


The first time you go to start the backup you may have an error showing for one of those folders. If you wish to enable that folder to sync, then you will have to fix it before you can start the backup on that particular folder. A common error is that you have a file or folder that isn't supported such as a OneNote notebook, or perhaps a folder name path is too long. You can fix those by moving to another folder or renaming them if too long. For example if you had a OneNote notebook within the "Documents" folder. Just cut and paste that notebook to a new folder on OneDrive that isn't in the "Documents" folder.