Forum Discussion
How to use onedrive on more than one device
I am trying to help my Dad with his onedrive but am struggling to understand this myself. He has the Personal account which I believe he is correct it allows you to save files on more than one device.
When we log in on his main pc and look in devices it lists his old PC but doesnt show the computer he is currently on. Would this be normal or should it be listed? I am reluctant to delete the old pc in case I mess everything up before we continue.
If he adds another device (laptop) - firstly does he need to log in with same email address or can he use a secondary email address that he prefers to use on laptop to keep everything seperate. Secondly if he has two devices registered, does one drive save everything from both together or will they shown as separate? On each device would he see the saved files from the other (in a new folder perhaps)?
Hopefully that makes sense!
Thanks
Michelle (and Dad!)
OneDrive can definitely be a bit confusing at first. Let’s clear this up step by step:
Does OneDrive Personal work on multiple devices? Yes
Why doesn’t his current PC show in “Devices”?
- The Devices list you see online in the Microsoft Account portal isn’t always a perfect list of where OneDrive is installed.
- It shows Windows devices linked to the Microsoft account (e.g., when you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account, not just OneDrive).
- So, if his new PC is signed into Windows with a local account (not his Microsoft account), then it won’t appear in “Devices” even though OneDrive is working fine.
That’s normal and nothing to worry about. Deleting the old PC there won’t remove files from OneDrive — it just unlinks that computer from the Microsoft account device list.
How does syncing work across two devices?
- OneDrive keeps one cloud copy of his files.
- On each device, OneDrive creates a local folder (OneDrive under his user profile).
- Anything saved to that folder syncs to the cloud and shows up on all devices using the same account.
So:
- If he saves a Word document in OneDrive\Documents on the desktop PC, it will also appear in the same place on the laptop.
- They won’t show as “separate” folders per device — it’s just one shared folder structure in the cloud.
Adding another device (e.g., laptop)
- He should sign into OneDrive on the laptop with the SAME Microsoft email address he uses on the main PC.
- If he uses a different email, that creates a separate OneDrive account (separate storage, separate files). They won’t merge automatically.
What if he wants files separate on each device?
Options:
- Use different OneDrive accounts (different emails → different clouds).
- Or use OneDrive plus local-only folders (e.g., save sensitive or device-specific stuff outside of OneDrive).
Best Practice (for your Dad’s case)
If his goal is simply:
- Access same files on multiple devices → stick to one account (his main Microsoft email). That’s simplest and least error-prone.
- If he really wants to keep things separate (e.g., personal vs. hobby, or personal vs. shared laptop use), then a second account is fine, but he should be clear which folder belongs to which account.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
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3 Replies
Thank you so much for this concise and informative response, I really appreciate it! It helps me to get it right in my head and then can explain it to him :) He has had 365 for a few years but has been emailing files from each device as and when he needed it! This should be very helpful. Again thank you!
Yes, it makes sense, and you are right that OneDrive Personal allows you to use it on multiple devices. When you view the OneDrive online portal under 'Devices', it may not always display every PC that is currently signed in. Therefore, it is normal if your current computer is not listed, and it will not prevent OneDrive from functioning properly. Deleting the old PC entry will not delete any files; it simply removes the record of that computer from the account, so you do not need to worry about losing data.
If your dad adds another device, like a laptop, he must sign in with the same Microsoft account email address that he already uses for OneDrive if he wants the files to sync across both devices. If he signs in with a different email address, he will get a completely separate OneDrive storage, and the files will not be shared between them. When he uses the same account across two or more devices, OneDrive maintains a central copy in the cloud and then synchronizes it to each device, ensuring the files appear the same everywhere. That means if he saves a document on his desktop PC, it will appear in the same OneDrive folder on his laptop once it syncs, eliminating the need for separate folders on each device. In short, one account equals one pool of files synced across all signed-in devices.
OneDrive can definitely be a bit confusing at first. Let’s clear this up step by step:
Does OneDrive Personal work on multiple devices? Yes
Why doesn’t his current PC show in “Devices”?
- The Devices list you see online in the Microsoft Account portal isn’t always a perfect list of where OneDrive is installed.
- It shows Windows devices linked to the Microsoft account (e.g., when you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account, not just OneDrive).
- So, if his new PC is signed into Windows with a local account (not his Microsoft account), then it won’t appear in “Devices” even though OneDrive is working fine.
That’s normal and nothing to worry about. Deleting the old PC there won’t remove files from OneDrive — it just unlinks that computer from the Microsoft account device list.
How does syncing work across two devices?
- OneDrive keeps one cloud copy of his files.
- On each device, OneDrive creates a local folder (OneDrive under his user profile).
- Anything saved to that folder syncs to the cloud and shows up on all devices using the same account.
So:
- If he saves a Word document in OneDrive\Documents on the desktop PC, it will also appear in the same place on the laptop.
- They won’t show as “separate” folders per device — it’s just one shared folder structure in the cloud.
Adding another device (e.g., laptop)
- He should sign into OneDrive on the laptop with the SAME Microsoft email address he uses on the main PC.
- If he uses a different email, that creates a separate OneDrive account (separate storage, separate files). They won’t merge automatically.
What if he wants files separate on each device?
Options:
- Use different OneDrive accounts (different emails → different clouds).
- Or use OneDrive plus local-only folders (e.g., save sensitive or device-specific stuff outside of OneDrive).
Best Practice (for your Dad’s case)
If his goal is simply:
- Access same files on multiple devices → stick to one account (his main Microsoft email). That’s simplest and least error-prone.
- If he really wants to keep things separate (e.g., personal vs. hobby, or personal vs. shared laptop use), then a second account is fine, but he should be clear which folder belongs to which account.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
Was the answer useful? Mark as best response and like it!
This will help all forum participants.
