Forum Discussion
Solved
Include files in OneDrive sync without copying them
Hi, This may be something already discussed and seems to be in the User Voice forums. I'd like to know if there is a way to include existing folders or files, similar to folder redirection, for f...
Hi John.
This feature is not available natively at the moment, but luckily there is a very effective workaround (if you are using NTFS as the local file system).
You should simply create in the local sync folder a symbolic link to the folder that you want to sync (which is located elsewhere) and such folder will sync as if it were a regular subfolder of the local sync folder (it can even be selectively synced...).
You can create symbolic links using the command line or by a wonderful utility called Link Shell Extension.
Hope it helps...
Well, this is definitely a feature that is out of the reach of the "big" guys (OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox).
I admit I'm pretty used to keep the real data inside the OneDrive (and also on the other two), and then I create a symbolic link wherever it's needed, even if it's a folder of the application which originally created. I really don't see a problem with it, I'd say you need the same level of self-organization to do that.
In fact, Google Drive offers something ALMOST like that: it offers you to pick folders scattered through your computer, but:
- it's one-way sync
- and they get tagged under your computer name (ok, you can copy and link them between your different computer tags, but it's a manual process), and will sync only from it
Anyway, original data on the cloud folder, symbolic link where the data is needed.
I guess Mega (from Mega.nz) has something like this in their client, can't remember... but then you must consider speed, reliability, so many other factors. There will always be a custom need for each of us that won't be supported.
I admit I'm pretty used to keep the real data inside the OneDrive (and also on the other two), and then I create a symbolic link wherever it's needed, even if it's a folder of the application which originally created. I really don't see a problem with it, I'd say you need the same level of self-organization to do that.
In fact, Google Drive offers something ALMOST like that: it offers you to pick folders scattered through your computer, but:
- it's one-way sync
- and they get tagged under your computer name (ok, you can copy and link them between your different computer tags, but it's a manual process), and will sync only from it
Anyway, original data on the cloud folder, symbolic link where the data is needed.
I guess Mega (from Mega.nz) has something like this in their client, can't remember... but then you must consider speed, reliability, so many other factors. There will always be a custom need for each of us that won't be supported.