Forum Discussion
one drive issue
Without precise information about the digital environment (operating system, network, users or admins, etc.), it's very difficult to recommend a solution from the outset. However, here's an approximate approach or some food for thought.
When you create a desktop shortcut for a shared folder that you don’t own, OneDrive places an Internet Shortcut (.url) on your desktop — which opens the folder in a browser, not File Explorer. This is by design, but you can change this behavior.
- When someone shares a folder with you via OneDrive and you don’t "Add shortcut to My files", the only way to access it is via web link.
- If you do add it to your OneDrive, Microsoft still often creates a .url file (an Internet Shortcut), not a true folder shortcut.
- This is especially common in business/enterprise accounts with admin or compliance policies enabled.
How to Access Shared Folder Like a Local Folder in File Explorer?
Step 1: Add Shared Folder to Your OneDrive
1. Open the shared folder in the browser (click the link if needed).
2. At the top, click “Add shortcut to My files”.
- This adds the folder to your own OneDrive.
3. Wait a moment for sync to complete.
Step 2: Open Your OneDrive Folder on Desktop
- Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder > OneDrive (Mac).
- You will now see the shared folder within your OneDrive folder, and it will behave like a normal synced folder.
You can now drag a shortcut of this synced folder to your desktop, and it will open locally, not in the browser.
As an Office 365 Admin, you can use Group Policy or Intune to auto-add and sync shared folders.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
We have a master drive, which is shared among other employees. When employees open the shared files, these files open as Internet shortcuts. When we contact Microsoft support, they say it is a developer issue, but I think our other companies are not facing this issue.
We are using Windows, and we have a personal 365 account.
When your users access a shared folder (on the “master drive”), OneDrive is not syncing it as a local folder. Instead, it creates Internet Shortcut files (.url) — which just open the folder in a web browser, not File Explorer.
This happens because shared folders are not automatically synced to users’ local OneDrive folders unless each user manually adds the shortcut.
Solution approach (User-Level Fix): Sync Shared Folder to Local File Explorer
Each user must manually add the shared folder to their OneDrive, so it syncs and shows in File Explorer.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Open the shared folder via the browser
- This may be from an email invite or OneDrive web.
- Example: https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=...
Click Add shortcut to My files (top menu)
- This links the folder to their personal OneDrive.
Wait for OneDrive to Sync
- OneDrive client will now show the folder in File Explorer under:
C:\Users\<YourName>\OneDrive\<SharedFolderName>
Create a Desktop Shortcut (optional but useful)
- Open the folder in File Explorer.
- Right-click > Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).
- This shortcut now opens the synced folder directly (not in the browser).
Don’t…
Don’t drag a link from the browser to the desktop — it creates a .url file, not a folder.
Don’t assume syncing is automatic for all shared folders — each user must opt in unless you're using enterprise-level device management.
Why Others May Not Have This Problem
They may be using Microsoft 365 Business/Enterprise, which allows:
- OneDrive for Business
- SharePoint + Group Policies
- Intune or Endpoint Manager auto-provisioning
Admins in those companies often pre-sync shared folders using Group Policy or PowerShell scripts.
Since you're using personal Office 365, these enterprise management tools are not available, and so each user must manually sync shared folders.
Quick Recap for You to Share with Your Team
Why does OneDrive open shared folders in the browser?
Because the folder isn't synced locally. To fix this:- Open the folder link in your browser.
- Click "Add shortcut to My files."
- Let OneDrive sync it to your PC.
- Open File Explorer > OneDrive to access it locally.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.