Forum Discussion
Using OneDrive as the central hub between computers
Since the beginning of OneDrive, I've used it as the central point where my files are saved and accessed. I have 3 main computers. I've always used it as if it were another drive on my computer. Sometime in Windows 10, OneDrive started demanding to back up my files and a few times it tried only to run out of space. I keep turning that off and refusing it because my files are already on OneDrive. With Windows 11, the problems with the files syncing have started. When I save a file on one computer, it doesn't sync on OneDrive. I really don't know how to fix it or why Microsoft broke it in the first place. I've tried everything. I can't use the files as backups because there is too much lag time downloading them and some of my programs won't work. I just want my files to sync immediately when there's a change on one computer like it used to do.
2 Replies
Based on your description, it sounds like there may be some confusion between OneDrive Backup and OneDrive Sync.
In the past, OneDrive was commonly used as a synchronized folder. You saved a file in your OneDrive folder on one computer, and it would quickly sync to the cloud and then to your other computers.
The newer "Backup" prompts that OneDrive displays for Desktop, Documents, and Pictures are a separate feature. They are designed to protect important folders, but they are not required for normal OneDrive synchronization.
If your files are already stored inside your OneDrive folder, there is no need to enable folder backup just to keep them synchronized.
A few things to check:
- Make sure the files are actually being saved inside the OneDrive folder and not in local folders outside of OneDrive.
- Check the OneDrive icon in the system tray and confirm it shows "Up to date" rather than sync errors.
- Verify that OneDrive is running on all three computers and signed in to the same account.
- Confirm there is sufficient storage available in your OneDrive account.
OneDrive should still synchronize changes automatically. While synchronization may not always be instantaneous, a file saved to a properly synchronized OneDrive folder should normally appear on other devices shortly afterward.
Since you mention that files are no longer syncing at all after being modified on one computer, I would focus on identifying why synchronization is failing rather than on the backup feature itself.
Could you clarify one point: when you modify a file on Computer A, does the OneDrive web portal show the updated version, or does the web portal still show the older version? That will help determine whether the problem is the upload to OneDrive or the synchronization between devices.
Thanks.
The problem is that OneDrive isn't syncing automatically like it always has. When I change a file on one computer, often, the next day, the other computers aren't synced with the first one. At first I didn't notice but ended up with all kinds of errors especially with my financial program.
When the demands for backup first started, I would end up with duplicate files on OneDrive. It was a total mess. When I turned it off, it deleted everything. In Windows 11, it gives me a choice of backing up or saving locally. I chose save locally expecting the sync to continue as it always had. Sometimes it works, most often it doesn't.
The changes appear to be somehow related to an update. I don't understand why Microsoft would want to make things more difficult. I loved OneDrive the way it was and recommended it to many family members and friends. When Microsoft added this forced backup, everybody was mad at me because of the mess it made. I don't know how to fix this problem.
