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Carmen3008's avatar
Carmen3008
Copper Contributor
Jul 21, 2021

Sharepoint columns sync with File Explorer view, or an alternative option

Hi all   I'm more an admin person rather than IT, but have been asked to find a solution for one of our directors who prefers to open his documents using File Explorer over Sharepoint online. And b...
file explorer
files
onedrive
SharePoint Online
Usage
solson550's avatar
solson550
Brass Contributor
May 22, 2023
Sharepoint is being advertised as the preferred data architecture solution for our organization. It is barely functional for what I do. The massive need is in part file versioning, original and added authors, dates created, latest date modified, EVEN File TYPE! - all of which are easily displayed in file explorer columns and simply not available in sharepoint, unless you open EACH file! Not acceptable. Sharepoint must have been designed by people who never manage multiple file edits, from multiple editors - most of whom are not in or can't access the intranet! Why didn't UI designers discover that people often need to compare 3, 5, 15 different file versions by just staring at the metadata columns? The File Explorer people figured it out!
Johan Stenberg's avatar
Johan Stenberg
Copper Contributor
May 23, 2023
Online you can just add the fields you like in the view of your library (or make another view).
  • solson550's avatar
    solson550
    Brass Contributor
    Sep 07, 2023

    Johan Stenberg Please show me where - I don't see options to do that.

  • solson550's avatar
    solson550
    Brass Contributor
    May 23, 2023

    Johan Stenberg 

    Thank you for your reply.   I tried to add columns in sharepoint/onedrive/MS teams files - web or desktop app versions.  In online sharepoint I don't even see an option to add columns.

     

    e.g., in MS Teams desktop app:

    The column I'd like to add in this view is date created.  Not an option here, and I don't quite see how to Add column for original date created (Not Date Uploaded)  with these free form choices.  Thoughts?

     

    • Johan Stenberg's avatar
      Johan Stenberg
      Copper Contributor
      Sep 08, 2023

      solson550 

       

      Click on an arbitrary column header and choose Column settings - Hide/show columns

      Then you can choose which columns you want to show in that view

       

       

    • SMiller89's avatar
      SMiller89
      Copper Contributor
      Aug 19, 2023

      solson550 I know it's been a while, so maybe you've figured this out since then, but in the screenshot you're trying to create a new custom column instead of displaying an existing one (that would already have the metadata you're looking for populated). In the bottom left of your screenshot there's a settings wheel that says "show/hide columns", THAT'S where you want to be.

      • solson550's avatar
        solson550
        Brass Contributor
        Sep 07, 2023
        I'm in MS Teams/a Team/Files. Web URL or Teams App - the bottom left wheel shows me options for the Team, not for files.

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