Why save files to OneDrive online by default?

Iron Contributor

For example, saving an new Excel file to one local folder syncing with OneDrive. Even following these steps:
Save as -> This PC -> More options - > C drive -> Users -> my username folder -> OneDrive - HP -> Save, the status bar in Excel indicates: "uploading to SharePoint". So it seems to be saved online to OneDrive by default instead of offline to the local hard disk first.

That's slower and depends on my network connection. How can I make it to save offline to the local hard disk first then syncing to OneDrive?

According to my searching, it happened years before and solved with an updated OneDrive app. But I'm on 17.005.0107.0008 so it's weird...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/forum/odwork-odedit-sdwin8_1/onedrive-stalls-word-by-sa...

5 Replies
OK, updating to the latest version of OneDrive didn't work.
One behavior I noticed is if I set OneDrive to pause syncing for like 2 hours, saving files goes to the folder on the local hard disk first, then resume syncing will be fine.

Uninstall and reinstall the latest OneDrive Windows app didn't work, either.

One example, I create a new blank Excel spreadsheet file and save it to one folder on my hard drive. And that folder was set to sync with OneDrive for Business. Unfortunately, the Excel status bar shows: "Uploading to SharePoint...". It's obviously looking for the online location first to save files instead of offline location on the hard drive and it takes more time, of course.

OneDrive-issue01_save2online.png

Peter

I am not sure that is the case. I just tried it with a large workbook. I did get the message showing "Uploading to SharePoint" but I was able to close Excel right away.

 

When I clicked on my OneDrive could it said that it was still uploading it, which is what you would expect if it was saved locally and then synced.

 

What I didn't expect was that as it showed the progress (1 of 12MB, 2 of 12 MB, etc.) it looked like it was recopying the whole file up to SharePoint. I thought it was supposed to sync only what had changed.

Thank you, John!
Yes, even saving a blank Excel spreadsheet file to one folder on local hard drive syncing with OneDrive are quite slower than saving to one folder not syncing with OneDrive. Plus, there's a prompt before the message "Uploading to SharePoint"

OneDrive-issue02_save2online.png
I bet you won't have such stuff when saving to other folder on your hard drive. I supposed the order is: offline -> online instead of online -> offline, but it seems not. And Google Drive doesn't act like that.

I'm having similar issues with 365 on Mac.  Slow saving and slow access. Get the color-wheel spin almost everytime, but sometimes it can take 20 seconds.  Other times it says "failed to upload" and then I have to reboot, freezing Word, and usually losing my last changes to the document. I reported it to the help desk multiple times, but they just say "its Microsoft".  Reboot and take the losses.