Can't set up One Drive

[Neptune48]

I'm trying to set up a One Drive backup. The online instructions say to launch the app and click the 'OneDrive Help and Settings' icon (gear wheel). I launch One Drive and I get a File Explorer screen, which has no 'One Drive Help and Settings' icon.

I have paid for extra storage space, but I can't seem to access it. I MUST back up my hard drives while they are still healthy. Last time my hard drives failed (both primary and backup were corrupted at the same time!) it cost me almost $2000 to recover my data. Please help

Thanks.

Neptune48

[#2]

@Neptune48 

Hello Neptune!

Thanks for sharing your problem, it would be my pleasure to help you!

Note

If you are using Windows 10 or 11, The same method works, But just in case you are using older version... let me know and i do my best.

Solution

When you click OneDrive It thinks you want to see your already synced files, But its not what you want. So To fix this, click the action icon under in your taskbar and find the OneDrive icon ( In case it was not there, In search box of your Windows... Search for OneDrive and make sure its running ) Once you clicked it , a small white ( or dark depending on your current theme ) screen must appear, Once the screen loaded follow the instructions for backup. ( OneDrive Might ask you for a password to re-login )

Tip

If the OneDrive screen didn't appear and the same File Explorer opened after clicking, try right clicking on the icon, And finding the Settings or Open button ( Most likely the settings one is what you need )

If there's anything else, feel free to reply. 

Thanks

Ehsan G.

[#3]

@Ehsan_G 

Ehsan,

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer me.  I apologize for the delay in responding to you.  

I think I have it working—sort of.  But the only thing I can sync up to the cloud is the OneDrive folder in my personal Users section.  It is much too small to load the entire 128 GB in my external drive, which is what I want to back up to the cloud.  I even installed CBackup, but it is the same.  It won't allow me to access the external drive to create an automatic backup.  I'm really getting frustrated at this point.  I've worked with computers since 1969, and I can't understand why these people insist on making a simple task so convoluted and difficult.

Regards,

Bruce

[#4]

@Neptune48 

To amply a but further, and to express my total confusion, the beast is offering to back up my documents, pictures and screen shots.  NOWHERE can I find a way to sync an external drive.

[#5]

Hello again Neptune.

No worries , i will wait for response.

I don't fully undrestand but if you are trying to sync an external drive to the cloud and its big... just in the settings of your OneDrive. Link the external drive to be synced.

here's the steps:

Go to the OneDrive sign-in webpage from any browser and log in to your account.
Step 2. Click the Upload option on the main page of OneDrive and navigate to the external hard drive folder. You can select the entire file or the files in it, and click Open to confirm the sync files from the external drive to OneDrive


Thats it, you can backup all of it, or part of it.
If there's anything else or somethnig i missed, let me know.

Thanks
Ehsan G.

[#6]

@Ehsan_G 

Thanks for the quick answer.  I went to OneDrive online using MS Edge, logged on and selected upload.  I selected the J:\ Drive and got a bad argument type error.  The only way I can upload is to select each of the 150 folders one at a time and upload it.  Is that how it has to be done?  And once done, how do I set up to backup automatically any files that have been changed or added?

Thanks again,

Bruce

[#7]

Well, uploading the folders doesn't upload the files within them! So then I tried to upload files, selected every folder in the j: drive I wanted, and it uploaded what appeared to be about a dozen files from random locations. At this rate, it will take about two months to backup one hard drive. I don't think that's how it's supposed to work.

[#8]

I stand corrected. It does upload the files in the folder, it just takes a long time. Still, it will take days to upload one folder at a time. Is that the best Microsoft can do?

[#9]

Hello Neptune!

Thanks for quick response as well.

Im sorry if there's any problem. But you need to link the drive to your OneDrive, even if you dont... as long as you upload the folder itself, OneDrive will upload any changes made to the folder.

The Solution No. 1 is to transfer the files to your Main drive, then to OneDrive.

The fastest is just your explorer, Go to OneDrive folder as you said it openes up eariler, Create a new folder and call something like External drive. Now just copy the files from J:\ using ( Ctrl + C ) to the OneDrive folder you just created using ( Ctrl + V )

Now its 99% faster i gurantee. If there's an error , let me know.

Thanks

Ehsan G.

[#10]

@Ehsan_G 

Hi Ehsan.  Thanks again.

I tried transferring the J: drive content to my "Bruce - Personal" folder in the users folder, but it only has a capacity of 687 MB, and I have 128 GB to back up. 

Wish I weren't so confused by all of this.

Regards,

Bruce

[#11]

Under the Bruce - Personal folder is a folder named J-Drive, which seems to be a mirror of what I have uploaded so far. Its capacity is only 47 GB, so it appears I can't put all the remaining folders in there, either.

[#12]

Hello again , thanks for your quick response.

Did you try to copy directly from J:\ to the OneDrive?
Let me know and i'll help more.

Thanks
Ehsan G.

[#13]

@Ehsan_G 

Good idea, and it worked!  Thanks much.  Does this mean it will automatically upload and update now?

Thanks again,

Bruce