Learn how to sync your data and control OneDrive

Cloud storage platforms have become our daily bread and many of us are the users who use them daily for both work and study. However, many users also inadvertently use it if they have a Microsoft account, thanks to the free 5 GB included with Microsoft. Do you know how to get the most out of it? If not, in this article we are going to show you the best tricks to get the most out of it.

Many are the users who, as soon as they reinstall Windows, the first thing they do is deactivate the OneDrive application that runs at login, like Skype, in order to reduce the startup time of the computer and especially when they do not plan to use this platform. or they trust any other without taking a look at all the options that they integrate.

Learn how to sync your data and control OneDrive

How OneDrive data sync works

OneDrive is a cloud storage platform that allows us to make a backup copy of all the documents, images, and videos that we want to keep safe. It also allows us to make a backup copy of all the photos and videos that we take with our mobile device using the corresponding application for iOS and Android.

As we can see, OneDrive works exactly the same as any other storage platform like Google Drive, Dropbox, Mega and others. But what happens to that data when we link our OneDrive account to the computer?

If we use a cloud storage platform, in addition to making a backup, we are looking to free up space on our device , be it mobile or computer. When we set up the OneDrive app in Windows, in the left column of the explorer, a folder with the same name will be created.

Inside that folder there is a direct access to all the content that we have stored in OneDrive, in this way, we do not occupy the space that we have on our computer with all the content stored in the cloud. Files that are not physically available on our device are accompanied by a cloud icon. The ones we have downloaded replace the cloud with a green check.

funcionamiento OneDrive

To open an image, document or video, we just have to press twice and it will automatically be downloaded to the computer and it will open , just as if it were a document stored on the computer. Unless they are videos that take up a lot of space, the time it takes for the computer to download the document and open it is practically the same as if we have it on our computer, as long as we use a fiber connection.

Best tricks for OneDrive

Once we know how file synchronization works in OneDrive, it’s time to show you a series of tips to get the most out of it.

Free up storage space

As I mentioned above, the Dropbox folder on our team includes direct access to all the files, documents, images, videos, programs, and more stored in the Microsoft cloud. When we open one of these documents, it is automatically downloaded to the device.

Once we stop working with it, the file is re-uploaded to the cloud to synchronize the changes, but the file is still physically available on our computer, occupying space that, if it is videos, can become a storage problem for our team.

The solution to this problem is to place the mouse over the file, press the right button and select the Free up space option. In this way, the downloaded file will be removed from our computer and, instead, a direct access to the file will be displayed for when we need to access it again.

Liberar espacio OneDrive

If we want to have the file always at hand, through the right button, we must select the Always keep on the device option. We will see how at that moment, once the file is downloaded, the cloud icon is replaced by a green check.

Select which folders to sync

OneDrive allows us to select which folders on our computer we want to synchronize with the cloud . In this way, we can always have a copy of any folder stored on our hard drive regardless of where it is located on our computer.

In addition, it also allows us to synchronize all the files that we have stored on our desktop, a location that many users use to store documents or images that they need for a work, study or personal project until it is finished.

In this way, if we use two PCs associated with the same account, we can continue with the project on another computer as long as we have the same applications that we need installed. To establish which folders we want to synchronize with our OneDrive account, we must perform the following steps:

With the right mouse button, click on the OneDrive icon, then click on the cogwheel and access the configuration options. In the Account tab, we go to the Select folders section and select Choose folders to finally select which folders we want to synchronize with OneDrive.

Seleccionar carpetas OneDrive

Pause sync

When we sync large files, such as videos, OneDrive consumes a lot of computer resources that affects device performance. If we cannot wait for the synchronization to finish, in large files the process can take several minutes, the best we can do is temporarily pause the synchronization.

OneDrive allows us to pause the synchronization for 2, 8 or 24 hours . After that time, the device will stop synchronizing the data with the cloud. If we want to pause the synchronization of files in OneDrive, we must perform these steps. On the OneDrive icon, press the right button, then click on the cogwheel and in the Pause synchronization section, click on the down arrow to select the time that we want to pause it.

Pausar onedrive

Pause sync using a mobile connection

When we use the Internet connection of our mobile to access OneDrive, it is likely that, if our data rate is not very generous , we are not interested in all the changes being synchronized until we connect to an unlimited Wi-Fi network.

Within the OneDrive configuration options, the application takes this type of network into account and, if we activate the corresponding box, when it detects that it is a mobile connection, it will automatically pause the data synchronization . This option is available within the OneDrive configuration options.

Pausar OneDrive con datos móviles

It is important that, when we configure an internet connection from our computer, that we establish that it is a connection from a mobile phone so that both OneDrive and other system applications take this information into account so as not to download updates, stop the synchronization of files and so on.

Recover deleted files

When we delete a file stored in the OneDrive folder and downloaded to our computer, it automatically goes to the recycle bin, from where we can recover it as usual. But, if the file that we have deleted, we have not previously downloaded, we will not be able to recover it from the recycle bin of our computer, but we will be able to recover it from the recycle bin of our OneDrive account , during the 30 days following its deletion. , where all the files that we have deleted from the OneDrive folder synchronized with our computer or through the web interface are stored.

Recuperar archivos borrados

Extend laptop battery

As I mentioned in the previous point, the synchronization of large files with OneDrive, as with any other platform, consumes a large amount of resources, resources that affect performance and, therefore, battery consumption if we are using a laptop .

In these cases, we must assess whether we want to save battery or if we want the data to be synchronized as soon as possible to have a backup in the cloud.

Turn off automatic synchronization of Office applications

Every time we create a document, natively, Office will store a copy of the document in the cloud, not locally, so that we can continue with the document on any other device. However, in the long run, it is more of a nuisance than an advantage, as many users prefer to physically control the saving of the document along with the location where it is saved.

Within the OneDrive configuration options, we can deactivate this option so that, when we go to save a document that we are creating with one of the different Office applications, the first option is not to store it in the cloud, but on our device. To modify this setting, we must perform the following steps:

We access the OneDrive configuration options and access the Office tab. To turn off this functionality, we need to turn off Use Office apps to sync Office files I open .

OneDrive archivos Office

Manage backups

For those users who use the Documents and Pictures folders that Windows automatically creates on all computers, to save the files, videos and photos that we take, OneDrive does not forget about them and, within the configuration options, allows us to synchronize all those data with our OneDrive account.

In this way, there is no need to change our way of working and start saving both documents and images and videos inside a OneDrive folder. If we want the Microsoft cloud storage platform to be in charge of making a copy of both folders, and incidentally, also of the desktop, we must carry out the same steps as to select which folders we want them to synchronize, a point that we have explained more up.

Personal vault for your private files

The OneDrive Personal Store is a secure folder where we can store all those documents, images or videos that we don’t want to be accessible to just anyone. Access to this folder is protected by a 6-digit code and/or through the Microsoft Authenticator app for mobile devices.

Almacén personal

Anyone who wants to access the content of that folder, even though they are using our equipment, needs this code to verify that they are really the owner of that account. Otherwise, you will not be able to access your content in any way, since it is encrypted.

Close the application

If, for any reason, you want to close the OneDrive app to stop file syncing and prevent changes from reaching the Microsoft cloud, the only solution we have is to close the app and make any necessary changes to try to reverse the problem.

To close the OneDrive application, right-click on its icon to access the application. Next, click on the gear located in the upper corner of that window and select the option Exit OneDrive.

Cerrar OneDrive

Remove OneDrive from login

If the use we make of OneDrive is reduced to the minimum expression or, we have simply gotten tired of using it, we can eliminate it from the start menu of our computer to prevent it from running and consuming resources that we can dedicate to other applications.

It is not necessary to use the task manager, if the options of the registry of our equipment, we only have to access the configuration options of the OneDrive application, pressing the right mouse button on its icon, clicking on the cogwheel and on Setting. In the Settings tab, we need to uncheck the Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows box.

Desactivar OneDrive

add more accounts

If we are subscribers of Microsoft 365 in the Family mode, we have 6 accounts of up to 1 TB of storage each. Unfortunately, Windows does not allow us to use different OneDrive accounts on the same computer, but it does allow us to unlink the OneDrive account associated with the computer and use any other

To add a new account, we must first unlink the account we are using. To do this, right-click on the OneDrive icon and then click on the cogwheel. Within the configuration options, in the Accounts tab, click on Unlink this computer and to add a new account, click on Add account and enter the data of the account that we also want to use.

Añadir cuenta OneDrive

The data from the old account will remain available on the device until we manually delete it.