Now that OneDrive is available and is backing up your files, you may notice that sometimes those files are unavailable. This is typically caused by the computer not being connected to the Internet or not signed into OneDrive. Here we'll discuss this phenomenon in more detail, so you can prepare for it.
These are my files, why can't I get to them all the time?
Consider this: you can save up to 1024 GB (1 TB) in OneDrive, but most computer hard drives are not that large. OneDrive is set up by default to keep your hard drive space open and house your files in the cloud. It isn't designed to keep everything on your hard drive all the time.
Instead, it releases space and leaves a placeholder for your documents on your computer. It expects you to be connected to the Internet and logged in to OneDrive most of the time, so this isn't an issue. When you're connected to the Internet and logged in to OneDrive, it simply downloads the file when you need it.
Sometimes, however, you expect or need to have certain files all the time, even when you're offline. That makes sense, so OneDrive built a feature for that, too!
When you right-click a folder under your OneDrive, there's an option called "Always keep on this device" which does exactly that. It downloads each file in that folder to your hard drive and you have it, even when you're offline.
Mac View
Why are some files available, but others aren't?
The quick answer is whether or not those files have been opened recently on your computer. OneDrive uses status icons to help distinguish between files available offline and those that need to be downloaded.
These are the most common:
The blue cloud
This indicates the file icon is a placeholder for the real file. The file must be downloaded prior to its use.
The green tick
This indicates the file is currently saved on the hard drive. It has recently been downloaded and accessed, but it isn't marked to always remain on the device and the space may be released.
The solid green circle with the white check mark
This indicates that the file/folder has been selected to always stay on the device. It is available offline and the space will not be released automatically.
The sync pending arrows
This indicates that the file or folder's upload, download or update is pending or in process.
More information can be found here: What do the OneDrive icons mean? (microsoft.com)
When does it makes sense to "Always keep on this device" for a file or folder?
There are many examples of this:
- A set of files that you are working on for a project
- Files on your Desktop which tend to be working copies or something you reference regularly
- A set of documents you plan to work on off-site where you may not have an Internet connection
- A large file, such as a video, you need access to quickly and waiting for a download would be detrimental
Be mindful of the consideration from the beginning: your computer probably doesn't have 1024 GB (1 TB) of space for files. When a project is over, you can safely un-check the option to "Always keep on this device", then select "Free up space" on those files. These files remain in the cloud when you need them again, but your hard drive is clear for more files to be downloaded and created.
What is this "Free up space" option?
In the same way that you know which files you will need no matter what, you also know which files are less essential and don't need to be available offline. For these files, you can right-click them and choose "Free up space" to make more room for essential files.
Some examples would be:
- Files created for a project, course, or event that is complete
- Video files, such as lectures downloaded from Blackboard Collaborate, that you don't expect to view in the near future
- Items in the Pictures folder that can be viewed as thumbnails until they're needed