FAQs
Files On-Demand gives you easy access to your OneDrive files without taking up storage space on your computer. But, if you view and edit a lot of files in OneDrive, those files can take up extra space.
How do I save to local storage instead of OneDrive? ›
To change the default save location from OneDrive to your local disk in Windows 10, you need to do the following:
- Right-click on the 'Start' button in the bottom left corner of your screen and click on 'System. ...
- Click on 'Storage. ...
- Click on 'Change where new content is saved.
You're copying large files to a OneDrive folder, and OneDrive shows "This is not enough space on OneDrive, ...", or OneDrive "there isn't enough space on this computer to sync this file" error, and the Onedrive insufficient disk space errors can be caused by the low space in your C drive usually.
How do I stop OneDrive from taking up space on my computer? ›
Click the OneDrive taskbar/menubar icon and open OneDrive > Settings > Account > Choose folders to make sure you don't sync any unwanted to your computer. Once the sync is complete, right-click the files and folders you want to be online only and choose Clear space to remove the files from your computer.
How do I stop OneDrive from using local storage? ›
Keep fewer OneDrive files on your PC
- On the taskbar, select Show hidden icons , right-click (or press and hold) OneDrive , and then select Settings.
- Select the Account tab (if it's not already selected), then select Choose folders.
- Clear the check boxes for any folders you don't need offline, then select OK.
Note: OneDrive 100 GB plans are now Microsoft 365 Basic. If you don't have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you get 15 GB of free mailbox storage for your Outlook.com emails, contacts and calendar items. You also get 5 GB of free cloud storage for your email attachments, files and photos in OneDrive.
How does OneDrive work with local storage? ›
New files from the cloud are online-only by default, not taking up disk space. Files are downloaded to the device if a user opens them or chooses the option to “Always keep on this device” from the context menu in File Explorer.
Why are my files saving to OneDrive and not my computer? ›
In Windows 10, OneDrive is the default save location for your files and documents. This means new documents or files are automatically saved to OneDrive unless you opt to save them to a different location on your PC. Learn more about how files save to OneDrive by default in Windows 10.
How do I save all my local files to OneDrive? ›
If OneDrive is already running on your computer:
- Click on the “OneDrive” icon in your system tray.
- Select “Help & Settings”
- Select “Settings”
- Select the “Backup” tab, and then select “Manage Backup”.
- Choose the local folders you would like to backup and sync to your OneDrive folder. Then select, “Start Backup”.
You'll need to delete some files or buy more storage. Your files will be read-only, but you can download or delete files to get back under your storage limit. Select the Storage used link in the lower left corner of the screen. if you're using a mobile device.
It's possible that you may have deleted files from your computer but they are still present in your OneDrive Recycle bin, which is taking up space. You can empty the Recycle bin by following step 4 above. It's also possible that you may have synced a large number of files to your OneDrive without realizing it.
How to save files locally instead of OneDrive? ›
Or, via File > Options > Save, you can check “Save to Computer by default” and set “Default local file location” to the desired location.
How do I free up disk space in OneDrive? ›
One of the fastest ways to free up OneDrive space is to remove large files you don't need. Find these files by opening your OneDrive folder and sorting by size. Oust some old files. If you want to see which files you use least, sort your OneDrive folder by Date modified in ascending order.
Does unlinking OneDrive free up space? ›
Unlinking OneDrive from your PC is a way to temporarily disconnect OneDrive from your computer and free up space on your hard drive. This will also stop OneDrive from syncing to the cloud and updating your files on the cloud.
What is the local storage path for OneDrive? ›
Click the icon to access the service. If the icon does not appear, you will need to trigger it manually from the OneDrive exe file. To do this, open File Explorer and click View > Hidden items, then drill down to the following location: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\.
Why is my OneDrive so full? ›
Your OneDrive might be full because: You have exceeded the storage quota for your account. Learn more. If either your Outlook.com mailbox or your OneDrive storage is full, you cannot send or receive email.
