This short article describes how to utilize OneDrive with Windows 10, by rotating in between File Explorer and the OneDrive Windows Shop app.
Getting Organized With File Explorer
It might come as a surprise that you do not need to keep all your OneDrive files on your hard drive. You can leave as many of them as you desire in the cloud (aka Microsoft’s servers) and only download files as needed. That would be particularly important if you’re using a tablet with limited storage.
To choose which files you want to continue your disk drive, and those you wish to leave in the cloud:
Open File Explorer
Press Win+ E to open the File Explorer window quickly.
Select the upward-facing arrow on the far right of the taskbar.
Right-click OneDrive in the left pane or in the body of the window.
Select the upward-facing arrow on the far right of the taskbar.
Right-click OneDrive in the left pane or in the body of the window.
Select Settings.
In the window that opens make sure the Account tab is selected and select the Choose folders button.
Another window will open that lists all the folders you have on OneDrive. The files will remain in the cloud readily available to download at any time.
That’s all there is to making space on your hard disk drive while still keeping your files offered in OneDrive.
Lacking in File Explorer
The key feature missing out on in the File Explorer variation of OneDrive is the capability to see folders that have not been downloaded to your local hard disk drive. If you are using OneDrive with no adjustments then you most likely have your entire set of OneDrive files conserved in your area.
You do not have to do that. It’s really easy to leave some files in the cloud and only the more crucial content on your PC. The problem is you have no other way to see what’s not on your hard disk via File Explorer. There utilized to be a function like that called placeholders, and Microsoft just recently confirmed that function will return as the previously mentioned On-Demand Sync. The new feature will help you distinguish between files on your hard disk drive and files kept in the cloud.
Up until then, you can utilize the OneDrive Windows Store app. It lets you view all your OneDrive content including files that aren’t on your disk drive.
It’s not a perfect option, however it works and in our opinion is far easier to handle than flipping between File Explorer and OneDrive.com.
The Microsoft Store App
Now that you’ve got the files you don’t need out of your way, you’ll need the OneDrive for Windows 10 app to easily view them again.
Once you’ve downloaded the app from the app store and signed in, you will see all your files and folders stored in OneDrive. If you click or tap on a folder it will open to show all your files. Click on an individual file and it will either show you a preview of it (if it’s an image) or download the file and open it in the appropriate program such as Microsoft Word or a PDF reader.
When files are downloaded immediately they are put in a short-lived folder. To download it to a more permanent area, pick a file and then click the download icon (the down dealing with arrow) in the leading right. If you wish to see the information of a file instead of downloading it, right-click it and choose Details..
At the top is a search icon for finding files, listed below that is your user account image, and then you have a file icon which is where you see your entire file collection. You have the video camera icon, which shows all your images in OneDrive in a similar way to what you see on the website.
Going down the left-hand side you’ll also see a recent documents section and a view of which of your files are shared with others.
More to Windows 10 OneDrive App
Those are the basics of seeing files with the Windows 10 OneDrive app. There’s a lot more to the app including drag-and-drop file publishes, the capability to develop a new folder, and a way to create new image albums.
It’s a terrific app and a solid complement to OneDrive in File Explorer.
