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Why can I only find my files on OneDrive and not on the C: Drive? How do I maintain local copies on my computer's hard drive?

Noel 0 Reputation points
2025-11-18T18:09:40.5966667+00:00

Lately I noticed navigating to and opening documents takes a long time. The system automatically accesses files on OneDrive. Using File Explorer I tried to find the files saved on my computer's hard drive. I could not locate the files anywhere on the C: Drive! It appears as though all my files were moved from my computer to OneDrive instead of synching and creating copies.

How do I get my files back on my hard drive and how do I ensure they stay there?

Do I have to use the time-consuming process of copying and pasting all my files from OneDrive to my hard drive? Will the copied files be moved again to OneDrive or stay on the hard drive?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows
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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-11-18T18:10:09.7+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    If you are only finding your files on OneDrive and not on your C: Drive, it is possible that your files are set to be stored only in the cloud, which is a feature of OneDrive called "Files On-Demand." This feature allows you to see all your files in OneDrive without having them physically stored on your hard drive, which can save space but may lead to slower access times as files need to be downloaded when you open them.

    To maintain local copies of your files on your computer's hard drive, you can follow these steps:

    1. Make Files Available Offline: Right-click on the files or folders in your OneDrive folder and select "Always keep on this device." This will download the files and keep them stored locally on your hard drive.
    2. Move Files to Local Storage: If you want to move files from OneDrive to your C: Drive, you can manually copy and paste them into a folder on your hard drive. This will ensure that the files are stored locally and not just in OneDrive.
    3. Change OneDrive Settings: You can also adjust OneDrive settings to stop it from automatically syncing files to the cloud if you prefer to keep them only on your local drive.

    If you copy files from OneDrive to your hard drive, they will remain on your hard drive unless you delete them or move them back to OneDrive. However, if you have set files to sync with OneDrive, any changes made to those files in OneDrive may affect the local copies if they are linked.

    To ensure your files stay on your hard drive, avoid using the "Move to OneDrive" option and instead use the "Copy" option when transferring files.

    References:

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  2. Craig Long 16,595 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-11-18T18:40:42.3566667+00:00

    It appears as though all my files were moved from my computer to OneDrive instead of syncing and creating copies.

    Yes, that is how OneDrive works. OneDrive does not make copies of files on your computer. Instead, it moves them into the OneDrive folder at C:\Users\username\OneDrive where they will be backed up to the cloud.

    Turning off folder backup in Manage Backup allows you to move the folders back to their default locations, where they will no longer be backed up.

    Back up your folders with OneDrive - Microsoft Support

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