Understanding OneDrive

[jmt356]

How does OneDrive function? Is it like an online document storage platform, where users upload their documents to share with others? Or is it like Google Drive, where in addition to being an online storage platform, it is also a way to synchronize the documents between one’s hard drive and the cloud? For example, in Good Drive, any changes made to documents in the Google Drive folder are automatically updated on the Google Drive cloud (at least in theory; personally, I frequently get error messages).

I would like an alternative to Google Drive because of the number of inexplicable errors I get and I am wondering whether OneDrive is a good alternative that mirrors the OneDrive service.

[JoeP]

Yes and yes. OneDrive can be both.

[HansV]

The same goes for DropBox...

[Cah]

The only thing I want to understand about OneDrive is how to get rid of it. I switched it off but it still shows up in File Explorer. I guess there is no way to remove it completely?

[HansV]

You cannot get rid of it completely, but you can disable it using OOShutup10 - see http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=20730" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Cah]

Yes, I consider Windows 10 unusable without OOShutUp. I've got OneDrive disabled, but I want to remove it from File Explorer as it takes up room and is accordingly annoying.

[HansV]

I don't think that is possible.

[DaveA]

And any updated MS product or new MS product that you install will add it back.

I do not see how one line of text can take up so much room?
Can you post a screen shot showing how much room it is taking up?

[jmt356]

Is it possible to share a folder in OneDrive with another user? I don't mean send them a link to a file in a folder; I mean give them access to the folder so they can open and edit items in the folder and add items to the folder.

[HansV]

Right-click the folder on OneDrive that you want to share.
Select Share from the context menu.
Make sure that the check box 'Allow editing' is ticked.
Click 'Get a link' or 'Email', or if you want to share the folder via social media, click More.

S1811.png

[jmt356]

Which "share" option do I choose? I have the following options:

- Share a OneDrive link
- Share with ...
- Shared Folder Synchronization

[HansV]

If you select "Share a OneDrive link", a link will be copied to the clipboard. You can paste the link in a email message, for example.

If you select "Share with...", you'll get to choose what to do.

[JoeP]

@CAH
See How to Disable OneDrive and Remove It From File Explorer on Windows 10

[jmt356]

Under Share with ..., do I choose "Specific people ..."?

Has anyone experienced problems using OneDrive on Windows 7?

[HansV]

Under Share with ..., do I choose "Specific people ..."?

Yes

Has anyone experienced problems using OneDrive on Windows 7?

I only used OneDrive in the browser, not the local application. I don't particularly like OneDrive, but I haven't experienced problems with it.

[jmt356]

Can OneDrive be used on Windows 7? It seems from what I am reading online that OneDrive was not designed fro the Windows 7 platform.

[HansV]

OneDrive is available for Windows 7: OneDrive desktop app for Windows has a download link.

[jmt356]

Isn't the idea of OneDrive that a change made on any device is automatically reflected on https://onedrive.live.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and on all other computers running OneDrive? I created a document called Test on OneDrive on my computer, but it does not show up at https://onedrive.live.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and I created a document called Document 1 at https://onedrive.live.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, but it does not show up on my computer.

However, a document I created call Test within a folder in OneDrive does show up on https://onedrive.live.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Why doesn't the document show up in the root folder?

[jmt356]

Also, why does copying and pasting a file in OneDrive cause the original document to disappear?

[JoeP]

Is the folder in which you created the Document set to be sync'ed with OneDrive? Settings on the various computers determine how documents are sync'ed. There are even more options in the Fall Creators Update.