How do I prevent OneDrive and SharePoint files from downloading to the local hard drive?

OneDrive app allows for you to sync content from SharePoint or OneDrive to your local workstation. When content is synced, that means that when you access the content you are accessing it from the cloud and not from local storage (your hard drive).

But, when you select a document to edit it from File Explorer (or Mac Finder) the file is downloaded to your workstation where you can work on it offline, and it does use up space on your workstation. If you want to remove the OneDrive or SharePoint files from your workstation or prevent them from downloading, follow the steps below to learn two different ways to take action.

 

Option 1

Step 1: In the bottom left of your computer screen, select the File Explorer icon.

Step 2: Select the document you want to remove. Right-click on the document. Select Free Up Space.

Note: Selecting Free Up Space will send the document back to the cloud and remove it from your workstation. If you go to edit the document again, it will pull the document down from the cloud for you to work on a synced copy.

Option 2

Step 1: In the bottom right of your computer screen, select the OneDrive cloud icon.

Step 2: Select Settings. Make sure Files On-Demand is checked. This is the default setting and makes sure only used files are being downloaded to your desktop.


Keywords: SharePoint OneDrive "Box Migration" Local sync
Created: 2021-11-12 15:32:18
Updated: 2021-11-12 15:38:37

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