If my files are in the Cloud and my internet goes down, do I get to take the day off?
Only if you really want to
It actually depends how the folders in your Microsoft 365 OneDrive are stored. Fortunately, it’s a simple setting you can adjust for yourself!
In most cases, you’ll see a Status column with icons like this:
The “Green Checkmark” icon means the file or folder is stored on your local computer (and syncing with the cloud).
The “Cloud” icon means the file or folder is stored in the cloud but is currently NOT sitting on your local computer.
When you try to open a file that is stored in the cloud, your computer will “download” it in the background, and the Cloud icon will change to the Green Checkmark icon.
If there are files or folders that you want to ALWAYS have access to on your local computer, even when your internet is down, you can right-click on the file or folder in your OneDrive and tell it to “Always keep on this device”:
When you select “Always keep on this device”, the file or folder (and all of its contents) will be downloaded to your computer for offline use, and will continue syncing to the cloud any time you have internet access.
You might have also noticed the “Free up space” option. It effectively does the opposite: It tells your computer to “undo” the “Always keep on this device” option, resetting the file or folder back to the Cloud icon.
You can toggle these options on or off in any combination you choose for any files or folders in your OneDrive.
For more information, check out Microsoft’s Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows 10Â article.
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