How to Move Your OneDrive Local Storage to Another Drive?

OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage service that comes integrated with windows 11 and Office 365. By default, OneDrive syncs files and folders stored in the cloud to a OneDrive folder on your PC's local hard drive. This allows you to access and work with your OneDrive files offline.

However, you may want to move the location of your OneDrive local folder to another drive or location on your PC. For example, if your primary hard drive (usually the C: drive) is running low on space, you can move the OneDrive folder to another drive with more storage capacity. Or if you have multiple drives on your PC, you may want to organize your files by moving certain folders like OneDrive to specific drives.

Fortunately, moving your OneDrive local storage to another drive is a straightforward process in windows 11. This guide will walk you through the step-by-step instructions to change the location of your OneDrive folder using the OneDrive settings.

Prerequisites Before Moving OneDrive Folder

Before moving your OneDrive folder location, ensure:

• You have an alternate drive on your PC with sufficient storage space for the OneDrive content. This can be another internal hard drive, external hard drive, or SSD connected to your computer.

• The other drive uses NTFS file system format. Other formats like FAT32 do not support OneDrive folder.

• You have administrative privileges on your windows 11 PC to modify OneDrive settings.

• All files in your OneDrive are synced and up-to-date to avoid any data loss.

• Consider having a backup of your OneDrive folder before making any changes.

Step-by-Step Guide to Move OneDrive Folder Location

Follow these steps to change the default local storage location of your OneDrive folder:

1. Identify New Location for OneDrive Folder

Decide where you want to move your OneDrive folder. This can be a folder on another internal hard drive, external drive, or a subfolder on the existing drive.

For example, you can move OneDrive to:

• A folder named "OneDriveNew" created on another internal hard drive like "D:"

• An external USB drive like "F:OneDrive"

• A subfolder on the existing drive like "C:UsersNameOneDriveNew"

2. Sync Pending Changes in Current OneDrive Folder

Before changing the location, ensure any pending synced changes to OneDrive are completed.

To check for pending changes - right-click OneDrive icon in the system tray and select "View sync status". Confirm all pending files are synced.

3. Sign Out of OneDrive

Now sign out of OneDrive on your windows 11 PC. This disconnects your computer from OneDrive before making any location changes.

Right-click OneDrive icon in the system tray and select "Settings". Click "Account" tab and then click "Sign out".

4. Move Your Existing OneDrive Folder

Go to the default OneDrive folder path:

C:UsersYourUserNameOneDrive

Move or cut-paste this entire OneDrive folder to the new location you want.

For example, move it to:

D:OneDriveNew

If you get any error while moving folder, close any open files in OneDrive, disable ransomware protection, and try again.

5. Update OneDrive Location Settings

Now launch OneDrive desktop app. Click "Update location" on the setup prompt.

Specify the new location with the moved OneDrive folder, like "D:OneDriveNew". Click Next to apply the location change.

6. Sign In and Sync the New OneDrive Folder

Sign in again to OneDrive using your Microsoft account. OneDrive will now start syncing files to the new folder location you specified.

Wait for some time till entire sync gets completed. Verify files are accessible from the new location both online and offline.

That's it! You have successfully moved default OneDrive storage location to another drive on your windows 11 computer.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common queries about changing OneDrive local folder location:

Q: Can I move OneDrive folder to external hard drive?

A: Yes, you can move and sync your OneDrive folder to an external hard drive like USB flash drive or portable hard drive connected via USB. Just ensure it has enough space and uses NTFS format.

Q: What happens to OneDrive files if I disconnect external drive?

A: You will not be able to access the OneDrive files stored on external drive when it's disconnected. Only online access will work. You can reconnect external drive anytime to access OneDrive files again offline.

Q: Can I move OneDrive to D: drive?

A: Yes, D: drive is perfect new location option since it's another internal hard drive on your PC. Simply move OneDrive folder to D: drive and update the location in OneDrive settings.

Q: Will my OneDrive files be deleted if I change location?

A: No, your OneDrive files will NOT be deleted or lost when changing folder location. As long as you move the entire folder and sync again, all files will be intact in the new location.

Q: Is there a size limit for OneDrive folder on my PC?

A: No, there is no specific size restriction for OneDrive local storage on your Windows computer. It depends on the storage capacity of the drive where OneDrive is located.

Q: Can I use OneDrive without syncing files locally?

A: Yes, you can use OneDrive without having to sync any files locally by modifying settings. This way OneDrive will only store files in the cloud.

Conclusion

Moving your OneDrive local folder to a new location is straightforward on windows 11. Follow the step-by-step guide outlined above. Ensure you complete initial sync, properly move the entire folder, update new location in OneDrive settings, and sync again. This will successfully relocate your OneDrive storage without any data loss. With this change, you can organize your PC drives better or overcome low disk space errors.