I want to keep a copy of onedrive files on an external hard disk but continue with one drive as a working drive. How do I direct files to download to the hard drive?

Diane Duncan 60 Reputation points
2026-01-14T23:23:41.68+00:00

I don't want to download to C: as not large enough and this is a one drive computer with external drives. One used for files I want to keep off OneDrive and a 2nd designated for an "allows keep on this computer" files from One drive. I need step by step directions.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Windows
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Answer accepted by question author
Sophie N 18,175 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-01-15T01:38:49.4666667+00:00

Dear @Diane Duncan,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft 365 Q&A forum. You can keep your OneDrive files on an external hard drive while continuing to work seamlessly with OneDrive as your primary drive. The key is to change the location of your OneDrive local sync folder from your C: drive to your external hard drive. 

Before proceeding, ensure that: 

  • Your external hard drive is connected, formatted (NTFS recommended), and has enough space. 
  • You are signed in to OneDrive on your computer. 

Below is a step-by-step guide to achieve this safely. 

Step 1: Unlink OneDrive (This will not delete files from the cloud) 

  1. Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray (bottom-right). 
  2. Click Settings (or gear icon) > Account > Unlink this PC. 
  3. Confirm by clicking Unlink account.  User's image

Note: This only removes the local sync connection. Your cloud files remain intact. 

Step 2: Reconfigure OneDrive to sync to your external drive 

  1. Open OneDrive from the Start menu or search. 
  2. Sign in with your Microsoft account if prompted. 
  3. When prompted to set up your OneDrive folder, click Change location. 
  4. Navigate to your external hard drive (e.g., D:\ or E:) and select or create a folder (e.g., E:\OneDrive). 
  5. Click Next and choose the folders you want to sync. 
  6. Complete the setup. OneDrive will now download your files to the external drive.  User's image

Additional options 

  • Selective Sync: After setup, you can choose which folders sync locally: 
  • Right-click the OneDrive tray icon > Settings > Account > Choose folders. 
  • Check only the folders you need locally. Unchecked folders remain cloud-only.  User's image
  • Files On-Demand: Keep this enabled (default) to save space. Files will show as online-only until opened, then download to your external drive.  User's image

For further details, you can refer to the: 

Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows - Microsoft Support 
Change the location of your OneDrive folder - Microsoft Support 

Important notes 

  • Do not disconnect the external drive while OneDrive is syncing. 
  • If you use multiple computers, repeat these steps on each device if desired. 
  • For the second external drive (for non-OneDrive files), simply save files directly to it as a separate location, no OneDrive configuration needed. 

Please note that as a forum moderator, I don’t have access to backend tools or internal systems to investigate further, and certain settings or configurations are managed exclusively by your organization’s administrators, so I’m unable to check or make changes on that side. That said, I truly hope these suggestions help you move forward.  

If you encounter any issues during setup, please provide the error message for further assistance. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. 

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

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Answer accepted by question author

AI answer

2026-01-14T23:24:53.67+00:00

To keep a copy of your OneDrive files on an external hard disk while continuing to use OneDrive as your working drive, you can follow these steps:

  1. Connect Your External Hard Drive: Ensure that your external hard drive is connected to your computer and recognized by Windows.
  2. Change OneDrive Folder Location:
    • Right-click on the OneDrive icon in the taskbar notification area.
    • Select Settings.
    • Go to the Account tab and click on Unlink this PC. This will unlink your OneDrive account temporarily.
    • After unlinking, you will be prompted to set up OneDrive again. During this setup, you will have the option to choose the location of your OneDrive folder.
    • Select your external hard drive as the new location for the OneDrive folder. This will direct OneDrive to sync files to your external hard drive instead of the C: drive.
  3. Sync Specific Folders: If you want to keep certain files on your external hard drive while using OneDrive, you can choose which folders to sync:
    • After setting up OneDrive, go back to the Settings.
    • In the Account tab, click on Choose folders.
    • Select the folders you want to sync to your external hard drive and uncheck those you do not want to sync.
  4. Move Existing Files: If you already have files in your OneDrive folder that you want to keep on your external hard drive:
    • Open the OneDrive folder on your external hard drive.
    • Copy the files from your current OneDrive folder (on C:) to the new OneDrive folder on your external hard drive.
  5. Backup Important Files: For files you want to keep off OneDrive, you can manually copy them to your designated external drive.
  6. Use OneDrive as Usual: Now you can continue to use OneDrive as your working drive, and all synced files will be stored on your external hard drive.

By following these steps, you can effectively manage your OneDrive files while utilizing your external hard drive for storage.

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