downloading photos to hard drive

Michael Stagner 0 Reputation points
2026-10-03T17:41:36.1633333+00:00

How do I download my photos from Microsoft one drive gallery to an external hard drive without losing any file pixels?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Other
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  1. Hendrix-V 19,650 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-04T02:08:09.6833333+00:00

    Hi Michael Stagner,

    If your goal is to create a backup of your photos, you can copy them to an external hard drive without affecting their image quality.

    As I have checked and validated, suggestion from AI answer has point us in the right direction, so you can follow to proceed. The original file resolution and pixels are preserved when the files are copied or downloaded in their original format.

    As an additional check, after transferring the photos, you can:

    • Open a few photos directly from the external drive.
    • Compare the file size and image properties with the originals in OneDrive.
    • Confirm everything looks correct before making any changes to the copies stored in OneDrive.

    This helps verify that the transfer completed successfully and that the files remain intact.

    Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-03T17:41:49.1233333+00:00

    To copy photos from OneDrive to an external hard drive without changing image quality, download or copy the original files. That keeps the file pixels unchanged.

    Two supported ways:

    1. Download from the OneDrive website
      1. Open the OneDrive website.
      2. Select the photos or folders to download.
      3. Select Download.
      4. If prompted by the browser, choose Save or Save As and select the external hard drive as the destination.
    2. Copy from File Explorer after syncing locally
      1. Make sure OneDrive is signed in on the PC.
      2. In OneDrive settings, use Files On-Demand > Download all files so the photos are stored locally first.
      3. Wait until the files show as fully downloaded locally.
      4. Connect the external hard drive.
      5. Open File Explorer and go to the OneDrive photos folder.
      6. Select the photos or folders.
      7. Right-click and use Show more options > Send to, then select the external hard drive.
      8. After copying, open the external drive and verify the photos are there.
      9. Use Eject before disconnecting the drive to avoid file corruption.

    If the goal is to keep OneDrive as the working location but store the local OneDrive copy on the external drive, the OneDrive local sync folder can be moved to the external drive:

    1. Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon and open Settings.
    2. Go to Account > Unlink this PC.
    3. Open OneDrive again and sign in.
    4. When prompted to set up the OneDrive folder, select Change location.
    5. Choose or create a folder on the external hard drive.
    6. Complete setup and choose the folders to sync.

    Important:

    • Do not disconnect the external drive while files are downloading or syncing.
    • Verify the copied files on the external drive before deleting anything from OneDrive or the PC.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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