Export photos from OneDrive

Download the photos from the OneDrive website directly to the thumb drive, or make them locally available first and copy them through File Explorer.

Download directly to the thumb drive

1. Insert the thumb drive into the computer.
2. Open OneDrive in a web browser and sign in.
3. Open the folder containing the photos.
4. Select the photos:
   • Click the circle beside each photo, or
   • Select the first photo, hold Shift, and select the last photo for a range.
5. Select Download on the top toolbar. The button appears after at least one item is selected.
6. If the browser asks where to save the download, choose Save As, select the thumb drive under This PC, and select Save. Microsoft documents these selection and download steps here: ^1^
7. When multiple photos are selected, OneDrive normally packages them in a .zip file. In File Explorer, right-click that ZIP file, select Extract All, and choose a folder on the thumb drive.
8. Open several copied photos from the thumb drive to verify them, then use the taskbar’s Safely Remove Hardware option before unplugging it.

If the browser automatically saves to Downloads, wait for the download to finish and then copy the downloaded file or ZIP from Downloads to the thumb drive.

Copy from the OneDrive folder in File Explorer

If OneDrive is already synchronized with the PC:

1. Open File Explorer → OneDrive → Pictures or the folder containing the photos.
2. If the photos show blue cloud icons, they are online-only. Right-click the photo folder and select Always keep on this device.
3. Wait until the photos show green check marks. That indicates their contents have downloaded and are available locally. ^2^
4. Select the photos and press Ctrl+C.
5. Open the thumb drive under This PC, create or open the destination folder, and press Ctrl+V.
6. Verify the copied files before ejecting the drive.

Use Copy, not Cut or drag-and-drop moving. Moving files outside the OneDrive folder can remove them from OneDrive, while copying leaves the originals intact. Also, deleting a photo from the OneDrive folder can delete it from OneDrive on other synchronized devices. ^2^

For a large photo library, transfer one folder or a manageable group at a time and confirm that the thumb drive has enough free space.

References

1. Download files and folders from OneDrive or SharePoint | Microsoft Support
2. Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows