Synchronizing OneDrive for Business on a laptop or desktop hard drive

About this article

This article includes instructions for synchronizing all of the folders and files on your cloud-based OneDrive for Business with a copy on your Windows laptop or desktop hard drive using the OneDrive for Business Synch for Windows client. It is intended for students and employees using laptops or desktops running Windows 7 or 8. This includes WSU desktops and personally owned machines.

What does it mean to "synchronize" your OneDrive for Business?

Your OneDrive for Business exists in the cloud and you need an Internet connection to access the folders and files it contains. Sometimes, it's handy to have a copy of those folders and files on your laptop hard drive as well, so you can access them just like you access any other file on your laptop, even when you don't have an Internet connection. However, it's a pain if those two copies are not synchronized automatically. If you make changes to the local copy of a document on your laptop and save it, that document should also be updated in your OneDrive for Business, overwriting the older version. If you add a document to a local folder on your laptop hard drive, a copy of it should also be uploaded to your OneDrive for Business. The same thing should also work in reverse. If you make changes to your OneDrive for Business, those changes should also be made to your local copy of those folders and files. That's synchronization.

Do you have to synchronize?

No. You can use all the space, features, and functions of OneDrive for Business on your laptop or desktop right through your web browser. If you have an iPad or iPhone, you can also use the OneDrive for Business app and the Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps, which are all integrated with your OneDrive for Business cloud storage. There are three major reasons to synchronize:

You know that you will be working without an Internet connection and will need access to your files
You don't quite trust Microsoft's cloud servers yet and want the local copies as a backup
You prefer working on your files locally and want the OneDrive for Business copies as a backup

How does OneDrive for Business support synchronization?

Currently, only laptops and desktops running Windows 7 or 8 can synchronize with OneDrive for Business. A Mac OS X solution is in the works. To set up synchronization, you have to download and install the OneDrive for Business Synch for Windows software (unless you have a new HP EliteBook 840 on which it's already installed). This creates a copy of your entire OneDrive for Business in a folder in your home directory on your computer's hard drive called OneDrive @ Winona State. Every folder and file from your OneDrive for Business will be duplicated in your OneDrive @ Winona State folder. From that point on, any change you make to the files and folders in this local folder will be copied automatically to your OneDrive for Business. Conversely, any change you make to the folders and files in your OneDrive for Business will be copied automatically to your local OneDrive @ Winona State directory.

WARNING: READ BEFORE YOU PROCEED

At 1 TB, the size of your OneDrive for Business exceeds the size of your laptop's hard drive. Currently, Microsoft does not offer selective folder and file synchronization with its OneDrive for Business service. If the files stored in your OneDrive for Business occupy more space than is available on your laptop's hard drive, the synchronization process will fill it up and then fail. Selective synchronization is a critical feature of any business-class cloud storage solution, so expect an answer from Microsoft soon. Until then, just keep an eye on the size of your OneDrive @ Winona State folder on your laptop's hard drive. If it's getting too large, stop synchronizing.

How to synchronize OneDrive for Business

Step 1. Install the OneDrive for Business Synch for Windows client

Note. If you have a new HP EliteBook 840, you can skip to Step 2. The software s already installed on your laptop.

Open your favorite web browser and navigate to the OneDrive for Business Synch for Windows client installer page
Scroll down the page to find your desired language heading (e.g., English)
Select the x86 version of the installer program. The program will begin to download to your laptop. What you see varies by browser.
Once the program is downloaded, run it to begin the installation

Step 2. Setting up synchronization

Use your favorite web browser to open up your OneDrive for Business
Select Sync as shown in the picture
Select Sync Now

A window will open indicating that the synchronization process is in progress

Pros and Cons of Syncing

Pros

Documents online are readily available on your personal laptop
OneDrive files are accessible when offline

Cons

For individuals with the HP 840 or the Macbook Air, the hard drive space is limited to approximately 100 gigabytes, so syncing OneDrive to the laptop will reduce storage space. That is why we recommend keeping all files on OneDrive that you are not currently working on.