Win10, OneDrive Question

[weltweit]

I have Win10 and a OneDrive option.

Recently I was trying to edit what was and was not backed up to the cloud and I managed to delete my desktop. What I had wanted to do was delete the backup of my desktop on my onedrive to select other files to backup.

Anyhow a moment of panic because all my files on my desktop disappeared and I got a warning from onedrive that files deleted from onedrive were deleted everywhere.

I don't want that, so I searched around to re-establish my files. I don't recall exactly what I did but now in place of all my actual files on my desktop - now I have shortcuts to everything. At first I thought that probably meant that all my files were in the cloud and that these were shortcuts to them which didn't seem satisfactory.

Digging about I discovered C:\Users\Myname\OneDrive which contains my desktop C:\Users\Myname\OneDrive\Desktop and the actual files that were on my desktop are there. I am assuming this location is actually on my C drive?

So now it seems I have 2 desktops, the actual one with shortcuts and the onedrive one in my user directory which has the actual files.

Still a little confused, anyone has any comments they would be appreciated.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I have Win10 and a OneDrive option.

Recently I was trying to edit what was and was not backed up to the cloud and I managed to delete my desktop. What I had wanted to do was delete the backup of my desktop on my onedrive to select other files to backup.

Anyhow a moment of panic because all my files on my desktop disappeared and I got a warning from onedrive that files deleted from onedrive were deleted everywhere.

I don't want that, so I searched around to re-establish my files. I don't recall exactly what I did but now in place of all my actual files on my desktop - now I have shortcuts to everything. At first I thought that probably meant that all my files were in the cloud and that these were shortcuts to them which didn't seem satisfactory.

Digging about I discovered C:\Users\Myname\OneDrive which contains my desktop C:\Users\Myname\OneDrive\Desktop and the actual files that were on my desktop are there. I am assuming this location is actually on my C drive?

So now it seems I have 2 desktops, the actual one with shortcuts and the onedrive one in my user directory which has the actual files.

Still a little confused, anyone has any comments they would be appreciated.

I didn't know it did that, but don't use your desktop to store files!

 

[weltweit]

I didn't know it did that, but don't use your desktop to store files!

Yes, it was probably a bad habit I have gotten into, I did it with my work computer also .. grr

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Yes, it was probably a bad habit I have gotten into, I did it with my work computer also .. grr

I use Google Drive, but the joy of it to me is that what ever PC I'm on, my files and folders are just there and organised. Even at work if I login via the browser incognito.

 

[cybershot]

Erm, yeah, Confused how you've even managed to have your OneDrive sync your desktop! That's pretty bad idea.

I think some old fashioned moving things around is the best option.

Step one is obviously back everything up onto an external drive that you don't to lose.

Delete the stuff out of onedrive that you don't actually want in there.

Sign out of onedrive and stop the whole sync process.

Copy the files back to where you actually want them, if that's the desktop, cool, but I wouldn't recommend it personally.

Turn one drive back on, when you sign in it should ask where you want to store your onedrive files, normally it's within a folder in your c:\users\username\

Either keep it there or click the little blue link to choose to sync up somewhere else.

Files will sync to that location, well, will probably just have the cloud icon until you actually open a document. Anything not there that you want to be there, either copy or move into the onedrive folder.

Remember onedrive ISN'T a backup solution. It's a online SYNC of files, you edit a file it changes everywhere, you delete a file, it deletes everywhere.

You can login to onedrive on the web and recover documents from the recycle bin, I believe you can even restore older versions of files up to a certain point as well in case you bugger one up. (as word etc docs worked on it onedrive folder generally auto save every few seconds)

 

[B.I.G]

Erm, yeah, Confused how you've even managed to have your OneDrive sync your desktop! That's pretty bad idea.

I think some old fashioned moving things around is the best option.

Step one is obviously back everything up onto an external drive that you don't to lose.

Delete the stuff out of onedrive that you don't actually want in there.

Sign out of onedrive and stop the whole sync process.

Copy the files back to where you actually want them, if that's the desktop, cool, but I wouldn't recommend it personally.

Turn one drive back on, when you sign in it should ask where you want to store your onedrive files, normally it's within a folder in your c:\users\username\

Either keep it there or click the little blue link to choose to sync up somewhere else.

Files will sync to that location, well, will probably just have the cloud icon until you actually open a document. Anything not there that you want to be there, either copy or move into the onedrive folder.

Remember onedrive ISN'T a backup solution. It's a online SYNC of files, you edit a file it changes everywhere, you delete a file, it deletes everywhere.

You can login to onedrive on the web and recover documents from the recycle bin, I believe you can even restore older versions of files up to a certain point as well in case you bugger one up. (as word etc docs worked on it onedrive folder generally auto save every few seconds)

Onedrive syncs desktop by default for new setup.

 

[weltweit]

HI cybershot thanks for your post, it seems to make sense so I am going to have a think about how I want my PC to work going forwards.

Most of my personal stuff is saved to my D Drive in folders, most recently it is photos, but there are also text spreadsheets and the like spread between the D drive and my desktop. I have tended to put files I use a lot on my desktop just because then they are immediately available. I could equally just have a shortcut though and the actual file be stored somewhere more logical.

I think I have to digest your comment that onedrive isn't a backup, because that was how I was viewing it. And I hate that word, excel etc self save, I have almost lost all sorts of stuff because of that, and gotten into the I think bad habit of not telling it to save when I am ready.

 

[cybershot]

Onedrive syncs desktop by default for new setup.

Need to get my head out of Enterprise set ups sometimes.

 

[B.I.G]

Need to get my head out of Enterprise set ups sometimes.

Microsoft just keep adding odd things. When they replaced distribution lists with microsoft teams created in user outlook unless you disabled it in powershell as an office365 admin was a personal favourite.

 

[cybershot]

HI cybershot thanks for your post, it seems to make sense so I am going to have a think about how I want my PC to work going forwards.

Most of my personal stuff is saved to my D Drive in folders, most recently it is photos, but there are also text spreadsheets and the like spread between the D drive and my desktop. I have tended to put files I use a lot on my desktop just because then they are immediately available. I could equally just have a shortcut though and the actual file be stored somewhere more logical.

I think I have to digest your comment that onedrive isn't a backup, because that was how I was viewing it. And I hate that word, excel etc self save, I have almost lost all sorts of stuff because of that, and gotten into the I think bad habit of not telling it to save when I am ready.

If you edit the files elsewhere, and then copy them to onedrive, then it's a backup of sorts, but then you've got to remember to do the actual moving. If you're editing live files in your onedrive folder then yes, it is most defiantly NOT really a proper backup solution, yes you can restore to an older version, and use the recycle bin, but there will be a time limit on that, and I'm not sure what it is:

How to restore your OneDrive files to a previous time

You can undo changes to files on OneDrive in the event of a synchronization problem.

www.techrepublic.com

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from OneDrive on Windows 11/10

This guide offers several ways on how to recover permanently deleted files from OneDrive. These ways include recovering files from OneDrive Recycle Bin or from the local hard drive. You should make use of these methods as soon as you find your files are lost. These methods support all types of...

www.easeus.com

Thread about backing up here, some people have overly complex solutions based on their needs, but find one that works for you: Thoughts about Backups

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Need to get my head out of Enterprise set ups sometimes.

iCloud Drive does as well. I think both Apple and Microsoft have given up trying to persuade people to not store things on the desktop. Tbh I know I have.

 

[NoXion]

I just shut off all that OneDrive bullshit completely. It's completely useless.

And I just now discovered that you stop OneDrive from executing at start up as well. Nice.

 

[weltweit]

I just shut off all that OneDrive bullshit completely. It's completely useless.

I like that my most used files can be synced in the cloud. It gives me the chance to revert to an earlier version should I irrevocably damage the one on my HDD.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I like that my most used files can be synced in the cloud. It gives me the chance to revert to an earlier version should I irrevocably damage the one on my HDD.

Exactly. Cloud backups are a no brainer for an average user, you just don't have to remember.

When our desktop died I knew I could just wipe it and all my partners important work was backed up and ready to go.

 

[weltweit]

Exactly. Cloud backups are a no brainer for an average user, you just don't have to remember.

When our desktop died I knew I could just wipe it and all my partners important work was backed up and ready to go.

I am realising though that onedrive is a cloud sync rather than a straight backup. So if I corrupt a file on my HDD, onedrive will work to ensure it has synced that corrupt file in the cloud.

I dislike this autosave in office 365 though I have yet to remember to switch it off. Should do that next. So what happens is I have a file called June21.docx and I want to make a july21.docx. The simplest way is to open june and make a few changes then save that as july. But with autosave that would be bad, because it would overwrite june with the first data I have added for july. With autosave I have to immediately create july then savings will be to the right file. I have to overcome years of working in a particular way.

 

[weltweit]

Anyone know how secure onedrive is?

 

[Artaxerxes]

Erm, yeah, Confused how you've even managed to have your OneDrive sync your desktop! That's pretty bad idea.

We're aiming to do this at work to replace folder redirection.

It'll be an adventure

Anyone know how secure onedrive is?

As secure as anything in O365 or MS Cloud and depending on your password strength.

 

[weltweit]

As secure as anything in O365 or MS Cloud and depending on your password strength.

Actually that isn't so reassuring. We have O365 at work and have been hacked more than once.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Actually that isn't so reassuring. We have O365 at work and have been hacked more than once.

Its not meant to be, its entirely down to where you stand on cloud systems and security.

 

[weltweit]

Its not meant to be, its entirely down to where you stand on cloud systems and security.

I am just a computer user, Microsoft has produced these clouds for me and they seem convenient. I know the most secure computer is one that isn't connected to the internet or even a network at all, but these days that isn't practical either. What is your position on the MS cloud?

 

[B.I.G]

Actually that isn't so reassuring. We have O365 at work and have been hacked more than once.

My understanding is that it wasn’t “hacked” but simply that a user entered their password into something that wasn’t a Microsoft website.

 

[weltweit]

My understanding is that it wasn’t “hacked” but simply that a user entered their password into something that wasn’t a Microsoft website.

If it was that, then someone obtained access through deception. Isn't that hacking?

 

[B.I.G]

If it was that, then someone obtained access through deception. Isn't that hacking?

I think emphasising think that its known as phishing as its fairly easy to do as opposed to hacking and easier to avoid. If the users dont enter their credentials into incorrect sites.

Then access the website with the password.

E.g. if you PM me your password that isn’t hacking. The user is more to blame.

 

[weltweit]

B.I.G we experienced a successful phishing attack, which then produced phishing emails to that users address book. It may be the user had username / password autofill on in the browser which may have made the phisher's task even easier. I don't know. However since then there have been other activities hence my current interest in ransomware protection.

 

[JimW]

I think because I upgraded to Win 10 from a previous version and have some older files all in one backup folder on my second partition OneDrive decided that was the Documents folder I wanted saved and has always done that rather than the one I actually use regularly that has the files I'm most interested in protecting. I did have a few goes at editing what gets backed up but even after a bit of searching never succeeded, it seems really counterintuitive.

 

[B.I.G]

B.I.G we experienced a successful phishing attack, which then produced phishing emails to that users address book. It may be the user had username / password autofill on in the browser which may have made the phisher's task even easier. I don't know. However since then there have been other activities hence my current interest in ransomware protection.

I can’t help you with ransomware but if the users change their passwords, enable two factor authentication, have complex passwords and never click on links then they should be relatively safe.

As a counterpoint, once access to an email has occurred they have access to address books and can target the business until eventually unless they never click on links someone will enter their password and it repeats again.

 

[weltweit]

I can’t help you with ransomware but if the users change their passwords, enable two factor authentication, have complex passwords and never click on links then they should be relatively safe.

We have 2FA now, and bolstered AV, talk about closing the stable door will have to emphasise complex passwords again though.

As a counterpoint, once access to an email has occurred they have access to address books and can target the business until eventually unless they never click on links someone will enter their password and it repeats again.

Our unwanted friend probably isn't a hacker in the most basic sense, they are a pain and apart from their most recent attack, I don't know if it is the same person, and I don't know what they are going to do next.

 

[weltweit]

Is there any way to detect if someone (not the user) has installed a keylogger on a computer?

 

[B.I.G]

Is there any way to detect if someone (not the user) has installed a keylogger on a computer?

If you suspect a keylogger. Wipe the device and start again.

 

[B.I.G]

But in general keyloggers aren’t needed when so many users will simply enter their details in a false website.