One Drive, how does it work?

[Anne in Carlisle]

Thought I'd try One Drive as Microsoft are always pushing it at me. Seemed a good idea for extra backup.

I signed in and uploaded three big folders (but still only using about half the 7GB free space).

Now I notice that each day it says my files are up to date ..... but it LIES!!!! :( The files are safe but they remain exactly as I uploaded them. Nothing new has been added, even though new stuff has been created.

What am I doing wrong? Or do I actually have to physically upload the folders each day? I was under the impression that it was automatic.

Anne

[Anne in Carlisle]

Please?? Anyone??
Anne xx

[DavidNewton]

Anne

Since nobody else is responding I will have a shot but I confess I do not make much use of it.

My understanding is that the local OneDrive folder on your computer is synchronized with your online OneDrive folder. Anything that you save in the local OneDrive folder is automatically synchronized to the online folder. If you want to make changes to files in your OneDrive folder then it is necessary to use the local copy (it downloads automatically if you are set up for online storage only) and to save the changes in the OneDrive folder.

Changes that you save outside the local OneDrive folder are not synchronized.

David

[Anne in Carlisle]

Thanks, David. I probably won't bother much with it then. I already use Dropbox and several memory sticks and a separate hard drive! If I do much more backing up I won't have time for any research!
Anne

[PeteW1959]

I don't know about OneDrive, but I use a service called Squirrelsave (http://www.squirrelsave.co.uk) for my backups.

Although it is a paid for service, at £5.05 a month for unlimited storage it is a small price to pay for peace of mind. It is also a UK based service.

You install a small program on your PC that runs in the background. You tell it which folders you want backed up (so you can choose My Documents, My Pictures etc , and leave out Windows and Program Files), and it does it silently. Every new file you add, every file you change gets backed up, and it keeps the old versions so if you overwrite a file by mistake you have a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card.

It is a bit slow to start with as it has to upload all of your existing data, and that can take several days depending how much you have, but as long as you have a reasonable internet connection it is quick in every day use.

[Anne in Carlisle]

Thanks for the info Pete. I'm really interested that it seems no one on here uses OneDrive!
Anne

[Guy]

Words of caution for all those who think backing up to the internet or cloud is a good idea.

It may not be.

Backing up to the internet is good for additional safety but ones primary back ups should be on a computer controlled by oneself. The recent denial of service attack on Ancestry should have acted as a warning about how fragile the internet really is.
Ancestry was not the only company to suffer a denial of service attack a smaller company was also the subject of an attack and lost not only its website but all its back ups were wiped. The company closed as a result.

Just think if that company was a company offering a back up service all your back ups could have been lost.

I suggest that for safety back ups should follow the following progression.
1 a back up on the originating computer possibly on a second hard drive.
2 a back up on an external hard drive disconnected from the computer when not required to back up files or replace files.
3 a back up at a remote location, either on the internet or better still in a different building under ones own control.

Do not just make a back up and forget about it back ups need to be checked to be sure they actually work and contain up to date files.
Never use any type of compression or proprietary software for back ups.
Cheers
Guy

[Anne in Carlisle]

Thanks, Guy. Yes I already do those things. I was just interested in OneDrive because of the free 7GB storage. Its been so interesting that I have had so little response to this qestion!
Anne

[Caroline]

I've got it and Word tries to save things to it, but I override it and put things in SkyDrive or DropBox so that I can access ongoing things wherever I am in the house.

[Anne in Carlisle]

Ummm .... isn't SkyDrive the old name for OneDrive? I think I heard that MS had a court battle about the name and lost.
Anne

[Caroline]

Ummm .... isn't SkyDrive the old name for OneDrive? I think I heard that MS had a court battle about the name and lost.
Anne

Yes, I meant BT Cloud which has just renamed itself.