Users have been complaining about Microsoft’s removal of the “Save Files Locally” option for MacOS 12.1 and later OneDrive apps, effectively forcing file-on-demand.
MS has updated a blog post about Files On-Demand Experience to explain how to keep all your OneDrive files locally on your Mac.
In macOS 12.3 Beta, which is currently being tested, the Kernel extension that OneDrive used for synchronization is no longer available, requiring the use of Apple’s File Provider framework. In response to this, MS updated the OneDrive app and forced the file-on-demand function.
The file-on-demand function is a mechanism that saves all files locally so that they can be downloaded from the cloud and used when needed without overwhelming the storage.
In the latest version of the OneDrive app, the option to disable this function has been removed, and basically files are not saved locally. Some have said that the synced files were deleted from the Mac local after the app was updated.
Why did File on Demand become a de facto coercion? MS has been offering the same feature on its blog since 2017 on Windows and 2018 on Mac, initially only opt-in (enabled after user consent), but now it’s turned on by default. So, I explained how I have been carefully monitoring how many users turn off. And he says that very few users have disabled this feature on both Windows and Mac.
“If you have any problems with your setup, we will contact your support staff to diagnose the problem.” In other words, the troubles on the Mac are dramatically less than before, and it seems that it suggests that if there is a complaint, it will be dealt with individually.
On the other hand, MS recognizes that keeping all files locally on the Mac is a “important scenario for some users,” and the best way to do this is to “always keep them on this device.” It states that you should select to pin the file.
Furthermore, if you pin the folder, the file will be saved locally for each folder as “All the contents currently in it and the newly added contents will be kept on the terminal” (without pinning one by one). I’m teaching you how to do it.
This way you can keep all your OneDrive files locally. First, browse the OneDrive folder in the Finder, switch to the icon display, right-click the space between the icons and select “Always keep on this device”.
Microsoft
This is expected to surpass for the time being, but MS adds, “We are actively looking for ways to make this feature easier to configure on both macOS and Windows.”
MS also explains why some users have experienced slow views when browsing OneDrive folders, and workarounds. Please check the blog post for details.
Lastly, there is also a problem with auto-save in the App Store version of the app, but this is added to the latest version, “(Version) 22.002.0201.0005 has been fixed.”
Anyway, for the time being, you can keep all the files locally on your Mac by “pinning the entire OneDrive folder in the Finder”. In the future, I would like to expect updates that are closer to Mac users.
(Source: Microsoft. Via MacRumors. Reprinted from Engadget Japanese version)
