How to Update OneDrive and Configure Settings

Updating OneDrive can be a bit of a process, but don't worry, I've got you covered. To start, you'll need to check if your OneDrive is up to date by clicking on the OneDrive icon in your system tray, which is usually located in the bottom right corner of your screen.

To check for updates, click on the gear icon and select "About OneDrive". From here, you'll be able to see if there are any available updates. If there are, click on the "Update Now" button to download and install the latest version.

Clicking on the "About OneDrive" option will also give you access to your OneDrive settings, where you can configure things like your sync settings and storage capacity. This is a great place to check if you're running low on storage space.

One of the most important settings to configure is your sync settings, which determine what files and folders are synced across all your devices. You can access this setting by clicking on the "Settings" option, then selecting "Sync" from the drop-down menu.

The OneDrive sync app checks for available updates every 24 hours when it's running. If it stops and doesn't check for updates in more than 24 hours, the sync app checks for updates as soon as it starts.

Windows also has a scheduled task that updates the sync app even when it's not running. This ensures that your OneDrive sync app stays up-to-date, even if you're not actively using it.

To determine if an update is available, the OneDrive sync app checks two conditions: the latest version released to the update ring is higher than what is installed on the computer, and the update is available to the computer based on the rollout percentage set within the ring.

Here's how the sync app checks for these conditions:

If both conditions are true, the OneDrive sync app downloads the update to a hidden folder without any user interaction. After the download is complete, OneDrive verifies and installs it.

You can change the local storage and sync settings in OneDrive to suit your needs. To do this, open OneDrive settings and click the Settings tab. The Files On-Demand setting to remove your OneDrive files from local storage on your computer should be enabled by default.

This feature will save space on your drive but requires you to be online to access your files. If you have plenty of drive space, it's recommended to turn off this option, but enabling it if you're running low is a good idea.

You can also decide on a case-by-case basis by right-clicking a folder or file stored only in the cloud and selecting Always keep on this device to permanently keep the file on your PC. Alternatively, right-click on a folder or file stored locally and select Free up space to remove the file from your PC and store it online only.

Sync Settings are a crucial part of OneDrive configuration, allowing you to control how your files are stored and accessed.

You can change the default setting to remove OneDrive files from local storage by opening OneDrive settings and clicking the Settings tab.

This feature, called Files On-Demand, is enabled by default in Windows 10 and earlier versions of Windows 11, but you can turn it off if you have plenty of drive space.

To enable Files On-Demand in Windows 11 22H2, go to the Sync and backup category and click the drop-down link for Advanced settings.

If you're low on drive space, it's a good idea to turn on Files On-Demand, but be aware that you'll need to be online to access your files.

You can also set up Files On-Demand on a case-by-case basis, allowing you to store certain files online only while others are stored both online and locally.

To do this, right-click a folder or file stored only in the cloud and select Always keep on this device to permanently keep the file on your PC.

Alternatively, right-click on a folder or file stored locally and select Free up space to remove the file from your PC and store it online only.

Here's a quick reference guide to help you manage your Sync Settings:

To enable Finder integration on your Mac, you need to be running OSX 10.10 or higher. This allows you to get sync status directly from Finder by enabling Finder overlays in Settings.

First, click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your Mac Desktop and select System Preferences. Then, select Extensions in the top-level menu.

Toggle on the OneDrive Finder Integration to enable Finder overlays. This will give you overlays on your files and folders when you open your OneDrive folder in Finder.

If you're an admin and want to enable sync icon overlays on multiple computers, you can use a Terminal command. The command is: /usr/bin/pluginkit -e use -i com.microsoft.OneDrive-mac.FinderSync.

You can deploy an updated version of the OneDrive sync app for Windows using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, which involves running a command with the path to the executable and the target version of OneDriveSetup.exe.

To deploy the update, you'll need to download the target version from the OneDrive sync app release notes page, which lists the version and its targeted release date.

The command to run is: `pathToExecutable OneDriveSetup.exe /restart`, which will restart the OneDrive.exe on all computers. If you don't want to restart the sync app, simply remove the `/restart` parameter.

For Mac users, deployment involves using your MDM solution to deploy the OneDrive.pkg with the target version.

The MDM solution will take care of updating the OneDrive sync app on all Mac devices, ensuring they're running the latest version.