Complete Guide to OneDrive MacOS Setup and Configuration

To set up OneDrive on your MacOS, you'll first need to download and install the OneDrive app from the Microsoft website. Make sure your MacOS is up to date, as the latest version is required for a smooth installation process.

The OneDrive app is available for free, and it's compatible with MacOS 10.13 or later versions. You can download it from the Microsoft website or through the Mac App Store.

To configure OneDrive, you'll need to sign in with your Microsoft account credentials. If you don't have a Microsoft account, you can create one for free on the Microsoft website.

To set up OneDrive on your Mac, you'll need to install the sync app and configure its settings. You can download the latest build of the sync app from the Microsoft website.

If you already have a personal account signed in to OneDrive, you can skip to the setup process, which involves entering your university email address and selecting "Sign in" to set up your account.

To change the default location of your OneDrive folder, you'll need to select a new location during setup and click "Choose this location". This will update the path to the folder you selected.

You can choose which folders to sync to your computer during setup, which conserves space and reduces bandwidth needed for the sync processes. To do this, click "Next" on the "Sync Files from Your OneDrive" screen.

To open your OneDrive folder and see your files sync, click "Open my OneDrive folder". You'll then be able to access your OneDrive files from the Finder.

You can find OneDrive in your Menu bar, represented by a cloud icon for each account you've connected.

To configure sync app settings in OneDrive for macOS, you'll need to create a .plist file with the desired values. This can be done using a script to set the values.

To deploy the settings, quit the OneDrive app, then use the .plist file to update the local computer. After that, refresh the preferences cache.

The keys used to preconfigure or change settings for your users are the same whether you're running the standalone or Mac App Store edition of the sync app. However, the .plist file name and domain name are different depending on the edition.

To enable offline mode in OneDrive on the web, you can use the following keys:

Open At Login is a setting in OneDrive that determines whether it starts automatically when you log in to your Mac. This setting is particularly useful if you want to access your files and folders as soon as you start your computer.

To enable Open At Login, you'll need to access the OneDrive settings. Unfortunately, this setting is being deprecated with Sync app 24.113, so you'll need to refer to Background services to configure the appropriate profile.

If you set the Open At Login setting to True, OneDrive will start automatically when you log in to your Mac. This can be a convenient way to access your files and folders without having to manually launch the app.

Here's a brief overview of what you need to do to enable Open At Login:

By following these steps, you can ensure that OneDrive starts automatically when you log in to your Mac, giving you quick and easy access to your files and folders.

To configure app settings, you can create a .plist file with the values you want to change. This file can be created using a script to set the values.

You'll need to define the settings you want to change. You can do this by creating a .plist file with the values needed.

Quit the OneDrive app before deploying the settings onto the local computer. This ensures that the new settings will be applied correctly.

Deploy the settings onto the local computer by using a deployment method of your choice. Make sure to target the correct domain depending on the edition of the sync app.

Refresh the preferences cache after deploying the settings. This step is crucial to ensure that the new settings are picked up by OneDrive.

Here's a summary of the steps to configure app settings:

On the next start of OneDrive, the new settings will be picked up, and you'll be able to enjoy the changes you made.

If you're using OneDrive on macOS, you'll want to know how it handles security and permissions. OneDrive has a setting called AddedFolderUnmountOnPermissionsLoss that controls what happens when you lose access to a shared folder.

Set this setting to True, and OneDrive will delete the entire folder and its contents if you lose access. This is a more aggressive approach, but it ensures that sensitive data isn't left behind.

To disable personal syncing on your OneDrive account, you'll need to access the Preferences menu. Select the Account tab and choose Unlink this Mac to sever the connection between your Mac and OneDrive.

The DisablePersonalSync setting can be configured to block users from signing in and syncing files in personal OneDrive accounts. This setting is particularly useful if you're concerned about unauthorized access to your account.

To access the DisablePersonalSync setting, you'll need to navigate to the ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.OneDriveUpdater.plist file. This file is located in the com.microsoft.OneDriveUpdater domain.

Setting the value of DisablePersonalSync to True will prevent users from adding or syncing personal accounts. This is a simple yet effective way to enhance the security of your OneDrive account.

You can prevent users from seeing a warning message when they delete files locally by setting the DisableFirstDeleteDialog setting to 1. This will hide the reminder that the files are no longer available across all devices and on the web.

This setting is particularly useful for users who frequently delete files locally and don't want to see the reminder every time. By disabling it, you can streamline their experience and reduce clutter.

If you set the DisableFirstDeleteDialog setting to 1, users won't see the "Deleted files are removed everywhere" reminder when they delete files locally.

To prevent users at your organization from enabling offline mode in OneDrive on the web, you can use the DisableOfflineMode setting. This setting is stored in specific .plist files.

The preferences for this setting are stored in the following files: ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.SharePoint-mac.plist and ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.OneDriveStandaloneSuite/Library/Preferences/UBF8T346G9.OneDriveStandaloneSuite.plist.

You can use the following example to implement this setting:

The Disable Tutorial setting is a game-changer for users who want to skip the tutorial after setting up OneDrive.

By setting this setting's value to True, you can block the tutorial from being shown to users after they set up the OneDrive sync app.

This means users won't have to deal with the tutorial anymore, giving them more time to focus on what matters.

You can prevent users from syncing OneDrive, SharePoint libraries, and folders with organizations other than their own organization by setting the BlockExternalSync setting to True.

This setting can be particularly useful for organizations that need to maintain strict data segregation and control.

Set the BlockExternalSync setting to True to prevent users from syncing with other organizations.

By doing so, you're ensuring that sensitive data remains within your organization's boundaries.

To allow syncing with other organizations, simply set the setting to False or leave it disabled.

When the Sync client detects that a user has lost permissions to an Added Folder, the AddedFolderUnmountOnPermissionsLoss setting kicks in. This setting determines what happens to the folder and its contents.

Setting the value to True will hard-delete all the contents of the folder and the folder itself. This is a more aggressive approach, but it's effective in preventing unauthorized access.

Setting the value to False, or not enabling the setting at all, will mark the folder in error and prompt the user to remove it. The contents of the folder will be moved to the recycle-bin, giving the user a chance to recover them.

The KFMSilentOptIn setting is a powerful tool for streamlining user experience. It allows you to redirect and move users' Documents and/or Desktop folders to OneDrive without any user interaction.

This setting can move both folders at once or select which folder you want to move. After a folder is moved, this setting won't affect that folder again.

You can choose whether to display a notification to users after their folders are redirected if you provide your tenant ID. If you don't set any of the following settings, then the default setting moves both folders into OneDrive.

If you want to specify which folder to move, you should set any combination of the settings for moving the Documents folder, moving the Desktop folder, or moving both folders.

You can configure OneDrive settings to control upload and download speeds. To enable automatic upload bandwidth, define a number between 1 and 99 in the AutomaticUploadBandwidthPercentage setting.

The AutomaticUploadBandwidthPercentage setting determines the percentage of bandwidth the sync app can use out of the total available bandwidth. This setting can be particularly useful if you're on a slow internet connection.

To set the maximum download throughput rate, use the DownloadBandwidthLimited setting, which should be set to an integer between 50 and 100000, specifying the download throughput in KB/sec. For example, a setting of 50000 would limit the download speed to 50KB/sec.

Here's a quick reference for the upload and download settings:

You can set the upload bandwidth percentage to a number between 1 and 99, which determines the percentage of total available bandwidth the sync app can use. This setting is called AutomaticUploadBandwidthPercentage.

To enable this setting, you'll need to define a specific number that suits your needs. I've seen this setting work well for users who want to prioritize other tasks on their network.

The sync app will automatically set the amount of bandwidth to use based on the available bandwidth. This is a great way to ensure that other tasks on your network aren't impacted by OneDrive uploads.

When uploading files to OneDrive, it's essential to know the maximum size limits. You can upload files up to 250 GB in size if you're signed in to a Microsoft account.

Files uploaded this way can be quite large, but if you're signed in to a work or school account, the limit drops to 15 GB.

To give you a quick reference, here are the maximum size upload limits for OneDrive: