OneDrive Files On-Demand

Owned by Dan Jakubiak
Last updated: Nov 19, 2024
4 min read

The OneDrive application offers an on-demand setting that keeps your files online until you open them on your computer, saving you storage space. UConn faculty, staff, and students may enable the Files On-Demand setting within their OneDrive application.

Files On-Demand is turned on by default and is recommended for all users with access to a stable high-speed internet connection.

What are “Files On-Demand” files?

All of your files within OneDrive are saved in the cloud and can be accessed from any device with internet access. Files that are in the cloud and not downloaded to your computer are considered “online-only”. When you open one of these files on a connected computer, it will download from the cloud to your computer storage so that you can access and edit it without internet for 30 days. This file is now physically on your computer and considered “local”. If you edit the file within those 30 days, the timer resets. Edits will be automatically uploaded to the cloud when you have internet access.  If the file remains on your computer unedited for 30 days, it is automatically moved from your computer back to the cloud where it came from. Once it has moved back to the cloud, it is considered “online-only” once more and does not consume space on your computer.

This method of keeping a file “local” for only 30 days and then returning to “online-only” is named “Files On-Demand”. Continue down this page to see the Icon Glossary.

Remember: “local” means the item is on your computer. In contrast, “online-only” files are remote; they are not on your computer but rather they are out in the cloud. Local files consume space on your computer.

“Always keep on this device”

Can I keep a file/folder on my computer indefinitely? Why would I want a file/folder to always be local?

If you would like an item (file or folder) to be “local” and remain on your computer indefinitely, you change the item to “Always keep on this device”. Doing so will allow you to edit the file without an internet connection. After saving your edits to the file, your changes will automatically upload to the cloud when you have internet access. If the file is edited on another computer, those changes will automatically download when you have internet access.

Here’s an example: I often use my laptop while traveling. On my worksites, I often do not have any internet access. Or, if I’m lucky, I have a slow and unreliable Wi-Fi connection. Before I leave my office or home connection, I tell OneDrive to download and keep my files on my laptop so I can edit them without internet access. Then when I return home, my laptop will automatically upload any changes I’ve made to OneDrive.

Here’s another example: I am a programmer who often works with many small files. Although I’m editing only a couple files for a project, my current file reaches out to many others in the folder while compiling. I’m tell OneDrive to keep these folders on my computer so my compiler doesn’t need to reach out to OneDrive to download many tiny files for my different projects.

To set an item to “Always keep on this device” and consume space on your computer, right click on the file/folder and choose “Always keep on this device”.

Icons Glossary

Your OneDrive files and folders in have one of three statuses.

  1. Online Only Files: A blue cloud icon next to your OneDrive file means that the file is only available online. Online-only files do not take up space on your computer. You cannot open online-only files when your device is not connected to the Internet.

  2. Locally Available Files: When you open an online-only file, it downloads to your computer and becomes a locally available file. This is indicated by a white circle with a green check. This allows you to open the file anytime, even without Internet access. If you need more storage, you can change the file back to online only at any time. To do this, right-click on the file and select Free up space. Otherwise, the file will automatically return to Online Only after 30 days of no interaction.

  3. Always Available Files: Files that you mark as "Always keep on this device" are downloaded to your device and available offline. This is indicated by a green circle with a white check. Any file or folder can be marked by right-clicking on them and selecting Always keep on this device. You do not need to be connected to the internet to access these files.

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