this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2026
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When Windows users suddenly discover that their files have vanished from their desktops after interacting with OneDrive, the issue often stems from how Microsoft's cloud service integrates with the operating system. The automatic, near-invisible shift to cloud-based storage has triggered strong reactions from users who find the feature unintuitive and, in some cases, destructive to their local files.

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[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

I would guess it trys to "backup" them to onedrive and deletes the local copy but there is some problem that causes it not to actually add it to the onedrive, so result is no file anywhere. And it does this with its own permission of course, without informing user about anything.

[–] Auth@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

No the issue is once enabled your home directory becomes onedrive. People feel they are saving files into their users/myuser/Documents but they're actually saving it to users/myuser/Onedrive/Documents. These files are being synced off into the cloud and only pulled down when requested. Then the user decides they dont want onedrive and so they turn it off by unlinking their account. Now they feel they've lost their files but they havent the files are still in one drive and they need to go get them after that they have local files as normal.

Its purely user error encouraged by microsofts pushy implementation and bad design.

[–] Mesophar@pawb.social 5 points 2 days ago

It is this, coupled with so many people not even knowing that they are using OneDrive (because it was automatically enabled if you have a Microsoft account linked to your Windows install, and Microsoft pushing to link your account).

[–] ThomasWilliams@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It switches to storing files on Onedrive without warning.

Then if you disable Onedrive, you lose access to your files (on Onedrive) and their memory space is reused.

It doesn't actually delete local storage, as the path is just switched.

[–] orbitz@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago

Sounds like a reasonable idea for the issue presented. Mean the issue could be on one drive saying the file is there and complete, or many other issues since I don't know the API in the least.

Yours would be my first guess for sure, it thinks it completed so delete local copy, which is what you'd prefer in that situation, well mostly, I sort of prefer a local working copy but need some other names and the program to recognize thm with then upload on actual save to the cloud storage....I say that and still curse at excel when it says it has a backup copy from a forced reboot, always keep one open heh.

Actually to be fair I hate those storages for that reason so much crap can go wrong without a knowledgeable user it makes things worse. You just hope the program can tell if it did it was done correctly heh and if not then end up clicking the wrong button and it's all gone.

Local NAS for anything you think you'll need, random 'free' cloud storage as a general backup. Mean I assume the NAS has raid so mostly good without more.