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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[–] ShankShill@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 days ago

At this point I'm surprised there's still files, and not an AI trained on the files that you have to describe the contents to so it can maybe give you something resembling your file.

[–] BilSabab@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (13 children)

Switching to Mint turns out to be quite a decision. Missing none of the fun.

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[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 2 days ago (24 children)

dropbox and google drive have both erased data from me without copying it properly. these are not "backup" services they destroy your data

[–] bytesonbike@discuss.online 14 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Dropbox has a policy about two years ago that all of your data will be shared with AI, no opt-outs.

I immediately cancelled my plan and dropped to the free service, which I use to backup photos of my poop.

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[–] credo@lemmy.world 231 points 4 days ago (9 children)

Years ago Microsoft had its OneNote Notebooks as proper files, you could move and copy them and such. Now it’s nearly impossible to get your hands on a “tangible” file using this software.

During that transition- from usable to shit, I made the mistake of uploading my notebook, with all of my uears of course studies (college, professional certifications, etc) into onedrive. That way it could be backed up! A year later I moved my files again into a different system, moving away from OD. They were MY files after all.

What I didn’t know was that Microsoft had moved my Notebook somewhere else into their cloud, on my behalf, and changed my Notebook file to a shortcut/pointer object. There was no indication it was a shortcut as with other documents (the little arrow) on windows. It looked just exactly like the original file.

Well when I tried to open this “file” I got the rudest awakening: Microsoft couldn’t find the “linked” notebook. “What fucking linked notebook?” Apparently, when I moved my “file” (shortcut) out of overdrive, they saw that as a deletion and DELETED the now referenced file they helpfully moved for me.

All of this without ever a single notification; Microsoft deleted years of critical notes with no recourse for recovery. It was just gone.

Ass holes.

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[–] abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone 35 points 3 days ago (5 children)

So let me get this straight. Microsoft is taking your local files, without their consent, onto their platform where they can delete them for "terms of use" violations, alongside tracking what you do on your own computer.

Sounds like they don't want you to use your computer in a way they don't want you to.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 days ago

They're scooping up all the data for AI. They rebranded Office to just being AI.

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[–] realitista@lemmus.org 21 points 2 days ago

I know why. Because they were using OneDrive.

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 22 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Poor design and shit software

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[–] OldQWERTYbastard@lemmy.world 67 points 3 days ago (4 children)

I've never lost a single file on OneDrive. That's because I do not use OneDrive.

Eat shit, Microsoft.

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[–] Adam_Crock@lemmy.world 137 points 4 days ago (6 children)

Linux welcomes all refugees

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[–] mrslt@lemmy.world 38 points 3 days ago (25 children)

Happened to me, too. Now I just ignore OneDrive entirely. I don't think Microsoft understands what cloud storage is supposed to be used for. If I delete something from the cloud, I should still have it locally on my PC. The fact that this isn't the case means essentially, that OneDrive isn't actually a cloud service. They're trying to get you to pay a subscription fee to use your own hard drive. You know, the one you're already using for free. I wonder why that isn't taking off? 🤔

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

I don’t think Microsoft understands what cloud storage is supposed to be used for.

They understand it's for training AI. They don't care about anything else.

[–] derpgon@programming.dev 17 points 3 days ago

This is what made me stop using Google Photos and start self hosting Immich. I lost a video from my house construction that showed where the cables were exactly laid.

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[–] viking@infosec.pub 20 points 3 days ago (5 children)

I have uninstalled One Drive and enabled a system policy that supposedly sets the default save location to c:\user\documents, and after every single fucking update it defaults back to one drive, hangs for 30 seconds until the stupid ass system realizes that there's no such thing present, and then it opens a "save as" dialogue with some arbitrary path in %user_apps/appdata/onedrive.

GNARF.

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[–] Sunflier@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago

It was a PITA to get my files to save locally and to stop auto saving to OneDrive

[–] brianary@lemmy.zip 77 points 3 days ago (1 children)

OneDrive is the most aggressively stupid and evil file sync service I've ever used. Constantly upselling, actively re-enabling terrible defaults to maximize storage and bandwidth used, terrible at sync resolution when used with multiple systems, and punitive data loss when you try to disable excessive backups.

It's one of the main reasons I stopped using Windows at home outside a VM.

[–] El_Scapacabra@lemmy.zip 43 points 3 days ago

I have a personal vendetta against OneDrive because it literally holds your files hostage. It uploads your data without your consent and then threatens to cut off access to your own files unless you pay up. It actively fights you when you try to regain control, up to and including reinstalling itself once you finally manage to uninstall it.

It's the main reason I finally got serious about switching to Linux (which I have and it has been amazing)

I'm still mad though, fuck Microsoft. Evil assholes.

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 85 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (17 children)

Happened to me at work where they force us to use Windows 11. I had turned on the autosave feature on a Word document I was working on. Little did I know this meant it stopped saving the changes locally and started saving them on a OneDrive copy. I then worked all day on that file.

The next day I notice the file on OD, find it odd that it is there so I delete it because I want nothing to do with OD. I then open the local word file and realize that none of the work I did the day prior was saved.

I figured out what happened and fortunately the file was still in the recycle bin. But fuck that whole system to begin with. It won't even let me use the autosave feature locally.

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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).

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[–] goatinspace@feddit.org 55 points 3 days ago (1 children)
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[–] DylanMc6@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

Time to use TwoDrive

EDIT: Or "Time TwoDrive", if you prefer

[–] Auth@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (3 children)

TwoDrive or not TwoDrive that is the question

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[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Maybe the lost photos are in Zerodrive

[–] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Saving stuff yo dev null is handy. Always has space.

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[–] borQue@lemmy.zip 11 points 3 days ago (14 children)

UBUNTU!!! I am a professional sound engineer forced to use W11 (or iOS if I had more money) but the SECOND my hardware has Linux support I'm gone. God I HATE MicroSCUM with their onedrive vomit account pukiness (sorry, I could not control myself just now)

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