With the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft’s online storage service has a new file-on-demand feature. Here is how to use it.
OneDrive is Microsoft’s online storage service that offers 5 GB of free cloud storage, or more if you purchase a paid subscription.
It is available in Windows 10 as a small cloud icon and placed on the right side of the taskbar. If you can’t see it, it’s probably in the hidden icons area, accessible by clicking on the little triangle.
Normally, any file copied to the Windows 10 OneDrive folder is stored in the cloud and on the hard drive. But the Fall Creators Update brings a new on-demand feature that helps free up hard drive space.
Although still displayed in Windows Explorer, the files are only present in the Cloud and can be uploaded as needed.
Activate the files-on-demand feature
- Right click on the OneDrive icon in the taskbar.
- Click Settings from the context menu.
- In the tab Settings, Check the box Files on demand to activate the function.
Understand the symbols
In File Explorer, click the OneDrive folder. The name of the files is preceded by a small symbol which indicates its state of availability.
- A cloud means that the file is only stored in the cloud.
- A green check mark on a white background indicates that the file is also present on the hard drive, but will be deleted if you want to free up space.
- Finally, a white check mark on a green background indicates that the file will always be available on the disk, even if the procedure is launched to free up space.
If you have any doubts:
- right click on a file
- choose Properties to find out how much space it occupies on the disk.
By hovering the mouse pointer over a file’s icon in the OneDrive folder, a thumbnail is displayed indicating its availability status.
Free up space
To free up space on the hard drive:
- right-click on the OneDrive folder icon in File Explorer and click Free up space.
- You can also operate selectively with a right click on each file. The file is then deleted from the disk but remains accessible.
Keep the most important files
To always have a local file from the OneDrive folder that you use regularly:
- Right click on the One Drive icon
- And choose Always keep on this device in the context menu.
Files marked in this way will not be deleted from the hard drive if you decide to free up space.