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With Files On-Demand, files you create and save to your computer's installed OneDrive app remain as locally available copies in addition to syncing to your OneDrive Cloud. Then whenever you sign into a different computer, those same files display as online-only in the local OneDrive app. Online-only files are pointers to the actual files in your OneDrive Cloud, saving computer hard drive space each time you sign into a new device. When you open an online-only file a local copy downloads to the installed OneDrive app and the file's status changes to locally available on that device.
With Files On-Demand:
- You save hard drive space. The potential for storage-related issues such as "Not enough disk space" notices is minimized.
- You don't have to wait a long time for local copies of all of your OneDrive files and folders to complete syncing when you sign into each new computer.
Files On-Demand is enabled on all UWSP computers with the exception of certain specialty computers (e.g. computers running special equipment, etc).
Learn more about Files On-Demand.
Storage Sense For Shared Computers
Many shared UWSP computers, especially high-use machines like classroom computers, additionally have Windows Storage Sense enabled. Storage Sense can prevent a heavily-used computer's hard drive from filling up and interrupting normal use by:
- Automatically changing the status of unused OneDrive files (including files created on the shared device), to online-only for files not opened within a 30-day window.
- Deleting local files not backed up to a person's OneDrive if that person does not access the shared device within an 8 day period. Files that Storage Sense may remove include files saved to the Downloads folder, Recycle Bin, and files stored elsewhere on the local C: drive.
While Storage Sense can prevent a shared computer's hard drive from filling up and becoming unusable, it is vital to understand that your files can be permanently deleted if stored locally to someplace other than your OneDrive.
To prevent important work from being removed, always save files to your OneDrive.
Learn more about Storage Sense.
For more information on how to protect your work on shared computers, see When Are Files Saved Outside of My OneDrive Deleted?
Contact the IT Service Desk with additional questions!