How to Sync Local Folders to OneDrive

Amy Dennis

Jan 27, 2024 • Filed to: Take Data Backup • Proven solutions

When it comes to storing your local folders and data in the cloud, you get to see a lot of online storage options. It includes Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, and Google drive. Among all these, Microsoft's OneDrive is one such cloud storage, which is directly available in Windows 10. Whether you want to save your important documents, videos, photos, or any other data, OneDrive is the ultimate solution. You can sync your local folders to OneDrive so that you can access them anytime, and from anywhere.

If you search the term "sync my local folders" in Google, you will notice that a lot of users want to know more about syncing local folders to their OneDrive account. Well, syncing local folders to OneDrive is a quite simple and straightforward process. You can further simplify this process by using a reliable OneDrive sync tool.

Here we will walk you through two simple methods to sync local folders to OneDrive. In the first method, you will sync the folders manually whereas the second method will provide you with the best option to automate this process.

Part 1: Why Do You Need to Sync Local Folders to OneDrive?

Being the best, free cloud storage, Microsoft's OneDrive has always been popular among Windows users. It allows you to sync files and folders between the cloud and your computer. After syncing, if you make any changes to the synced local folder, then the changes will replicate in the cloud.

Apart from this, there are a lot of other reasons to sync your local folders to OneDrive.

1. To Get Easy and Instant Access to Files

A stable internet connection is all you need to manage your OneDrive account. In other words, if you sync local folders to OneDrive, then you can access them from anywhere. Moreover, you can access them from any device whether it's your laptop, mobile, or tablet.

2. To Have a Backup for Safety Purpose

All of us store important data in different folders. It can be essential documents, financial records, family memories stored in photos and videos, etc. Well, storing important files in a single device is risky. We may lose these files if the storing device is lost or corrupted. After syncing, we can have a backup of these folders in OneDrive.

3. To Make the Sharing Task Easier

Firstly, OneDrive lets you sync files and folders from anywhere. Besides, it also allows you to collaborate with others. After you sync local folders to OneDrive, sharing them with others is as easy as giving a link. If you use OneDrive for business purposes, then you don't need to rely on uploading large files in Emails.

In short, you may think of creating a backup of folders by copying and pasting them to an external storage device or some other location. After all, everyone wants to dodge data loss. However, this traditional method of taking backup is inconvenient, time-consuming, and tiresome. Things can get slower if the folder size is large. That's why you need to do it another way by syncing local folders to OneDrive.

Part 2: How to Use OneDrive to Sync Folders in Windows?

If you are a Windows 10 user, then you already have an OneDrive app on your computer. However, if you don't have the app, then you can download and install it from the website. Here is a stepwise procedure to use OneDrive to sync different local folders in Windows.

Step 1: First of all, you need to locate the OneDrive app on your computer. Once you find it, fill the login details.

Step 2: Now, you can see a screen that reads "This is your OneDrive folder." Here you need to click the "Next" button.

Tips: Here you have two options for the location of your files. You can either accept the default location set by the app or change it. If you want to change the location, then click on the "Change location" option.

Step 3: Now, you will land on a screen that reads "Open my OneDrive folder." By clicking this button, you will go to the OneDrive folder.

Step 4: Once you get into the OneDrive folder, it's time to move the folders. You can drag and drop the local folders into the OneDrive folder. Besides, you can also copy and paste the folders. Now, these moved folders will automatically sync to your OneDrive.

In this way, your files are now available at two locations. You can access them online in your OneDrive account. Besides, you can also access them offline on your computer. As you can see, this sync method is not too difficult as you imagine. But this method may turn inconvenient in the below cases.

• This process may turn into tiresome work if you are syncing different folders located in different paths. It is a traditional method to sync folders manually. So, it is inconvenient and time-consuming.
• Many times the changes made to the original folder don't reflect in the OneDrive folder. In short, this method has a limitation as it doesn't sync the changes or edits made to the original file.

As you can see, manually syncing local folders to OneDrive is not a convenient method for most of us. It takes a lot of time and also doesn't allow real-time sync. Therefore, it is better to look for a reliable, simple, and professional OneDrive sync tool.

Part 3: How to Sync PC Folders to OneDrive With AOMEI Backupper?

If you want to sync folders located in different locations to your OneDrive, then here is the best way to do it. Moreover, if you edit folders or make any changes to them, then the change will also reflect in the cloud. You can try AOMEI Backupper Professional. It is the most reliable, easy to use, and secure software.

This software comes with an excellent feature called "File Sync." This feature allows you to sync your files and folders from computers to different devices such as SD cards, USB, or external hard drive. Moreover, you can also sync files to different cloud storages such as OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

Some of the best features of AOMEI Backupper are as follows.

• You can schedule the sync task. With its "Schedule" feature, you can set this software to sync your folders on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
• Do you want to sync files in a real-time? Well, the software won't disappoint you. AOMEI Backupper Professional supports real-time sync.
• Don't worry about the version of your PC. This software works fine on all Windows versions.

Now, let's understand how to use AOMEI Backupper to sync local folders to your OneDrive.

Step 1: Download the Software

First of all, you need to download and install the AOMEI Backupper software on your computer.

Step 2: Select File Sync

You will find multiple options when you start the software, such as Backup, Restore, and Clone. Here you need to select the "Backup" option and then click on the "File Sync" option.

Step 3: Add Folder to Sync

This step includes an optional task where you can give a particular name to the task. It helps you separate that particular task from other ones. Now, you need to select the folder that you want to sync. For that, click on the "Add Folder" button and choose the folder.

Note: Sometimes you may want to sync more than one folder. You can add more folders by clicking the "+" sign.

Step 4: Select the Cloud Drive

You can see an inverted triangle. A drop-down list will appear when you click on this triangle. In this list, click on the "Select a cloud drive" option.

Step 5: Choose OneDrive

Here you need to pick OneDrive as the preferred cloud storage to sync local folders. After that, press the "Ok" button. However, if the OneDrive option is missing, then you can point to the OneDrive folder manually.

Step 6: Start the Sync Process

Now, you can select the "Start Sync" option and the process will start.

Step 7: Finish the Task

Finally, the sync task will complete after some time. You can exit the window by pressing the "Finish" button.

Conclusion

Now, you can go ahead and try one of these two methods to sync your local folders to OneDrive. Before that, you must gauge your needs. Do you want to go with the traditional method of syncing? Well, syncing local folders manually is a technically easy task. However, this method takes a lot of effort and time. That's why experts suggest you use a professional sync tool.

When it comes to syncing local folders to your OneDrive, then AOMEI Backupper Professional is the best solution out there. Besides syncing, this software also lets you perform multiple tasks such as backup, cloning, restoring, etc. So, go ahead and download AOMEI Backupper.