How to Change the location of your OneDrive folder

Step 1Disconnect Your Current OneDrive Link

To change your OneDrive folder location, the first step is to unlink your PC from your current OneDrive setup.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Find the OneDrive Cloud Icon: Look for the small blue (or sometimes white) cloud icon in your 🔔 system tray. This is usually in the bottom-right corner of your screen, near the clock. If you don’t see it, you might need to click the small arrow pointing up to show hidden icons.
   
2. Open OneDrive Settings: Click the cloud icon. A small window will appear. In this window, look for the “Help and Settings” icon. It often looks like a gear or a question mark. Click it, then choose “Settings” from the menu.
   
3. Go to the Account Tab: Once the OneDrive settings window opens, you’ll see a few tabs across the top. Click the “Account” tab.
   
4. Unlink Your PC: On the Account tab, find the option that says “Unlink this PC.” Click it. A box will pop up asking if you’re sure. Click “Unlink account” to confirm.
   

Step 2Move Your OneDrive Folder

Once your PC is unlinked from OneDrive, you can move your actual OneDrive folder and all its contents to a new spot on your computer using 📁 File Explorer.

You’ll use Windows 📁 File Explorer for this. File Explorer is the program you use to see and manage your computer’s files and folders.

1. Open 📁 File Explorer: Click the folder icon on 🖥️ your taskbar, or press the Windows key + E on your keyboard.
   
2. Find Your Current OneDrive Folder: By default, your OneDrive folder is usually found in your user profile. It might look like this:
   C:\Users\YourUsername\OneDrive
   Go to this folder.
   
3. Cut and Paste (or Drag and Drop): Select the entire OneDrive folder. You can then 🖱️ right-click on it and choose “Cut.” Go to the new location you want (like
   D:\MyCloudFiles\OneDrive
   or a folder on a different drive). Right-click in the new spot and choose “Paste.” You can also just click and drag the whole OneDrive folder to its new destination.

Step 3Connect OneDrive to Its New Location

After moving your OneDrive folder, you need to tell the OneDrive app where to find it by reconnecting it to the new location.

1. Start OneDrive Setup: If you closed the OneDrive setup window earlier, you might need to find it again. Sometimes, after unlinking, Windows will automatically offer to set up OneDrive again. If not, search for “OneDrive” in the Windows 🔍 search bar and open it.
   
2. Sign In: You’ll be asked for your Microsoft account email and password. Sign in like you normally do.
   
3. Find the Location Screen: As you go through the setup, you’ll reach a screen showing where OneDrive wants to create its folder by default. This is the important part!
   
4. Change the Location: Look for an option that says “Change location.” Click it.
   
5. Select Your New Folder: A window will open for browsing. Go to the exact folder where you moved your OneDrive files in Step 2. For example, if you moved it to
   D:\MyCloudFiles\OneDrive
   , select that
   OneDrive
   folder.
   
6. Confirm and Finish: After selecting the new folder, click “OK.” You’ll probably see a message saying the folder you chose already has files. This is what we want! Click “Use this location” (or a similar button).
   
7. Complete Setup: Finish any other setup steps. OneDrive will now look at the files in your new location and start syncing any changes.
   

OneDrive will compare cloud files with files in the new local folder upon reconnection. Previously selected folders for syncing require re-selection during setup. Failure to re-select folders may cause OneDrive to download all files again, which is an undesirable outcome.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/change-the-location-of-your-onedrive-folder

Summary

Changing your OneDrive folder location involves three main steps: first, unlink your PC from OneDrive; second, move the folder using 📁 File Explorer; and finally, reconnect OneDrive to the new location.

• First, unlink your PC from OneDrive through its settings. Your files remain safe in the cloud.
• Next, use 📁 File Explorer to move your entire OneDrive folder from its old location to your desired new location.
• Finally, start the OneDrive setup again, sign in, and choose the “Change location” option to point OneDrive to the folder you just moved.