How can I make OneDrive folders, e.g. Documents and Downloads, my 'user' Documents and Downloads?
I have tried aliases, but I can't move or delete the existing Documents folder even with 'sudo rm' type commands.
I have searched for a solution but can't see how to do it.
Aliases don't work because of the reason above, i.e. can't delete/rename existing Documents folder. Similarly with symbolic links.
Any ideas on this?
Mac Studio
I remembered! You have to use the Microsoft standalone version of OneDrive, not the Mac App Store one.
That has an additional tab in Preferences called Backup. What that does, is redirect your user Documents and Desktop folders to OneDrive.
So now, any app that wants to write to user/Documents will write to the OneDrive documents folder which I tested by uninstalling the IK Multimedia Product Manager I mentioned earlier.
It can easily be demonstrated as well by going to user folder in Terminal, do a 'cd Documents' and you see all the files in OneDrive documents.
Problem solved!
I remembered! You have to use the Microsoft standalone version of OneDrive, not the Mac App Store one.
That has an additional tab in Preferences called Backup. What that does, is redirect your user Documents and Desktop folders to OneDrive.
So now, any app that wants to write to user/Documents will write to the OneDrive documents folder which I tested by uninstalling the IK Multimedia Product Manager I mentioned earlier.
It can easily be demonstrated as well by going to user folder in Terminal, do a 'cd Documents' and you see all the files in OneDrive documents.
Problem solved!
Ideas? Yep. You can’t do what you want to do using One Drive which is a Microsoft product. You can do it using iCloud. You can’t delete either the Documents or Downloads folders because they are part of macOS and Apple has locked down the core of macOS.
Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support
Barney-15E wrote:
What apps are those that save directly into Documents without asking? Many will start the save dialog at the user Documents folder, but that doesn’t require you to save there. Just put the OneDrive folders in the Sidebar.
Well, an example is IK Multimedia products. No way to tell them to install certain files to anywhere else except the default Mac user Documents.
Sorry, I don't understand your comment about 'it's a Microsoft product'. What difference does that make? Windows user folders can be located anywhere including Apple iCloud, so can't see why Mac folders can't do the same.
I don't want to do it using iCloud as the Apple iCloud integration into Windows is very clunky, and anyway, I have 1Tb of space on OneDrive and I want to use it.
OneDrive works very nicely on Mac, except for the inability to redirect user folders to it.
I did manage it before using aliases (I think) but can't seem to do it now.
Sorry, I thought this was a user forum, not Apple Official support. I thought that some advice from other OD users may be available here.
In answer to your question, because some apps default to user/Documents and put files in there that are therefore not synced to OneDrive/Documents. Most do allow customisation, but not all.
imacken wrote:
Sorry, I thought this was a user forum, not Apple Official support. I thought that some advice from other OD users may be available here.
It is a user to user tech support forum for Apple products and software. There might be someone here that uses OneDrive, but Microsoft should know how to configure their product in the way you want, if possible. I would have thought that’s how they would implement it as that’s how it works on Windows. If they didn’t implement it in a similar fashion, it’s likely not possible.
In answer to your question, because some apps default to user/Documents and put files in there that are therefore not synced to OneDrive/Documents. Most do allow customisation, but not all.
What apps are those that save directly into Documents without asking? Many will start the save dialog at the user Documents folder, but that doesn’t require you to save there. Just put the OneDrive folders in the Sidebar.
This IS a user forum. No one here works for Apple and Apple Support does not monitor these forums. Both Barney-15E and myself are fellow users who have been here for two decades trying to help other users, with emphasis on “try”. I also use OneDrive and know how it works.
lkrupp wrote:
This IS a user forum. No one here works for Apple and Apple Support does not monitor these forums. Both Barney-15E and myself are fellow users who have been here for two decades trying to help other users, with emphasis on “try”. I also use OneDrive and know how it works.
I - under a different username - also spent many years helping others here, so I know about all that!
I just hoped that someone would know a way of doing this. As I said above, I did somehow manage it previously using aliases, but can't remember how I did it!
You should be asking Microsoft how to use their product.
Why do you think you have to link them. Why not just use the OneDrive folders instead of the local folders?
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How to make OneDrive folders 'user' folders
