How to Back Up Your PC's Important Folders to OneDrive Automatically (Known Folder Move, 2026)

Short answer: Sign in to the OneDrive app with your work account, open Settings → Sync and back up → Manage back up, and switch on Desktop, Documents and Pictures. OneDrive then keeps those folders in your company's OneDrive, so a lost or broken laptop no longer means lost work. This feature is called Known Folder Move, and IT can switch it on for every PC at once. It is synchronisation, not an independent backup: a file deleted or encrypted on the PC is deleted or encrypted in OneDrive too, so pair it with Microsoft's restore features and, for business data, a managed backup.

What does OneDrive folder backup actually do?

Windows keeps most people's work in three places: the Desktop, the Documents folder and the Pictures folder. OneDrive's folder backup, which Microsoft calls Known Folder Move, moves those three folders into your OneDrive and keeps them synchronised. Nothing changes in how you work. Files still appear on the Desktop and in Documents, applications still save to the same places, but every file now also lives in your company's Microsoft 365 storage.

Three consequences follow, and they are why it is worth doing:

• A lost, stolen or failed laptop is an inconvenience, not a loss. Sign in on a replacement PC and the folders come back.
• Files follow you. The same Desktop and Documents appear on another PC, on the web and on the OneDrive mobile app.
• Files are inside your company's controls. Sharing, retention and security policies your IT team sets in Microsoft 365 apply to them.

This guide is for office staff on Windows 10 or Windows 11 using a work or school Microsoft 365 account, and for the office manager or IT lead who wants every PC set up the same way. It also covers moving the OneDrive folder to a D: drive, a common request on PCs with a small system drive.

What do you need before you start?

• A work or school Microsoft 365 account with OneDrive (your company email address and password). A personal Microsoft account is a different OneDrive and should not hold company files.
• Windows 10 or Windows 11 with the OneDrive app, which is built into both.
• Enough OneDrive storage for your Desktop, Documents and Pictures. Check the size of those folders first by right-clicking each one and choosing Properties.
• No older folder redirection. If your company previously redirected Documents or Desktop to a network share, ask IT first: Microsoft notes that folder backup cannot take over folders already redirected to a non-OneDrive location.

How do you check whether OneDrive is installed?

1. Look at the notification area at the bottom right of the screen, near the clock. A white or blue cloud icon means OneDrive is installed and running.
2. If there is no icon, press the Windows key and type OneDrive. If "OneDrive" appears in the results, it is installed; open it.
3. Open File Explorer (Windows key + E) and look in the left-hand pane. An entry named "OneDrive – [your company name]" means a work account is already connected.

If OneDrive is not installed at all, download it from Microsoft's official OneDrive download page, run the installer, and it will open the sign-in window when it finishes.

How do you sign in with your work account?

1. Open OneDrive. A sign-in window appears.
2. Enter your full work email address and select Next.
3. You will usually be taken to your company's sign-in page. Enter your work password.
4. Complete multi-factor authentication if your company requires it, for example an approval in the Microsoft Authenticator app or a code on your phone.
5. Return to the OneDrive setup window.

Already signed in with a personal account? You can run both side by side. Right-click the cloud icon, choose Settings, open the Account tab and select Add an account, then sign in with your work email. A second folder named "OneDrive – [company name]" appears, and a second cloud icon appears in the notification area. Use the work one for every step below.

If you do not know your work sign-in details, ask your IT support team; do not create a new account.

How do you move the OneDrive folder to the D: drive?

Many PCs have a small C: drive and a larger D: drive. If you want OneDrive's files on D:, set that before you turn on folder backup, so the files move once rather than twice. Use an internal drive, not a USB stick or a network drive.

Option A: during first-time setup (simplest).

1. After signing in, OneDrive shows a screen titled "This is your OneDrive folder".
2. Select Change location.
3. Browse to D: and create or choose a folder, then select Select folder.
4. Select Next to finish the setup.

Option B: after OneDrive is already set up.

1. Right-click the work cloud icon and choose Settings.
2. On the Account tab, select Unlink this PC and confirm. Your files stay on the PC.
3. In File Explorer, move the whole "OneDrive – [company name]" folder to D:.
4. Start OneDrive again and sign in with your work account.
5. On the "This is your OneDrive folder" screen, select Change location, choose the folder you moved to D: and continue. OneDrive recognises the existing files instead of downloading them again.

To confirm the location, right-click "OneDrive – [company name]" in File Explorer, choose Properties and check that the Location on the General tab starts with D:.

How do you turn on folder backup?

1. Right-click the work OneDrive cloud icon and choose Settings.
2. Open the Sync and back up tab (in some versions it is called Backup).
3. Select Manage back up.
4. Switch on Desktop, Documents and Pictures, or the ones you want.
5. Select Start back up or Save changes.

OneDrive moves the folders into your OneDrive and starts uploading. On a PC with years of files, the first upload can take hours; leave the PC on and connected until it finishes. You can pause and resume at any time from the cloud icon.

How do you check that the backup is complete?

• The cloud icon. A white cloud with no activity means everything is up to date. Blue arrows mean files are still syncing.
• The status column. In File Explorer, open Desktop or Documents. A green tick on a file means it is in OneDrive; a sync icon means it is still uploading.
• The web. Sign in at office.com with your work account, open OneDrive and check that the Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders are there with your files.
• Errors. If a file will not upload, the cloud icon shows a red or yellow mark. Open it to see which file and why; long file paths, unsupported characters and files open in another program are the usual causes.

How can IT turn on folder backup for every PC?

Setting it up PC by PC works for a handful of staff. For a whole office, IT can deploy it centrally through Group Policy or Microsoft Intune, using OneDrive's policies:

• Silently move Windows known folders to OneDrive. Moves Desktop, Documents and Pictures without asking the user. It needs your Microsoft 365 tenant ID.
• Prompt users to move Windows known folders to OneDrive. Shows the user a prompt instead, useful where a silent move cannot complete.
• Prevent users from redirecting their Windows known folders to their PC. Stops users from switching folder backup off again.

In Intune these settings sit in the settings catalog under OneDrive. Microsoft recommends rolling the prompt out to existing devices in stages rather than to the whole estate in one day. Two practical checks before deployment: make sure every user's OneDrive has room for their folders, and find any PCs whose folders were redirected to a file server in the past, because those need to be moved back first.

If your office does not have an IT team to set this up and check it is working, that is part of what a Managed IT plan covers: device setup, Microsoft 365 configuration and checking that policies apply.

Is OneDrive folder backup the same as a backup?

No, and the difference matters the first time something goes wrong. Compare the three layers:

• OneDrive folder backup (sync). Protects against a lost or broken PC. Because it synchronises changes, a deleted file or one encrypted by ransomware on the PC is deleted or encrypted in OneDrive too.
• Microsoft 365 recovery features. For work or school accounts, deleted items stay in OneDrive's recycle bins for a total of 93 days by default, and you can restore your whole OneDrive to a previous point within the last 30 days. Good for recent mistakes; limited by those windows, and inside the same Microsoft 365 tenant.
• Independent backup. A separate copy of OneDrive, SharePoint and mailbox data, outside the tenant, with retention you choose, monitored and restore-tested. This is what protects you from a compromised administrator account, a mistake noticed after the window has passed, or a departed employee's data that was cleaned up too early.

For personal files, the first two layers are often enough. For company data, most firms need the third as well. Our guide to managed backup services explains what an independent backup should include and the RPO and RTO questions to ask, and Brocent's cloud managed backup service covers Microsoft 365 alongside servers and NAS. Backup software licence prices are on the backup and recovery pricing page, and the backup and recovery report sample shows the monthly evidence a managed service should produce, including OneDrive and SharePoint coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Which folders does OneDrive folder backup protect?

Desktop, Documents and Pictures in your Windows user profile. Files saved anywhere else, such as a folder at the root of C: or on D: outside OneDrive, are not included; move them into one of those folders or into OneDrive.

Will turning on folder backup create duplicate files?

No. The folders move into OneDrive rather than being copied, so each file exists once on the PC and once in the cloud, kept in sync.

What happens if I sign in on a new PC?

Sign in to OneDrive with the same work account and turn on folder backup again, or let IT's policy do it. Your Desktop, Documents and Pictures come back. Files can download on demand, so they do not all fill the new disk at once.

Does OneDrive folder backup protect against ransomware?

Not on its own. Encrypted files sync like any other change. Microsoft's Restore OneDrive feature can roll the whole OneDrive back to a point within the last 30 days, which helps; an independent, monitored backup is the stronger protection for company data.

Can I use my personal OneDrive for work files?

You should not. Company files belong in the company's OneDrive, where the company's security, retention and offboarding controls apply. Run both accounts side by side if you need your personal one.

How much OneDrive storage do I have?

It depends on your company's Microsoft 365 plan and on any limits IT has set. Check by right-clicking the cloud icon and opening Settings, or ask IT. Plan details are on the Microsoft 365 pricing page.

Why is OneDrive stuck on "processing changes"?

Usually a very large number of small files, a file open in another program, or a slow connection during the first upload. Leave it running, close open files, and check the cloud icon for specific errors.

Next steps

Turn on folder backup on your own PC today; it takes a few minutes. If you look after an office, roll it out through Group Policy or Intune and then decide whether company data also needs an independent backup. To have Brocent set up OneDrive, Microsoft 365 and backup for every user, build a quote for Hong Kong in the quote tool or talk to a Brocent consultant.