Onedrive replaced desktop files with shortcut

Question

I have recently upgraded to the storage of onedrive with 1 TB and have started to sync every file. However, managing the backup of the OneDrive, the desktop on the C drive of my device is now just a shortcut to the OneDrive itself. What should I do about this problem?

Answer 1

@ZMccluer It seems like you are facing an issue with the desktop shortcut on your device after upgrading to OneDrive with 1 TB storage. The desktop on your C drive is now just a shortcut to the OneDrive itself. This issue can occur due to permission issues or syncing problems ¹²³.

To resolve this issue, you can try the following steps:

1. Check if the desktop folder is synced with OneDrive. If it is not synced, you can try syncing it again.
2. Check if the desktop folder is selected for backup in OneDrive settings. If it is not selected, you can select it and try syncing it again.
3. Check if the desktop folder has the necessary permissions. You can try giving your user account full control over the desktop folder ¹.
4. Try resetting OneDrive and then restarting it. This can help clear the cache and resolve any syncing issues ³.

If the above steps do not resolve the issue, you can try reaching out to the OneDrive support team for further assistance.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Answer 2

Hi @ZMccluer

I suggest you copy all files from Desktop folder to another one on your local machine first.

Then please open OneDrive settings (Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your notification area, select Settings icon), select Settings > Account tab > uncheck 'Desktop' folder in the Sync your OneDrive files to this PC dialog box.

For more, please refer to 'Choose which OneDrive folders to sync to your computer'. Note, if you uncheck a folder you are syncing to your computer, the folder will be removed from your computer. The folder and its contents will still be available online.

And then refer to the article 'Operation to change a personal folder location fails in Windows', locate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders, find the Desktop registry key, ensure its value is %USERPROFILE%\Desktop.

(Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Before you modify it, please remember to back up the registry for restoration in case problems occur.)

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