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OneDrive for Mac will only back up files that are stored in the OneDrive folder. It is not able to automatically back up documents that are saved anywhere else on your Mac.
If you have anything stored on the Desktop or in your Home folder that you would like to back up through OneDrive, you must move or copy those files into the OneDrive folder.
Making sure OneDrive is running
Look for the OneDrive icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen. If it's there, skip down to the section titled "Backing up Files."
If you don't see the icon, press the F4 key and type "OneDrive." Click on the OneDrive app that shows up in the menu. If you're prompted to sign into OneDrive, follow the next steps under "Setting Up OneDrive. If it signs you in automatically, skip down to the section titled "Backing up Files."
Setting Up OneDrive
- Sign into OneDrive using your BJU email address. If it asks for a password, use your BJU password.
- On the next screen, click "Choose OneDrive Folder Location."
- Click "Choose this location."
Note: If you've signed into OneDrive on this computer before, you'll see a message letting you know that the OneDrive folder already exists.
- If you're certain the old OneDrive folder is yours from a previous sign-in, click "Use This Folder."
- If not, click "Choose New Folder."
- Choose a new location for the OneDrive folder, such as in your Documents folder or on the Desktop.
- Click "Choose this location."
- Click "Next."
- The next few screens, starting with "Get to Know Your OneDrive," are informational. You can click "Next" to read through them, or click the red circle in the top-left corner to close the window.
- Your OneDrive folder will open automatically.
Backing Up Files
If your OneDrive folder isn't already open, click on the OneDrive icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen. In the window that appears, choose “Open Folder” at the bottom. The Finder window will open to show everything in your OneDrive.
For any files and folders that are on your computer but not in your OneDrive, you can either move them into your OneDrive, or create copies to put in your OneDrive.
Moving files is generally preferred. Making copies, however, can be helpful for backing up large amounts of files that you want to transfer. For instance, you may not want to move your whole Documents folder out of your user directory, but you may want to put a copy of the Documents folder into your OneDrive to transfer it to a new computer.
If you want to keep the backed-up files from your Mac separate from everything else in your OneDrive, see the section below titled "Adding a Backup Folder to the Desktop" to see how to create a folder inside your OneDrive that you can easily access on the Desktop.
- To move a file or folder to OneDrive
- You can simply click and drag files or folders from your Desktop or a Finder window into the OneDrive folder.
- If you edit a document that has been moved to the OneDrive folder, those changes will automatically be backed up to OneDrive.
- To copy a file or folder to OneDrive
- Hover your cursor over the file or folder you would like to copy, then right click. Select “Copy.”
(You can also click on the file or folder, then press Command + C on the keyboard.)
- Open the OneDrive folder and navigate to where you want the copy to go.
- Click “Edit” in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then choose “Paste Item.”
(You can also press Command + V on the keyboard.)
- A copy of your file or folder will appear in the backup folder.
Note: There are now two copies of this document. If you edit the original file on your computer, those edits will not affect the backed up copy.
When anything is placed in the backup folder, the OneDrive icon in the menu bar will display spinning arrows while the files are uploaded to OneDrive. Uploading may take a while for large files or folders. Click on the icon to see its progress.
Notes:
When you use the Microsoft Office apps, you can choose to open and save documents directly to and from your OneDrive even if the OneDrive app isn't running.
Important: Mac file systems allow files and folders to use some special characters in their names that Microsoft does not allow. If you move anything into OneDrive whose file name contains a character that Microsoft doesn't allow, the file will sit in the OneDrive folder on your Mac, but it will not upload successfully.
When you move items into the backup folder, keep an eye on the OneDrive icon. It will display a spinning arrow while it’s uploading files. If it displays an X, then there’s a problem with one or more of the files. Click the icon, then click the red banner to see what file is causing the problem.
Adding a Backup Folder to the Desktop
If you want to back up large groups of files or large folders from your Mac for the purpose of moving them to a new computer, it can be helpful to create a separate folder inside your OneDrive for storing everything that you want to move. These steps walk through creating a folder in your OneDrive, and then adding a shortcut to that folder on your Desktop for easy access.
- If your OneDrive folder isn't already open, click on the OneDrive icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen. In the window that appears, choose “Open Folder” at the bottom. The Finder window will open to show everything in your OneDrive.
- On the left side of the menu bar, click the “File” menu and select “New Folder.” Name the folder “Mac OneDrive Backup."
- Hover your cursor over the folder and right-click. Select “Make Alias.” Another folder called “Mac OneDrive Backup alias” will appear.
- Click and drag the alias folder onto your Desktop. This is your backup folder.
(You may get an informational alert from OneDrive about deleted files. If so, click “Got it.”)
- You can now copy or move any folders and documents you’d like to back up into the “Mac OneDrive Backup alias” folder on your Desktop, and they will automatically be added to the "Mac OneDrive Backup" folder in your OneDrive and backed up.
