Keep OneDrive in Sync

If you have no accounts signed in to OneDrive

If you don’t currently have an account signed in to OneDrive, use these instructions to start OneDrive.

  1. Select the Start button, search for “OneDrive”, and then open it:

    • In Windows 10, select OneDrive.

      Screenshot of searching for the OneDrive desktop app in Windows 10

    • In Windows 7, under Programs, select Microsoft OneDrive.

      Screenshot of searching for the OneDrive desktop app in Windows 7

    • In Windows 8.1, search for OneDrive for Business, then select the OneDrive for Business app.


  1. When OneDrive Setup starts, enter your personal account, or your work or school account, and select Sign in.

    Screenshot of the first screen of OneDrive Setup

Key points in OneDrive Setup

There are two screens in OneDrive Setup that are helpful to watch for:

  • On the This is your OneDrive folder screen, select Next to accept the default folder location for your OneDrive files. If you want to change the folder location,

  • select Change location - this is the best time to make this change.

    The This is Your OneDrive Folder screen in the Welcome to OneDrive wizard

  • On the All your files, ready and on-demand screen, you'll see how files are marked to show them as online-only, locally available, or always available. 

  • Files On-Demand helps you access all your files in OneDrive without having to download all of them and use storage space on your Windows device. Select Next.

    The Files on Demand screen in the Welcome to OneDrive wizard

Note: If you were already syncing OneDrive for work or school to your computer (using the previous sync app) and you've just installed the sync app, you won't see the This is your OneDrive folder or the Sync files from your OneDrive screen during OneDrive Setup. The sync app automatically takes over syncing in the same folder location you were using before. To choose which folders you're syncing, right-click the blue cloud icon in the taskbar notification area, and select Settings > Account > Choose folders.

See and manage your OneDrive files

You're all set. Your OneDrive files will appear in File Explorer in the OneDrive folder. If you use more than one account, your personal files appear under 

OneDrive – Personal and your work or school files appear under OneDrive - Millikin University.

Screenshot of OneDrive for Business files in File Explorer

You now have a new white or blue cloud icon (or both) in your notification area and your files are synced to your computer. Your blue cloud icon

will appear as OneDrive – Millikin University when you hover over the icon.

OneDrive for Business sync client

Note: Contoso is an example name - yours will show the name of your organization.


Any time you want to change the folders you sync on your computer, right-click that cloud icon in the taskbar notification area, and select 

Settings > Account > Choose folders. Find other information about your account and change other OneDrive settings from here.

OneDrive add account dialog