Problem description
Windows 10 Fall creators update 1709 has implemented a feature titled Files on-Demand in OneDrive. If Files On-Demand is enabled, OneDrive folder becomes non-readable due to change in its properties.
Resolution 1: Disable “Files on demand” in the Onedrive Desktop Application settings.
To ensure continued backups from OneDrive folder, you need to disable the Files On-Demand feature using the following steps:
Right-click on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar and click Settings.
On the Settings tab and clear the checkbox underFiles On-Demand.
Click OK.
inSync will start detecting the OneDrive folder again and will backup this folder.
Disable Microsoft OneDrive Backup feature
To ensure continued backups from OneDrive folder, you need to disable the Microsoft OneDrive Backup feature using the following steps:
Right-click on the protected file or folder. In the pop-up that appears, click Settings. The Microsoft OneDrive window appears.
On the Microsoft OneDrive pop-up, select the Backup tab .
On the Backup tab, select Manage backup.The Back upyour folders window appears .
On the Back upyour folders window, clear the checkbox for the folder that you want to include for the next backup cycle.
inSync client can now navigate to the directory to add this folder. Also, if you have defined the backup folder within the users' inSync profile, it will appear for the next backup cycle.
Click the Close icon.
Resolution 2: Exclude the OneDrive folder from the back-up by using inSync Global Exclusions.
Logon to the inSync Admin Console.
Click on Profiles -> click on the profile in which the users are added.
Click on the Edit tab and click on EndPoints.
Scroll down to the “ Global Exclusions” section -> Regular Expressions (For File Types, path and Folders to be excluded):
Under the Regular Expressions field, enter the path for your Onedrive folder as it appears on the user’s machine
From the Select Platform dropdown, select the Windows or MAC or All device as required.
Click on Add and then save the setting.
Once saved, from the next backup run, inSync will no longer scan the folder path that you have mentioned in the above Global Exclusion section.
❗ Important
Files On-Demand - was introduced by Microsoft to save disk space on the user devices, such that the files are physically present in the OneDrive cloud and not on the disk.
By disabling this feature, the files from OneDrive will also be present on the user’s device physically.
Although this will allow inSync to back up the files from the OneDrive folder, it will also lead to high disk usage by OneDrive files on the user’s machine.