How to sync your desktop to OneDrive cloud

This article explains how to move your desktop to the cloud with OneDrive in Windows 10 and later.

Why sync your Windows desktop with OneDrive?

Putting commonly used folders, such as the Windows desktop, in the cloud is a great solution if you use the desktop to store downloaded files or frequently accessed items. This way, these files will always be synced across your devices. You can also connect the other computers you use with OneDrive sync.

Before you begin, install the desktop sync client OneDrive on your version of Windows. Windows 10 and later versions contain this software.

Microsoft no longer supports Windows 7, 8, or 8.1.

Ouvrez l'Explorateur de fichiers Windows, cliquez avec le bouton droit de la souris sur Bureau, puis sélectionnez Propriétés.
L'élément Propriétés dans le menu d'option Bureau

Dans la boîte de dialogue Propriétés du bureau, sélectionnez l'onglet Emplacement.
L'onglet Emplacement

Sélectionnez Déplacer.
Le bouton Déplacer

Dans la boîte de dialogue, double-cliquez sur OneDrive, puis sélectionnez Nouveau dossier pour créer un nouveau dossier. Nommez-le Bureau.
Le bouton Nouveau dossier

Quel que soit le nom que vous donnez au dossier, il s'affiche en tant que Bureau dans la liste de fichiers OneDrive. Si vous avez trois ordinateurs de bureau synchronisés avec le même compte OneDrive, chacun utilise un nom de dossier différent mais s'affiche sous le nom de Desktop.

Lorsque le dossier Desktop est en surbrillance, sélectionnez Select Folder (Sélectionner un dossier).
Le bouton Sélectionner le dossier

Sélectionnez Appliquer pour appliquer les nouveaux paramètres. La zone de saisie de texte dans l'onglet Emplacement doit ressembler à ceci :

C:\Users\[Nom d'utilisateur]\NUnDrive\NBureau
Le bouton Appliquer

Sélectionnez Oui pour confirmer que vous souhaitez déplacer le bureau vers OneDrive, puis sélectionnez OK pour fermer la boîte de dialogue Propriétés du bureau.

Move any folder from your Windows computer to OneDrive by following the same process.

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Are my files safe in the cloud?

Moving your desktop or other folders to the cloud is much more convenient than moving files using a USB drive. However, cloud storage has security implications. Every time you upload files, it is likely that others will be able to access those files. Law enforcement, for example, may use a command to demand access to your files, and you may not be notified.

The most common situation is when hackers guess or steal your account password. If this happens, the bad guys could potentially gain access to your OneDrive files. It’s okay if you just backup your old high school poems to the cloud. On the other hand, unauthorized access to business documents or files containing personal information can be devastating.

There are several security measures you can take to mitigate these risks. The first is to enable two-factor authentication for the online storage account. The simplest procedure is to avoid putting anything in the cloud that contains information that you don’t want others to see.

For individuals, this usually means that items such as financial spreadsheets, bills, and mortgages must be kept on the hard drive rather than in the cloud, with the risk of losing access if something goes wrong with the hard drive.

Microsoft has released the Personal Vault for OneDrive – which will be rolling out in waves to users around the world throughout 2019 – which provides additional security with enforced multi-factor authentication and encryption. For important files that are accessed relatively infrequently, Personal Vault strikes a good balance between protection and ease of access.