File Explorer Library

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In Windows 10 File Explorer the Documents folder for user1 is empty…there are no files. If I check the directory C:\Users\user1\Documents it is empty. In the navigation pane on the left in Explorer when I select Documents under Library I see all my files.

I want to use a batch file to backup my files in the Documents directory but there is no path to point to since C:\Users\user1\Documents is empty.

How do I make all my files in Documents available in C:\Users\user1\Documents and not use Library?

Thanks for any help with this.

 

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Al Lauck wrote:

If I check the directory C:\Users\user1\Documents it is empty. In the navigation pane on the left in Explorer when I select Documents under Library I see all my files.

The Documents Library shows both files in the C:\Users\user1\Documents folder and the C:\Users\user1\OneDrive\Documents folder.  The files you see in the Documents Library could be the ones stored on OneDrive.

Al Lauck wrote:

How do I make all my files in Documents available in C:\Users\user1\Documents and not use Library?

If the files in the Documents Library are in the OneDrive Documents folder you can copy those files to your user1\Documents folder.

HTH, Dana:))

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Brilliant Drcard:))! That fixed that part of it. Trying to untangle OneDrive from a system once it has its hooks in it is not going to be easy.

Thanks for the help.

 

 

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I’m a OneDrive user, and for your OneDrive files to be visible with File Manager, you have to have the OneDrive local software installed.

Think of it this way:  If you got a new computer, you can view, and edit your OneDrive files in a browser right out of the box as they reside in Microsoft cloud not the new local disk.  If you want them duplicated on your new disk so you can use File Manager to view, edit and sync them to the cloud, you’ll need to install the OneDrive software.

I think the simple solution is to organize all your OneDrive files from a browser.  Remember, the files in the OneDrive “Documents” folder are NOT the same as the “Documents” folder under your USER name via file manager.

Once everything is set, make a full image backup of your disk, then delete the OneDrive software (suggest using Revo Uninstaller Pro) AND the leftover local versions.  As belt and suspenders, copy them to a separate backup disk first.  Restart your computer.

At this point it’s like you have new machine as above.  If you want your OneDrive contents mirrored and synced as local files from the cloud so File Manage will find them, re-install the OneDrive software.   This should clear up all the “hooks”.

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Thanks TechTango for the reply. You hit the nail on the head for what I want to do.

I want to go a little farther. It appears one of our users in a satellite office that works by herself apparently was prompted to upgrade the desktop MS Office suite to MS 365. She clicked on it and MS 365 was installed and OneDrive was configured as the place to store the files.

I plan to uninstall MS 365 from the Apps setup and I should have just the MS Office desktop apps available after that. MS Office is an OEM version on a Dell computer. I will then uninstall OneDrive. Naturally, I will make a full disk image before doing the above. My main concern is that the desktop Office programs will be available for the user after I uninstall MS 365.

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My main concern is that the desktop Office programs will be available for the user after I uninstall MS 365.

In theory your OEM MS Office installation should be totally independent of Office 365,  but there are a lot of moving parts to 365.  The road to hell often paved with good intentions and some troublesome registry entries.

I’d suggest the following steps.  They may seem like overkill, they’ll go a long ways to avoiding big headaches:

1 – confirm your OEM MS office works perfectly. I’m assuming it was preinstalled on your Dell machine from new. If that’s the case, you should have physical OEM reinstall media, usually a CD. If able, find the OEM reinstallation media before you do anything. You may need it.

2 – Once you’re satisfied the OEM installation is working normally, backup all your OEM office documents separately to external media as additional precaution.

3 – Take a peek at OneDrive from your browser. It’s probably empty, but if there is anything you want to keep, copy it out and save on external media.

4 – Cancel your Office 365 subscription and sign out of 365, but don’t uninstall the 365 apps yet. After canceling, the 365 suite will remain on your computer, and have only very limited function. All document editing is disabled. At this point there is no hurry to uninstall it.

3 – Re-test your OEM office installation and make sure it’s functioning normally.

4 – Make a full image backup, then physically uninstall all the 356 apps, and restart your machine.

5 – Retest your OEM office. If it’s DOA, and there are no simple fixes like a broken shortcut, a total reinstall from your OEM media may be the only option.

 

 

 

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Thanks again. Your suggestions are spot on.

1 – MS OFFICE 2016 was preinstalled on the Dell computer…however, no CDs were provided. What I do have is an MS OFFICE 2016 CD that I use on my computers here at home. It has the same suite of programs as the computer at the office.

2 & 3 – All documents have been backed up to an external drive. I accessed OneDrive in my browser and downloaded all to an external drive. I did not delete the files in OneDrive yet.

4 – I will cancel the Office 365 subscription.

I assume once the MS Office 365 subscription is cancelled the desktop apps will be available (I included a screen shot of part of the MS Office Desktop Apps Advanced Options screen). This is where I am going into unknown territory.

If there is no other way I may try to install from the CD from home.

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I assume once the MS Office 365 subscription is cancelled the desktop apps will be available (I included a screen shot of part of the MS Office Desktop Apps Advanced Options screen). This is where I am going into unknown territory.

The “advanced options” screenshot you attached seems to be showing how to delete the 365 apps, but it doesn’t suggest that will happen automatically when you subscription is canceled.  However, it really doesn’t matter since you have already safely downloaded your OneDrive files to external media, and you have the MS Office 2016 CD as a backup for reinstalling.

The moment of truth will be testing your OEM MS Office apps after your have removed/uninstalled 365.

PS, it would be smart to copy all the document files your OEM MS Office accesses to external media also.

I’d be interested to know how thing went when you’re done.

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Here is a followup to removing MS 365 and OneDrive and return to the original Office desktop apps. In a nutshell, it was a bust.

I cancelled the MS 365 subscription and removed it from the Apps list as well as OneDrive. They disappeared from the Apps list but persisted as the default Office programs. When I tried to activate the Office Desktop apps the only option was to uninstall the programs, e.g., Excel, Word, etc. So that was of no use.

The other two user accounts on this computer are not effected. They still have the normal desktop programs.

What I will likely do is create a new user account for the user that has MS 365 and copy her documents to the new user account and either remove the problem account or just leave it.

I appreciate everyone’s input.

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