OneDrive Mac Users Unhappy With Buggy Update That Removes Ability to Keep Local Copies of Synced Files

[Wando64]

I would assume Dropbox (and Box) will also require changes that move the Dropbox synced folders to an APFS Container, just like OneDrive & Google Drive. Of course iCloud will still continue to work as we've become used to because it's first party, not third party like the others.

But this is not the problem.
The problem is that after this update some OneDrive users are reporting their local data being removed, some are reporting data not downloading properly or appearing not to download properly, conflicting and confusing icons, inability to switch off Files-On-Demand with a single button (like you can do on DropBox and iCloud), Autosave no longer working, Spotlight no longer finding files, etc…

I don’t think it is mandatory to screw up so many thing at once.

 

[Steve121178]

We have 1TB per user. 3 years ago, a co-worker was retiring and I created aOneDrive folder on Windows10, and copied 100GB of his data inside. 12 months later the initial sync never completed - always got stuck and hung. I tried to restart the process (Process Explorer) and even restart, to no avail. The OneDrive program would always get stuck and display errors. In the end, I gave up and disabled OneDrive - at which point it erased 100GB of local data. Being real careful, had made a backup onto an external USB disk.

Frankly, I do not get it - why are people so fond of Microsoft? Today I realized why Skype4Business only Mac was not able to connect; every second day would give certificate errors: in my keychain I found two Skype4B certificates from 2014. The program created these, and never bothered to clean up.

Sounds like a problem with that particular PC or a particular file or a group of files that was causing the problem. Usually looking through the logs will allow you to easily identify the problem and resolve it. And simply unlinking the users account from OneDrive and logging back in & initiating a new sync resolves 99% of issues.

I'm not sure why you waited 12 months to fix something that usually takes 2 mins to resolve.

 

[wgamper]

These same changes are coming to DropBox too

I'm guessing the complainers haven't been reading the news as of late.

Apple Confirms macOS 12.3 Deprecates Kernel Extensions Used by Dropbox and OneDrive

Apple today seeded the first beta of macOS 12.3 to developers for testing. In the release notes for the update, Apple confirms that it has deprecated...

www.macrumors.com

Inside the new Files On-Demand Experience on macOS | Microsoft Community Hub

Take an inside look into the new Files On-Demand experience that's rolling out right now for macOS 12.1 or later.

techcommunity.microsoft.com

Don't blame the vendor, when Apple is implementing the restrictions the vendor has to live with.

Please stop spreading misinformation. Apple's changes force Dropbox und Onedrive to change their client's programming, but they don't force this crappy File-on-demand-experience and hiding files from the user.

 

[Wando64]

Where is the iCloud Drive option to keep data stored locally? As far as I can tell, iCloud Drive has always been the same (just like Music): if the system thinks it needs space, your local files get deleted, so it's always a gamble taking the device on a plane or to someplace without 'net access as to whether all the files you need will actually be on the device.

System Preferences / Apple ID / iCloud

Keep it Deselected

 

[andy.jc]

This why I stick with Dropbox or pc cloud

 

[joloriquelme]

I updated my macOS to 12.2 minutes ago. I am sure that I didn't received the new OneDrive experience earlier because I checked on sunday.

After the reboot, the whole OneDrive icons in Finder changed. Now I have everything more organized (Personal account and Business account, included SharePoint synced libraries).

And, at least in the Personal account, OneDrive keeped all the offline synced files config. So, I didn't loose any downloaded file.

Everything works as expected in that way.

The only issue I am seeing is that there is some lag when exploring folders for the first time. But, after the first open, it works fine after.

I don't know what's wrong with this update. I actually liked it.

 

[sirozha]

Changes to the way OneDrive syncs files and folders on Mac has caused upset among users of the cloud storage service, following Microsoft's rollout last month of a new "Files On-Demand Experience" for Macs running macOS 12.1 and later.

OneDrive's Files On-Demand feature, which first debuted in 2018, is designed to allow users to access files in the cloud without having to download them and use storage space on their Mac.

But in a change coming with macOS 12.3, currently still in beta, Apple is deprecating the kernel extensions originally used by OneDrive's syncing features, so the Mac client is now using Apple's File Provider extensions instead.

Microsoft says this new technology stack should make the feature "much better integrated with the operating system compared to the first version." Judging by feedback though, that has not been the experience of many users. To make matters worse, in tandem with the new integration, Microsoft has also made Files On-Demand the default behavior of its OneDrive client and removed the user setting to disable it, further angering customers.

What this has meant in practice for many users on macOS 12.1 or later is that any local copies of files synced to OneDrive have been summarily wiped from their Mac without notice. Responding to the change on Microsoft's community answers forum, one customer complained:
Responding to the question, another user wrote:

Microsoft includes an ability in OneDrive's Finder integration to mark synced files as "Always Keep on This Device" (internally referred to as "pinning"), and some users have resorted to exhaustively re-downloading all their files and folders using this option, but not without a high degree of syncing fails. Another user writes:
On top of these errors, some users are also experiencing problems with files refusing to download or open correctly in their default application. One Redditor posts:
Hundreds of similar complaints about the enforced changes and associated bugs can be found on Microsoft's OneDrive blog, the MacRumors Forums, and scattered over Reddit, with many users saying they will move to a rival cloud storage syncing solution unless the ability to disable Files On-Demand is brought back. We've reached out to Microsoft to provide more clarity on the situation and will update this article if we hear back.

Article Link: OneDrive Mac Users Unhappy With Buggy and Enforced New 'Files On-Demand Experience'

It’s a complete clusterf%ck. I noticed this issue as soon as I installed macOS 12.2. I was trying to find a file by its content and couldn’t. Then I realized that my OneDrive folder was moved to another location and all files were wiped from it (which Microsoft calls “evicted”). Thank
Goodness I only had 4 GB of files stored in OneDrive (required by a client of mine). Whoever did this should be fired from Microsoft. How can this even happen? This doesn’t give me any confidence in Microsoft appointing competent people in decision-making roles. How can they explain this SNAFU?

 

[coolfactor]

Where are those happy users who recently reported how happy they were with OneDrive and they went out from Dropbox as it didn’t support Apple Silicon?

Was there a period were Dropbox did not run on M1, or just not natively? Works great here.

Apple: We're changing stuff.
Microsoft: Ok, we will adjust our app to your new API's
Users: Microsoft, WTF!?!

Typical.

And does this only affect users running macOS 12.3... which is still a BETA? No complaining allowed during beta testing. Microsoft's docs say that this change comes with 12.3, which is not yet released to the public outside of a beta.

 

[Xenomorph]

We use OneDrive Business with work. I cannot just stop using it. Too much work data, much of it shared, it stored there.

We use OneDrive Personal at home, with my family plan. I cannot just stop using it. Too much personal data, some of it shared, is stored on it.

Most of the people at work and home are using Windows, so they are not impacted.

I use macOS, so I'm struggling with this new client. It wiped nearly 100GB of local data off my system and then replaced it with shortcuts and symbolic links. Opening a Finder windows just shows empty folders... until OneDrive decides to display contents. I cannot search files from Terminal with severe deletes and high CPU usage. I'm watching "OneDrive File Provider" in Activity Monitor jump around between 5% and 15% CPU use on my new M1 Pro MacBook Pro.

 

[Bustycat]

I updated my macOS to 12.2 minutes ago. I am sure that I didn't received the new OneDrive experience earlier because I checked on sunday.

After the reboot, the whole OneDrive icons in Finder changed. Now I have everything more organized (Personal account and Business account, included SharePoint synced libraries).

And, at least in the Personal account, OneDrive keeped all the offline synced files config. So, I didn't loose any downloaded file.

Everything works as expected in that way.

The only issue I am seeing is that there is some lag when exploring folders for the first time. But, after the first open, it works fine after.

I don't know what's wrong with this update. I actually liked it.

How many files do you have? Are you sure about that your files are displayed properly? Do you know that the behaviour of lagging everywhere is unacceptable?

 

[Bustycat]

Was there a period were Dropbox did not run on M1, or just not natively? Works great here.



And does this only affect users running macOS 12.3... which is still a BETA? No complaining allowed during beta testing. Microsoft's docs say that this change comes with 12.3, which is not yet released to the public outside of a beta.

We did believe that Microsoft would push the new version from macOS 12.3, yet it is pushed to every user of macOS 12.1 and later right after macOS 12.2 was released.

 

[frenetic]

Nothing changed for me. I have 92gig of data in OneDrive. I always set the folder to fully be on my hard drive. It is a big sync the first sync but it works after that and I get faster local access when I open a file.

Agreed, but then I have had the last few weeks three instances where Onedrive does no longer load. Out of the blue, I notice onedrive is no longer running, and when I open the app it tells me "onedrive can't start" and that I need to reinstall it. If you then do that, it wipes out your local copies and you need to download all of your files again. And as said, this three times in the last few weeks.

 

[joloriquelme]

How many files do you have? Are you sure about that your files are displayed properly? Do you know that the behaviour of lagging everywhere is unacceptable?

I have all my personal and work files (I own my company).

I am multi-platform (I use Windows and macOS).

The lag just gone minutes ago.

And also I know this isn't Microsoft's fault but Apple, who is forcing third-party cloud providers to adapt to their new guidelines to macOS.

There's many factors that can contribute to a different experience for most users. In my case, it's just working. No complains so far. If I detect any issue, I will report here.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

OneDrive on Mac has always been the letdown, which is a real shame since Microsoft 365 is a great service for businesses.

I think the article could have made a better point of explaining what changes Apple actually made.

 

[macintologist]

Gotta LOVE CATALINA! it was the best modern macOS before we got the VISTA's of Mac. Big Sur and Monterey.

Best macOS for Intel Mac users anyway. M1 users are forced into the future. how bad or good that might be.

Mojave for life.

 

[robertcoogan]

Okay - this makes it look like it isn't on by default. So is it just that people have to re-download files? Yes, a pain. But it doesn't look like too much of a headache after that.

 

[Bustycat]

Okay - this makes it look like it isn't on by default. So is it just that people have to re-download files? Yes, a pain. But it doesn't look like too much of a headache after that.

The issues are far beyond simply the new Files On-Demand. Many serious users have encountered more issues than mine.

 

[timmyh]

The way the changes in macOS are described by MacRumors and generally interpreted is wrong. I have little experience with Dropbox but OneDrive does not nor has it ever used kernel extensions. It is available from the Mac App Store, and that precludes the inclusion of any kernel extensions (yes, there is also a direct download version, but AFAIK it works essentially the same).

The changes in 12.3 force the cloud providers to change the way Files on Demand work, yes. But nobody forced Microsoft to make Files on Demand mandatory, they could have made sure to keep the “all files are local” mode available – but they did not.

Even the oft-maligned iCloud Drive lets you keep all files locally (by switching off Optimize Mac Storage).

Apple states in its release notes for macOS 12.3 Beta:

• The kernel extensions used by Dropbox Desktop Application and Microsoft OneDrive are no longer available. Both service providers have replacements for this functionality currently in beta. (85890896)

 

[Bazza1]

Definitely not as seamless as these various Cloud providers would suggest their syncs are, but I stick to keeping my local files local, and manually copy/paste the files to these backup cloud locations.

Not ready to rely on the vagaries of the internet, others' server farms and their own business success, or dodgy sync software to store or access my files.
In fact, wasn't it the whole point of a 'personal computer' that we had all of the stuff we needed local and not simply have a dumb keyboard and everything else on a distant mainframe?

 

[Durafab]

This is honestly why I stick to Dropbox for high priority needs, even if I only have 20 GB of space. Dropbox just works, and it has always just worked. I also have "unlimited" Google Drive but I don't have any local syncing because it's low priority files.

Same here, but with Box. iCloud has been a mess, especially on iPadOS, where it doesn’t work at all for me, but Box is rock solid and fast. I use OneDrive for work, and it’s been very stable and reliable. But I’ve always disabled files on demand because I have more than enough space. So maybe also time to switch to Box from OneDrive.

 

[8CoreWhore]

um...

 

[Tnanman]

I've heard that Dropbox has/will have the same issue on Mac OS 12.3. Is there any reason why Dropbox and Microsoft couldn't have updated their apps to accommodate the new API earlier?

I love how it's always someone elses fault when Apple decides to switch this up.
This isn't an overnight fix when you're forced to completely change the API structure you were built on previously.

 

[V.K.]

These same changes are coming to DropBox too

what?!

 

[bsunarjo]

I’m also super frustrated with the change. It’s been 1.5 years and still no native M1 application, but let’s add some new features nobody asked for.

Two questions though:

1. Is anyone else having sync issues? I’ll make changes somewhere else but they don’t show up locally and meanwhile OneDrive is oblivious, happily saying “everything is up to date” when it isn’t. This is an issue I also had when testing StrongSync and I wonder if it has to do with Apple’s File Provider API rather the the OneDrive application. Maybe the API is still buggy as hell?
2. How is everyone solving the backup issue? When I have a local copy of all my files, there are automatically backed up to my TimeMachine. Now I’m not sure how to approach backups. Maybe set up a folder specifically for backups together with a cron job for rclone?

 

[joesegh]

I'm guessing the complainers haven't been reading the news as of late.

Apple Confirms macOS 12.3 Deprecates Kernel Extensions Used by Dropbox and OneDrive

Apple today seeded the first beta of macOS 12.3 to developers for testing. In the release notes for the update, Apple confirms that it has deprecated...

www.macrumors.com

Inside the new Files On-Demand Experience on macOS | Microsoft Community Hub

Take an inside look into the new Files On-Demand experience that's rolling out right now for macOS 12.1 or later.

techcommunity.microsoft.com

Don't blame the vendor, when Apple is implementing the restrictions the vendor has to live with.

that's not strictly true. for example, when deleting files from onedrive, you are only given the option to permanently delete them. they no longer use the system trash, which is either a bug or an implementation issue with how microsoft developed the onedrive app, not with the API provided by apple.

there are a lot of implementation issues on top of the change in API, and power users are rightfully complaining. apple and microsoft both need to fix this; they're both at fault.