3 Ways | How to Backup OneDrive to External Hard Drive in Windows 10 [Full Guide]

Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft OneDrive, one of the largest cloud storage services, offers 5GB of free storage space to each user. However, when your data fills up this space, you'll need to consider upgrading to a paid plan or deleting some files to free up space.

Here are the 3 practical ways to protect OneDrive data:

Workable Solutions	Step-by-step Troubleshooting
1. Backup OneDrive to External Drive Online	Connect an external hard drive to your computer and set it as the download location in Internet Explorer. Then, open OneDrive online and upload your files to the cloud, which will also sync them to the external hard drive. This way, you can access your files from both the cloud and the external drive.Full steps
2. Backup OneDrive to External HDD via Sync Client	Connect an external disk to your computer and right-click on the OneDrive icon in the taskbar. From the drop-down menu, select "Unlink this PC" to disconnect your OneDrive account from the local storage on your computer.Full steps
3. Backup OneDrive to External HDD with Software	To run a Qiling file backup, connect an external disk, launch the Qiling file backup software, and select the OneDrive files you want to backup.Full steps

How Do I Backup OneDrive Files to External Hard Drive

To backup OneDrive files to an external hard drive, you can follow these steps: Connect your external hard drive to your PC and ensure it's formatted to the NTFS file system. Go to the OneDrive settings on your PC, click on "Settings" and then "Backup". Select the files you want to backup and choose the external hard drive as the destination. Alternatively, you can also use the OneDrive desktop app to backup your files to the external hard drive. Simply right-click on the OneDrive folder on your PC, select "Settings" and then "Backup", and choose the external hard drive as the destination.

Here are some common reasons why you may need to backup OneDrive to an external drive:

Avoid accidental deletion of files.
Access OneDrive files without an internet connection.
Protect files from OneDrive service outages or crashes.
Protect local OneDrive files from deletion, corruption, virus infection.
OneDrive space gets full, moving OneDrive files to an external hard drive can free up space.

Complete Guide: How to Backup OneDrive to External Hard Drive in Windows | 3 Ways

Here are 3 reliable methods to help backup OneDrive files and folders to an external hard drive:

To download or backup your OneDrive files to an external hard drive online, follow these steps: First, sign in to your OneDrive account on the web interface, then select the files or folders you want to download or backup. Next, click on the "Download" or "Backup" button, and choose the external hard drive as the destination. Finally, select the desired file format and quality, and click on the "Download" or "Backup" button to start the process.
To backup OneDrive to an external hard drive using the OneDrive sync client, first, ensure the OneDrive sync client is installed on your computer. Next, connect your external hard drive to your computer and ensure it's formatted correctly. Open the OneDrive sync client, click on the "Settings" icon, and select "Unlink this PC" to remove any existing OneDrive sync.
To backup local OneDrive files to an external hard drive using file backup software, follow these steps: First, ensure your OneDrive account is synced with the local files on your computer. Next, choose a file backup software like EaseUS Todo Backup or Acronis True Image, which can back up and restore files, folders, and even entire systems. Install and launch the software, then select the local OneDrive files you want to backup.

Before You Start: 1. Prepare a big external hard drive with more free space than your OneDrive files.

To backup OneDrive files to an external hard drive, you can use the OneDrive app to download and sync your files to the external drive, or use a third-party backup software like Acronis, EaseUS, or Macrium to backup your OneDrive files to the external drive. You can also use the built-in Windows Backup and Restore feature to backup your OneDrive files to the external drive.

Guide 1. How to (Download) Backup OneDrive to External Hard Drive Online (Web Interface)

If you've saved OneDrive files online, you can download and back up them to an external hard drive using a web browser, without needing any software.

To download OneDrive files and save them to an external hard drive, first, ensure that the external hard drive is connected and has sufficient free space. Then, navigate to the OneDrive website and sign in with your account.

Step 1. Connect the external hard drive to your PC and set it as the download location of your web browser:

Open Internet Explorer, click on "Tools" then "Settings", and select "View downloads".
Click "Options" in the lower-To set your external hard drive as the download location, go to the Settings app on your computer, click on "Storage," and then select the external hard drive from the list of available storage devices. Next, click on the "Save locations" option and select the external hard drive as the default download location.
Then click "OK" once you're done.

Step 2. Open the OneDrive site online and log in to your OneDrive account.

OneDrive site link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/online-cloud-storage

Step 3. Choose to download the OneDrive files that you want to backup.

Step 4. Click "Download" to save and back up OneDrive files to external hard drive.

Once the OneDrive sync process is finished, you can access and utilize your OneDrive files on the external hard drive.

Remember to change the OneDrive download location from your external hard drive to the original default location, or all files will be downloaded to your external HD.

Guide 2. How to Backup OneDrive to External Hard Drive Using OneDrive Sync Client

To back up OneDrive online files to an external hard drive, you can use the OneDrive Sync Client, which allows you to sync your files from the cloud to your local storage.

The software allows for the backup of files to OneDrive, downloading of files from OneDrive, and synchronization of files between OneDrive and local or external storage devices.

Here's how to sync and backup OneDrive files to an external hard drive in one paragraph:

Step 1. Connect the external hard drive to your PC.

Step 2. Right-click on OneDrive in the taskbar and select "Settings", click the "Account".

Step 3. Select "Unlink this PC".

An OneDrive setup screen will appear, and you can choose to ignore it.

Step 4. To move files from OneDrive to an external hard drive, open File Explorer and navigate to your OneDrive folder. Click the "Move" to button, then select a folder on your external hard drive where you want to move your files.

All files in the OneDrive folder will be moved to the external hard drive without any manual intervention.

Step 5. Sign in with your OneDrive account when the Set up OneDrive screen pops up.

Step 6. Click "Change location" on Your OneDrive folder screen, and set the external hard drive as the new OneDrive folder location.

Step 7. Click "Use this location".

To sync and backup OneDrive files to an external hard drive, start by connecting the external drive to your computer and ensuring it's properly formatted. Next, install the OneDrive desktop app and sign in with your Microsoft account.

Guide 3. How to Backup Local OneDrive Files to External HDD with File Backup Software

OneDrive file backup can be achieved through various methods, including using the built-in OneDrive backup feature, using the Windows Backup feature, or relying on file backup software. For instance, if your OneDrive is mapped to a local disk on your computer, Qiling Backup is a suitable option. This software can help you back up your OneDrive files to a local drive, ensuring they are safe and secure.

Your Safe and Efficient Backup Software

The system supports various types of backup, including file backup, system backup, and disk/partition backup, allowing users to choose the most suitable method for their needs.
Support schedule backup, full, incremental, and differential backup.
Support migrating Windows 10 from HDD to SSD, clone/upgrade disk.
Simple to operate and simplify the backup process.

Free Download

You can easily backup your OneDrive files from a local drive to an external hard drive with just a few clicks, allowing for direct and efficient data transfer. Follow the steps to start backing up your local OneDrive data now.

Step 1. Run Qiling Backup and choose "File backup" on the "Backup and recovery" page.

Step 2. You can select almost any type of file from various directories through the "User Defined" mode on the "File Backup" window.

When backing up files, it's faster to use the "Filters" mode to select specific file types, such as documents, pictures, videos, and music, rather than backing up all files. This allows you to choose exactly what you want to back up.

To create a new backup plan, add a plan name or text description to the file backup, and then choose a backup location.

To backup files to an external hard drive, click "Browse..." in the "Destination" area.

Connect the external hard drive to the computer, expand the "Computer" section, and click on the external hard drive to select it. Then, click "OK".

If you're interested in getting more backup features, click on "Schedule", "Image-reserve strategy", and "Backup options" to explore them.

Step 3. After settings were all made, click "Proceed".

Bonus Tips: What to Do After Backing Up OneDrive Files to External Disk

To free up space on OneDrive, you can delete files or folders from your OneDrive account, or you can also consider upgrading your OneDrive storage plan if you need more space. You can also consider using the OneDrive recycle bin to recover deleted files if needed. Additionally, you can also use the OneDrive storage analyzer tool to identify and delete large files or folders that are taking up a lot of space.

To free up space in your OneDrive, follow these steps: Delete files and folders that you no longer need, and consider moving files to a different storage location if they're not critical to your work or personal use. You can also use the OneDrive recycle bin to recover deleted files if needed.

#Tip 1. Delete Files & Free Up OneDrive Space Online (via Web Interface) - Windows & Mac

Step 1. Go to the OneDrive website and sign in with your OneDrive account.

Step 2. To delete files from OneDrive online:

To delete files, point to each item you want to delete, check the files, and then select "Delete".

Step 3. To delete folders from OneDrive:

To delete a folder, go up or back to the main directory, select the entire folder, and click the "Delete" button at the top of the page.

If you deleted the wrong files in OneDrive, you can restore them from the OneDrive Recycle Bin, even if you've emptied it. To do this, follow the provided link for assistance.

Recover Permanently Deleted Files from OneDrive

#Tip 2. Delete Items from OneDrive with OneDrive Desktop App in Windows 10/8/7

Step 1. Open File Explorer on your computer.

Step 2. Find and open the OneDrive folder, select useless items, and press "Delete" on your keyboard.

#Tip 3. Delete Files/Folders from OneDrive with OneDrive App for Mac

Step 1. Open Mac Finder.

Step 2. Go to the OneDrive folder, select items you want to delete.

Step 3. Right-click on selected useless OneDrive files and select "Move to Trash".

You can also drag and drop them to the Trash bin on Mac.

#Tip 4. Recover Deleted OneDrive Files on Windows/Mac

If you deleted the wrong files from OneDrive's local drive, don't worry, you can recover them from the Recycle Bin or Trash Bin. If nothing is in the Recycle Bin or Trash Bin, a professional data recovery tool like Deep Data Recovery can help.

Recover deleted files from OneDrive with Deep Data Recovery. Follow the steps to learn how to do it.

Important

Why is Qiling data recovery utility able to recover deleted files from cloud? When you delete data from a cloud drive, Deep Data Recovery can scan your local drive to find identical files that were also deleted, effectively restoring them. This is because your local files are always in sync with the cloud device, meaning that when you deleted data from a cloud drive, like Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive, you also deleted the local files. By scanning the local drive, Deep Data Recovery can identify and recover the deleted files.

Step 1. To proceed, launch Deep Data Recovery and select the file types you want to recover. You can uncheck any unwanted file types and click "Next" to continue.

Step 2. Select the local drive, on which the files were synced to the cloud drive. Click "Scan" to get started.

Step 3. The software will automatically start scanning both the selected drive and the cloud drive. Once the scan is complete, you can begin searching for the deleted files by selecting the file type or using the search bar to find specific files or folders by name or format. You can also preview a file's content by double-clicking on it.

Step 4. Select the files you're looking for, click "Recover" and choose a location other than the previous one to save the recovered data.

How to Repair Corrupted Photos?

If you're experiencing issues with broken OneDrive files, such as documents, files, or images, Deep Data Recovery can be a helpful solution.

Backup OneDrive Files Now, It's Your Turm

This tutorial explains the importance of backing up OneDrive files and provides three reliable guides on how to efficiently backup OneDrive to an external hard drive.

If you've saved OneDrive files online, you can either try the online method or use a data backup program like Qiling Backup for help.

Free Download

To ensure the security of your valuable OneDrive files, it's a good idea to back them up to an external hard drive. This can be done by syncing your OneDrive files from the local drive to the external drive, providing a second layer of protection against data loss. By taking this simple step, you can safeguard your files and have peace of mind knowing they're backed up.

FAQs on How to Backup OneDrive to External Hard Drive

Here are more relevant questions about OneDrive backup. If you have any of these problems, troubleshooting them here.

1. Can I sync OneDrive to an external hard drive?

OneDrive can sync its files to an external hard drive, treating it as a regular part of local storage, allowing users to change the storage location to sync the OneDrive folder to the external hard drive.

Right-click the OneDrive icon. Click on Settings and select Account.
Choose Unlink this PC.
To relocate your OneDrive sync folder, navigate to the original folder location on your computer. Then, move the entire folder to your external hard drive. This will ensure that your OneDrive sync will continue to function as usual, but with the added benefit of freeing up space on your computer by storing the files on an external drive.
To back up OneDrive to an external hard drive, sign in to your OneDrive account and select the "Change location" option to choose the folder on your external hard drive where you want to save your OneDrive files.

2. How do I backup my entire hard drive to an external hard drive?

To back up an entire hard disk or partitions to an external hard drive, using a software like Qiling Backup is the most effective way.

You can easily back up your entire hard disk drive to an external hard drive using the Disk Backup feature. To do this, follow these simple steps: [insert steps here].

Step 1. To back up one hard drive to another external hard drive, select the "Disk/Partition" option and proceed.

Step 2. On the "Disk Backup" window, choose the hard disk you want to back up, selecting either the entire hard disk or specific partitions as needed.

Click the "Browse" button in the "Destination" area, then click the "Computer" tab and select the external drive. Click "OK".

Now that you've identified both the source and destination disks, you can explore more advanced backup options in the "Backup option" menu, such as incremental backup, differential backup, and others.

Step 3. Just click "Proceed", and you can back up one hard disk to another external hard disk in a minute!

3. Is OneDrive good for backup?

Microsoft OneDrive is a cloud service that allows users to back up, sync, and share files and folders across PC, mobile, and web platforms.

Each user has a 5GB storage space for free, but you can upgrade to 50GB for $2 a month or get 1TB of storage for up to five users with an Office 365 subscription.

4. How do I save to my hard drive instead of OneDrive?

You can set up the storage location to save files to your local hard drive, but not to OneDrive.

Open any Office program like Word.
Then click on "File" > "Options".
Click on "Save" in the left-To save a file to your computer by default, select the file you want to save, then click on the "Save As" button. In the Save As window, navigate to the location where you want to save the file and select a file type from the dropdown menu.

If you want to change the default local file location, you can do so in the provided box below the checkbox. This will allow you to save files locally instead of saving them to your OneDrive account when you go to save a file.