Why I’m deleting Microsoft OneDrive (Mac Edition)
It’s a sad day when a tech giant decides how you are going to manage your files and doesn’t give you an opt-out beforehand.
Well, Microsoft did this when they released the update to OneDrive last week.
They decided that ALL files in OneDrive would default to being held only in the cloud and not on your hard disk. They would download them to you when you want to use them.
I upgraded the app (as normal) and got an alert saying the new feature had been introduced, but nothing to say it was now the default. It’s company policy, apparently.
In the space of a few minutes, my files disappeared. Folders emptied while OneDrive replaced them with ‘symbolic links’ — mere ghosts of the files that were there before with zero bytes in the name of helping me conserve disk space.
Microsft gives you the ability to “keep files on your hard disk” as an option in the right-click menu for a folder, but it’s so unreliable that it basically doesn’t work.
I keep cache files for my video editing in my OneDrive so they were backed up. Now they’re gone — 25,000 of them. And that messes up my workflow. My .htaccess backup files for websites I manage are no longer there, and OneDrive can’t download them because it has a problem with this filename — so they are gone for good. Not to mention that, but Mac’s Spotlight now no longer has any files on my hard disk to index, so the whole ability to search in my files quickly and easily is gone. I have to remember the contents of everything in my head!
I spent 14 hours trying to download the files, trying to use the “keep files on this device” option, literally going folder-to-folder to do this as there is no master setting. I tried the option before I downloaded the files, and after. Several times. Nothing stuck.
I then tried downloading the files from the Microsoft OneDrive website via the browser, but the ZIP files were too big in some cases and couldn't be opened. Error!
Workaround
I found a workaround that allowed me to copy the physical directory on my hard disk to a removable hard drive and this forced OneDrive to physically download the file and then copy it to the removable drive. But I had to visit every directory to make sure OneDrive created the symbolic links on my hard disk as many directories were completely empty. This was slow going — click, wait for the sync, repeat — and that’s when I found out about the .htaccess file problem.
I thought this might be the solution since everything had now been downloaded, and went back and selected “keep these files on this device” on the folders and left OneDrive updating overnight. I moved my video production cache out of OneDrive also to simplify the content.
Or Not
The next morning, I checked my Mac and 95% of the files had gone back to the cloud. They were back to being zero bytes, symbolic links and not searchable.
After a few emails to Microsoft support — and they were very nice about it — it was made clear that this ‘always on’ cloud functionality was something that was the default operation and there was no ‘please switch this off’ global setting and there won’t be one. You could only use the “please keep these files on my device” option on each folder. And that doesn’t work.
They are looking into this as they would like to keep a customer and are confused why it doesn't work. But I am losing days of time not being able to work properly. I have client files I have to wait to re-download each time I want to access them. And if I don't have an Internet connection I can’t do anything.
Deal Breakers
I support cloud-based technology and have always been an early adopter, but I disagree when a company decides how you will manage your files for you and has no plans to give you an off switch.
But the real deal breakers for a Mac owner are now:
- OneDrive doesn’t support access to Linux based files such as .htaccess. They used to be on my hard disk, but now they are in OneDrive’s cloud. But OneDrive just gives you an error when you try to download them.
- My entire Spotlight disk index has been invalidated so I can no longer find any of my content easily.
Once I confirm that I have everything then OneDrive has to go.
Maybe I’ll give Apple’s iCloud a try?
The Fly in the Ointment — The Hidden Truth
Tonight I confirmed I had all my files downloaded and safe on an external drive, so I went ahead and uninstalled OneDrive. I even use CleanMyMac to help as — sometimes — there are leftovers when uninstalling an app.
But … not even CleanMyMac could help me with what was ahead.
OneDrive actually stores all the files and folders in a hidden container on your hard disk and has about a dozen other files and hidden bits dotted around your system. So, although it appears you deleted your files (even the ones you could see in the Finder) there’s still a hidden container full of (most of) them.
I wondered why my Mac said “not enough space” when I tried to copy the files from the external drive back onto my main hard drive.
After a quick Internet search, I discovered the reality. Maybe a Spotlight search would have worked after all because the files were hidden, in secret? But what’s the point of saying they want to help you save disk space but then keep a copy hidden away?
I downloaded a trial version of another Mac cleanup tool (called App Cleaner & Uninstaller) and blitzed the application leftovers that CleanMyMac didn’t catch. I was pleased with its efficiency so might look at this once my CleanMyMac subscription expires.
But, the OneDrive secret archive remained.
I found another tool called Funter which helps you search for files on your hard disk, and a search for OneDrive found all the cloaked files.
Within a few minutes, all the remnants were gone, so I backed up my disk with Time Machine and let it do its own housekeeping. I had deleted about 90Gb of hidden files and data and could now restore my files.
Here are the key learnings from this fly in the ointment:
- Deleting the OneDrive app doesn’t delete the files
- The files in your Finder do disappear, but they are hidden in a secret store on your hard disk
- You need to do some work to find and delete them
- The manual guides you may find on the Internet telling you to track down certain files in your /User/<name>/Library/Containers directory are wrong — on MacOS 12.1 with the latest OneDrive version, they are no longer here and have names of random letters and numbers like D5FG69ASX754A at the start.
- App Cleaner & Uninstaller was efficient at finding application remnants and removing them
- Funter was needed to find the secret files OneDrive used
- Microsoft OneDrive is not a clean installation on Mac. It needs to do a lot of internal heavy lifting to appear to work on the Mac. And, as we saw with .htaccess files, it doesn’t always do it right.
- I’ve regained an extra 90Gb of free space on my hard disk (this was about the size of my OneDrive area).
Side note: if you come across a tool called PowerMyMac, avoid it. It claims to be a Mac Cleaner like the apps I mention here but carries a virus payload. If you’re not protected, you could lose a lot more than your files.
What are your thoughts on this and on Cloud services like these from any company, large or small?
