please explain onedrive on surface tablets? does it download all the files to my tablet?

[WPCentral Question]

I had a surface 2, and I downloaded the onedrive desktop app, not the metro app. I did this to save some space when I download pictures, and documents to directly upload it to onedrive.
One thing I noticed is that I wasn't able to save anymore images after linking my onedrive to my surface. Did it download every single file on onedrive to my surface? I don't understand this part. I thought images and documents only worked as links, but they actually show as files when I go to C:/onedrive
Now I have surfpro3, Im concerned about downloading onedrive desktop app because it might do this again.

 

[AlastorX50]

Onedrive is built-into Windows 8.1, there is no need to download an application to get started.

Open File Explorer and in the navigation panel (That's the left side where documents, pictures and download folders are kept) you will see Onedrive, you can store your files here and it will activate the service.

What you maybe seeing is the online only files, they are just there to show you whats on your Onedrive. You can store them on both the surface and Onedrive by having the item download and it will sync with Onedrive if there have been changes made.

 

[onysi]

So if they're stored on both, does this mean the files are also downloaded on surface? taking up storage space on the device?

 

[hotphil]

You can select which folders/files to have available offline. There's also the option to have those local copies stored on an inserted memory card.

 

[AlastorX50]

So if they're stored on both, does this mean the files are also downloaded on surface? taking up storage space on the device?

The actual files are stored on Onedrive (online-only), ones that you have downloaded from Onedrive are (available offline).

No they are not taking up (user) space on the device.

 

[etphoto]

Another way to look at it, OneDrive is like an external hard drive. Its just not connected via a USB cable but via WiFi.


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