Why Add OneDrive to File Explorer?

OneDrive is one of the most popular cloud storage services around, in part because of its excellent integration with Office applications such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Its business version - OneDrive for Business, as a part of a Microsoft 365 subscription, offers storage space starting from 1TB and makes it easier for business teams to collaborate remotely. 

What’s more, it has the feature of adding OneDrive to File Explorer/Finder as it integrates with Microsoft. After adding, not only does it give you the ability to easily add and view thousands of files across multiple devices, but it also allows you to easily backup computer to OneDrive and sync OneDrive files locally. Here are the benefits of adding a OneDrive folder to File Explorer:

How can you add OneDrive folder to File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac? If you have two or more OneDrive accounts, how to add another OneDrive to File Explorer? What to do if OneDrive not showing in File Explorer? Just read through this article to find clear answers!

Adding OneDrive to File Explorer on Windows

Since OneDrive comes pre-installed with Windows 10 and Windows 11, the steps of adding OneDrive to File Explorer on Windows 10/11 vary from how to add OneDrive to File Explorer on Windows 7. The following is a detailed guide.

Part 1. How to Add OneDrive to File Explorer - Windows 11/10

Step 1. Directly search “OneDrive” in the Windows search box and click on OneDrive from the search result.

Step 2. The OneDrive folder will be displayed in the left sidebar of your Windows 10/11 computer. Click OK on the pop-up OneDrive isn’t signed in screen.

Step 3. Enter your password and click Sign in to set up OneDrive.

To add multiple OneDrive to File Explorer, like using OneDrive personal and business on the same computer, you can follow the steps below:

• Click on the OneDrive icon in the notification area, click Help & Settings, and then select Settings.
• Choose the Account tab and tap on Add an account. Then sign in with another credential. After that, there would be two OneDrive folders on File Explorer.

Part 2. How to Add OneDrive to File Explorer on Windows 7/8

If you are running on Windows 7, please follow the how to add OneDrive folder to File Explorer guide below to access all OneDrive files on PC easily.

Step 1. Download the OneDrive desktop app, then run it.

Step 2. Enter your personal OneDrive account and click Sign in.

Step 3. Accept the default location of OneDrive folder and click Next. Or, you can click Change location to specify a path for the OneDrive folder.

Step 4. Select folders to sync from OneDrive to PC and hit Next.

Step 5. You can go to File Explorer and find the OneDrive folder here.

You can also add Business OneDrive to File Explorer by clicking Settings > Account > Add an account to sign in.

How to Add OneDrive to Finder on Mac

Step 1. Download and install the OneDrive desktop for Mac.

Step 2. Run it and input your account and tap on Sign in.

Step 3. Accept the OneDrive default location or click Change location to select a new one.

Step 4. Then, choose folders to sync to your computer and click Next.

Step 5. Click on Open my OneDrive folder and you can access all OneDrive files on Finder.

Frequently Asked Questions about Adding OneDrive to File Explorer

If you encounter some issues during the process of adding OneDrive folder to File Explorer, here are some frequently asked questions that may be helpful.

#1. Why is my OneDrive not showing in File Explorer?

Common reasons for OneDrive missing from File Explorer or OneDrive disappearing from Finder could be that you are not running the latest version of the OneDrive app, your Registry is running incorrectly, the OneDrive program is stuck, etc.

To fix it, you can update your OneDrive, restart/reset OneDrive, and modify your Registry.

#2. How Do I Pin a OneDrive Folder to Explorer?

If you wish to pin the OneDrive folder to the Quick Access pane, right-click it, and select Pin to Quick Access.

Tip: Upload All Files to OneDrive Automatically with CBackup

Although you can upload files using the OneDrive folder, this requires you to manually add files and folders repeatedly, which is not convenient for synchronizing a large number of files. And adding OneDrive to File Explorer navigation pane may result in OneDrive taking up hard drive space, causing your computer to run slowly. To make OneDrive file sync much easier and save your local space, the free cloud backup and sync service CBackup can do you a favor.

It allows you to add folders to OneDrive from any location without moving, including external hard drives and USB drives.

You can use it to upload files to OneDrive on daily, weekly, and monthly schedules.

Apart from OneDrive, it supports syncing files and folders to Google Drive, Dropbox, and more public cloud drives.

When the OneDrive cloud storage is insufficient, you can use it to combine multiple clouds and increase OneDrive storage space without paying anything.

Download and run CBackup on your computer. If you are supposed to sync USB drive to OneDrive, plug it into your computer in advance. Then, go on with the following steps:

Step 1. Apply for a CBackup account for free and sign in to the CBackup desktop app.

Step 2. Click Storage on the left menu, select OneDrive, and complete the authorization to add it to CBackup.

Step 3. Tap Sync and select Sync PC to Public Cloud.

Step 4. Name the task and select files and folders to sync. Then, choose a OneDrive folder to save the synced data. To perform auto file sync, click Settings > Scheduler to choose a suitable frequency.

Step 5. Finally, click Start Sync to upload any folder to OneDrive without manually adding.

The Bottom Line

This article describes full guides on adding OneDrive to File Explorer and Finder. Besides, if you want a method to sync all files to OneDrive without manually adding them to the OneDrive folder, you can resort to the sync software CBackup.