When Windows users suddenly discover that their files have vanished from their desktops after interacting with OneDrive, the issue often stems from how Microsoft’s cloud service integrates with the operating system. The automatic, near-invisible shift to cloud-based storage has triggered strong reactions from users who find the feature unintuitive and, in some cases, destructive to their local files.
Years ago Microsoft had its OneNote Notebooks as proper files, you could move and copy them and such. Now it’s nearly impossible to get your hands on a “tangible” file using this software.
During that transition- from usable to shit, I made the mistake of uploading my notebook, with all of my uears of course studies (college, professional certifications, etc) into onedrive. That way it could be backed up! A year later I moved my files again into a different system, moving away from OD. They were MY files after all.
What I didn’t know was that Microsoft had moved my Notebook somewhere else into their cloud, on my behalf, and changed my Notebook file to a shortcut/pointer object. There was no indication it was a shortcut as with other documents (the little arrow) on windows. It looked just exactly like the original file.
Well when I tried to open this “file” I got the rudest awakening: Microsoft couldn’t find the “linked” notebook. “What fucking linked notebook?” Apparently, when I moved my “file” (shortcut) out of overdrive, they saw that as a deletion and DELETED the now referenced file they helpfully moved for me.
All of this without ever a single notification; Microsoft deleted years of critical notes with no recourse for recovery. It was just gone.
Ass holes.
That sucks, I’m sorry. I’ve been frustrated by OneDrive, but thankfully not to nearly the same extent.
Firstly, I did discover that it’s not a setting you can just turn off, because that will suddenly remove all the personal files and folders that were backed up, until you turn it back on. I knew I could work around it, but dragged my feet. Still, it was the first big push that eventually convinced me to use Linux.
Secondly… it’ll also do the inverse. I play Tabletop Simulator with my friends, and it backs up files to a OneDrive-covered folder. It quickly took up too much space, and to avoid all the warning signs designed to irritate me into subscribing for more storage, I tried to delete it. Turns out, that doesn’t work, because OneDrive will assume it was an error and put those files back, and maintaining all those super helpful warnings about storage space.
So, whether you want to keep a file or get rid of it, don’t worry, OneDrive can and will find a way to fuck it up.
Shit! I’m soon to go Linux and now there’s one more thing for me ro figure out then. I have some stuff (not a lot, but some important stuff) on OneNote, lucky me that I made the switch to Obsidian a couple of years ago.
Recent ones I’ve been trying on Linux:
Logseq (Markdown only)
Flatnotes (Markdown & WYSIWYG)
MarkItUp (Markdown & WYSIWYG)
Trilium (Markdown & WYSIWYG)
By far, I’m enjoying Trilium over the others. Trilium can do LaTeX, while Flatnotes and MarkItUp can’t (don’t remember if Logseq can). That coupled with What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) note taking - the kind of text editing like Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, or Google Docs - makes thing work just like OneNote. Plus, one of the things I was really looking forward to seeing in a Personal Knowledge Management System (PKMS) was a graphical/node map view of all my notes, which again Trilium does.
I’m actually considering making one of my old laptops a perma-server that I can run Trilium on so I can access it on both my new laptop, my phone, or pretty much any other device with an Internet connection.
Last thing I’ll say is that it doesn’t hurt to try everything and see what sticks!!! Before settling down on something permanent that works for you, that is.
+1 for Obsidian. Copy-paste to other pc = immediate access without setup. Plug & play. Also free.
If you self host, go Joplin. I was unimpressed with obsidian’s ability to use the same notebook in multiple systems easily, and Joplin lets me easily sync my notebook between systems using a docker container I host as the sync server.
Obsidian isn’t open source, if OP or anyone else is concerned about that.
I use git to sync my md notes instead of obsidians paid sync service also. I’ll never go back to proprietary non-text based notes files.
If you do ever end up in that situation again, (or someone else is,) you can download the notebook by moving it into a folder in OneDrive. Then go to the web and use the option to download the folder. That will zip up the folder, with the real one drive files inside.
You’ll still need to find an app to import them into your new note taker though.
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