How to sync folders to OneDrive in Windows 10 and 11. Need to store your files in the cloud, even from custom locations or external drives? In this video, we'll show you how to sync any folder to OneDrive. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe (mouse clicks) to Ninja One's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. What is OneDrive Sync? OneDrive is Microsoft's built-in cloud storage and synchronization service. It's available for free on Windows 10 and 11, with additional storage available if you need it. OneDrive automatically syncs common folders like desktop, documents, and pictures. However, what if you want to sync files from a different folder, or even from an external hard drive? That's where symbolic links come in. What you'll need to sync folders to OneDrive. Before you start uploading your folders to the cloud, make sure OneDrive (mouse clicks) is installed and set up on your Windows device. You'll also want to check (mouse clicks) you have enough cloud storage for the folders you plan to sync. The free tier gives you five gigabytes, which may not be enough for large backups. Now, on to symbolic links. How to sync any folder to OneDrive using symbolic links. A symbolic link, or symlink, is like a shortcut, but smarter. It allows OneDrive to treat an external folder as if it's part of the OneDrive directory, syncing it as if it were stored locally. Let's look at an example. In this command, we're telling Windows to link a folder from drive X colon into the OneDrive folder. The /D switch creates a directory symlink. Once you've created the symlink, OneDrive will start syncing the linked folder. You can confirm this by checking your OneDrive status or by logging into the OneDrive web interface. Green checkmarks indicate a successful sync. Any changes you make in the original folder will be reflected in OneDrive, and vice versa. Just remember, the files physically remain on their original drive. Troubleshooting tips. Finally, here are some quick troubleshooting steps if you run into some issues. Double-check folder paths, ensure you have enough OneDrive space, verify your internet connectivity, restart OneDrive or your PC, and look for filename issues in OneDrive alerts. At the end of the day, OneDrive provides a quick, easy, and convenient means to keep your default and custom Windows folders safe in the cloud. For more information, check out our official blog post on syncing folders to OneDrive in Windows, linked in the description below.