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OneDrive Files On-Demand deep dive

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OneDrive Files On-Demand deep dive

How OneDrive Files On-Demand works: the three file states, the cloud files driver, dehydration and Storage Sense, the Mac File Provider model, and policies.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/onedrive-files-on-demand-deep-dive

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01

The three states

Every file in a synced OneDrive or SharePoint library is in one of three states, shown by the status icon in Explorer:

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/onedrive-files-on-demand-deep-dive

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02

How the placeholder works

On Windows, Files On-Demand is built on the Cloud Files API and its filter driver (cldflt.sys). Placeholders are real NTFS files with reparse points. When an application opens a placeholder, the filter intercepts the I/…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/onedrive-files-on-demand-deep-dive

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03

Always on now

Files On-Demand was optional for years and could be turned off, which caused its own problems (a "sync everything" user on a small drive). On current Windows 11 builds with the current sync client it's always enabled an…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/onedrive-files-on-demand-deep-dive

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04

Mac

On macOS, Files On-Demand runs on Apple's File Provider platform, which OneDrive moved to some years ago. The visible differences: the OneDrive folder lives under ~/Library/CloudStorage/OneDrive-<tenant> (with a symlink…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/onedrive-files-on-demand-deep-dive

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05

Policies worth knowing

Through the OneDrive ADMX templates (Group Policy or Intune settings catalog):

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/onedrive-files-on-demand-deep-dive

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06

The mental model to teach

The cloud icon means "we know about it, it isn't here yet." The outlined tick means "it's here for now." The solid tick means "it stays." Everything else — the reparse points, the filter driver, Storage Sense — is plumb…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/onedrive-files-on-demand-deep-dive

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