Perhaps Not the Biggest Problem for OneDrive to Solve
Featured in the set of OneDrive announcements at the Microsoft Ignite conference in November 2021, the ability to move a OneDrive shortcut from the Files root to a public or shared folder is now rolling out. The change is described in message center notification MC316147, first published on January 19 and updated on March 4.
The original announcement limited movement to private folders, and this is also the case in Microsoft 365 roadmap item 82166. However, something obviously changed since November because MC317147 explicitly states “when moving a shortcut to a folder into a shared folder, the short cut does not change its sharing permissions. People who don’t currently have access to the shortcut won’t be able to access its content but can rename or remove the shortcut.”
OneDrive Shortcuts
Originally launched in 2020, OneDrive shortcuts are a useful way to add pointers to folders that users commonly access so that they appear in OneDrive for Business. The shortcuts might be to folders in SharePoint Online document libraries or other OneDrive folders. When OneDrive shortcuts first appeared, I thought they were pretty good and used them for a while, but then I ran into a problem that still lingers today.
The OneDrive sync client is a critical component for users who keep files in the cloud. The sync client synchronizes files from cloud folders to local copies, and that updates made to the local copies synchronize back to the cloud. The original OneDrive sync client (Groove.exe) wasn’t very good, but a rewrite to create a new client fixed the problems and the current client is very stable. Interestingly, while the OneDrive sync client takes care of synchronization for non-Office files, to enable features like autosave and co-authoring, the Office apps perform the synchronization when actively working on documents.
The Office 365 for IT Pros eBook team depend heavily on the OneDrive sync client to synchronize changes made to the source Word documents used for book chapters. These and other files for the book are stored in a SharePoint Online document library. The OneDrive sync client makes sure that changes made by authors on Windows and Mac workstations synchronize with SharePoint Online.
Synchronization Problems with OneDrive Shortcuts
Which brings me to the synchronization problem with OneDrive shortcuts which stop me using shortcuts. Everything works well if you create OneDrive shortcuts and then set up synchronization with SharePoint Online. However, if you use the OneDrive sync client to synchronize both OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online folders and then add a OneDrive shortcut to a folder in the same document library, it creates a sync issue.
Figure 1 shows a SharePoint Online folder in a document library. I don’t synchronize this folder to my workstation because it contains large book files. However, I synchronize other folders from the library. I also synchronize my OneDrive for Business account.
Figure 1: Adding a OneDrive shortcut for a SharePoint Online folder
If I take the option to add a shortcut to OneDrive, SharePoint Online creates the shortcut and adds it to OneDrive for Business (Figure 2). Everything looks good and I can use the shortcut to access the files in the SharePoint Online folder.
Figure 2: The OneDrive shortcut for the SharePoint Online folder
However, the OneDrive sync client reports that it has a sync issue (Figure 3) saying that it cannot sync the shortcut because it conflicts with other folders. The client reports that the fix is to stop syncing two folders, both of which come from the same SharePoint Online document library.
Figure 3: The OneDrive sync client has an issue with a OneDrive shortcut
The sync client offers to fix the problem by unsynchronizing the conflicting folder. Do not do this. The action breaks the connection between the local copy on the workstation and the cloud files, which means that you’ll have to re-establish synchronization afterwards, which could involve a lot of work to make sure that local copies are accurate.
However, the issue is only a warning about a single file (the OneDrive shortcut) and doesn’t affect synchronization for any other file. Changes made locally continue to upload to the cloud and updates made to cloud files by other workstations flow down to the local copy on my workstation.
The solution is simple. Go back to OneDrive for Business and remove the offending shortcut. The sync client is happy immediately and the warning disappears.
The problem doesn’t occur if you create a OneDrive shortcut to a SharePoint Online folder when no folders from that document library are synchronized. However, if you attempt to synchronize a folder from the document library, OneDrive fails and says that it can’t synchronize the folder because you’re already syncing a shortcut to a folder from this shared library (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Another synchronization problem with a OneDrive shortcut
I can’t imagine that this is the kind of experience that Microsoft would design into OneDrive shortcuts. What’s more, the problem has been in place since the introduction of shortcuts, so perhaps no one has complained too much.
Moving of Shortcuts Not The Biggest Problem
The clash between OneDrive synchronization and OneDrive shortcuts is the reason why I won’t use shortcuts. Although it’s great that Microsoft has done the work to make it possible to move shortcuts, it’s odd that they haven’t sorted out the obvious clash between two OneDrive components. When they do, I’ll consider using shortcuts again.
Make sure that you’re not surprised about changes which appear inside Office 365 applications by subscribing to the Office 365 for IT Pros eBook. Our monthly updates make sure that our subscribers stay informed.
7 Replies to “New OneDrive Shortcut Move Feature Rolling Out”
Ah I experienced this same issue a while ago and couldn’t figure out why it was happening. Glad to see I wasn’t the only person but sad to hear it’s not fixed yet.
What about using the “Add Shortcut” option exclusively and avoiding the library sync option? One advantage with the shortcuts is that when you change computers, your shortcuts are retained. With the library sync option, you need to set them up on each computer.
Now that we have the ability to move (and rename) the shortcuts, I’ve created a “Libraries” folder at the top level of my OneDrive library and use this to store the shortcuts to common libraries I use.
I preferred the way that File Explorer handled synced libraries – the way they showed up under an organisation icon. For me, this helped distinguish between “my” files and “organisation” files. The fact that shortcuts are under the OneDrive icon adds to the confusion between personal and organisation content.
Everyone’s got their own way of working. I’m glad that you discovered a technique that works well for you. I hope that the sync client keeps on respecting what you’ve done!
This is all good and well, but there is still no way to have new users automatically “map” the shortcuts via PowerShell/Intune/GPO etc. Unless someone has a magic fix for this?
{"id":null,"mode":"button","open_style":"in_modal","currency_code":"EUR","currency_symbol":"\u20ac","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/office365itpros.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/office365itpros.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":100,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"https:\/\/office365itpros.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/cover-141x200.jpg","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Virtual Tip Jar","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"Office 365 for IT Pros","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"Office 365 for IT Pros","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for supporting the work of Office 365 for IT Pros!","payment_confirmation_title":"Office 365 for IT Pros","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
Ah I experienced this same issue a while ago and couldn’t figure out why it was happening. Glad to see I wasn’t the only person but sad to hear it’s not fixed yet.
What about using the “Add Shortcut” option exclusively and avoiding the library sync option? One advantage with the shortcuts is that when you change computers, your shortcuts are retained. With the library sync option, you need to set them up on each computer.
Now that we have the ability to move (and rename) the shortcuts, I’ve created a “Libraries” folder at the top level of my OneDrive library and use this to store the shortcuts to common libraries I use.
I preferred the way that File Explorer handled synced libraries – the way they showed up under an organisation icon. For me, this helped distinguish between “my” files and “organisation” files. The fact that shortcuts are under the OneDrive icon adds to the confusion between personal and organisation content.
Everyone’s got their own way of working. I’m glad that you discovered a technique that works well for you. I hope that the sync client keeps on respecting what you’ve done!
This is all good and well, but there is still no way to have new users automatically “map” the shortcuts via PowerShell/Intune/GPO etc. Unless someone has a magic fix for this?
Thank you, this was really helpful