Top 2 Ways to Backup Desktop to OneDrive Automatically

Brief Introduction of OneDrive

OneDrive is a cloud service offered by Microsoft, and as one of the most popular cloud services nowadays, it allows you to store, sync, and share files via the Internet. OneDrive is part of the Microsoft components that come pre-installed on computers such as Windows 10, 11, etc. So you can find OneDrive directly on your computer in File Explorer. In addition, you can also access OneDrive using a web browser o the OneDrive app.

OneDrive allows you to back up your PC folders (including your desktop, documents, images, music and other important files) to the cloud. OneDrive enables users to backup up to 5GB of files for free, or up to 1TB with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Why Backup Desktop to OneDrive?

There are many users searching for OneDrive desktop backup or how to automatically backup desktop to OneDrive, etc. Concerning why you should backup desktop to OneDrive, this article summarizes the following important reasons for you.

• Keep your backup desktop data safe: OneDrive allows you to easily access your backed up files and folders from any device. If your device is lost or stolen, you can still download files from your OneDrive backups or access this data through web applications.
• Access desktop data across devices: After backing up your desktop data to OneDrive, you can access your files and folders across a variety of devices, anytime and anywhere. Any changes you make to OneDrive files and folders through the OneDrive app or web browser will automatically sync to your PC and vice versa.
• Offline access to files: Sync your desktop to OneDrive and you can access your files offline. Any changes made to the file while offline will be automatically synced when you are online. You can also share OneDrive files with colleagues using the Share link to easily collaborate for improved efficiency.

How to Backup Desktop to OneDrive

Once you understand the reasons, you can continue reading this article to learn two methods to backup desktop to OneDrive. The first is through the OneDrive app, and the second is with professional third-party backup software to help you achieve the goal. Each method includes a detailed illustrated tutorial. Keep reading for more details.

Method 1. Backup Desktop Files with OneDrive

The first way to backup your desktop to the cloud is by setting up OneDrive. All you need to do is sign in to OneDrive and follow the steps below to backup your desktop to OneDrive.

Step 1. Double-click the OneDrive icon on the left side of your taskbar.

Step 2. In the OneDrive pop-up, click Help & Settings, and then in the pop-up menu, choose Settings.

Step 3. Click Backup from the tabs at the top of the OneDrive settings window.

Step 4. In the Important PC Folders section, click Manage backup.

Step 5. Then, OneDrive will display the Manage folder backup screen. Select the files you want to back up - the Desktop. If you need, you can also backup documents, pictures, etc.

Step 6. Click Start backup.

Method 2. Backup Desktop Files to OneDrive using Third-party Software

Cloud storage services (such as OneDrive) can back up data and free up space on local devices by saving copies of files and folders in the cloud. However, they cannot provide a full range of protection or recovery features.

Therefore, it is recommended that you choose a more professional backup software as the cloud backup solution. On the other hand, professional backup software is designed to protect your data and enable fast recovery in case of data loss or data leakage.

The free and professional backup software AOMEI Backupper Standard can help you automatically backup desktop to OneDrive. And it provides scheduled backup feature to avoid the problem of using insufficient space caused by OneDrive live sync.

• Scheduled backup: You can backup desktop to OneDrive at fixed intervals, including Daily, Weekly and Monthly.
• Incremental backup: When you run the scheduled backup tasks, this software will automatically choose an incremental backup method to improve backup efficiency and saves disk space.
• Different backup paths: You can backup desktop not only to OneDrive, but also to many other cloud drives including Google Drive or other locations such as local disks, external disks, USB drives, HDDs, SSDs, etc.
• System compatibility: This software supports many various Windows PC systems, such as Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista, etc.

You need to download and install this free backup software first, and then you can follow this graphic tutorial to automatically backup desktop to OneDrive.

Step 1. Open the freeware, install, and open it. You can click Backup > File Backup.

Step 2. Click Add File or Add Folder to select the desktop.

Step 3. Click the triangle icon next to the folder shaped icon select OneDrive as the destination path.

Step 4. Confirm all your operations and click Start Backup to automaticlly backup desktop to OneDrive.

Notes:

• Options: It allows you to write comments on the backup files, encrypt, split and compress the backup file. You can also set the email notification.
• Schedule Backup: You can backup desktop to OneDrive with different frequencies (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Event triggers and USB plug in). The last two are available in the Pro version.
• Backup Scheme: You can select various backup methods (Full/Incremental/Differential). And the Differential backup method is easier to restore the scheduled backup task. You can upgrade to the advanced version to enjoy this feature.

Summary

OneDrive can backup data by saving a copy of desktop in the cloud. However, they don't offer full protection or recovery capabilities. For better data protection and timely recovery, using AOMEI Backupper Standard, a free and professional third-party backup software, can prevent data loss while backing up. You can also choose scheduled backup to backup files regularly, and there are multiple backup methods and backup paths you can choose.

Besides, it also has a strong restore function. When there is any problem with your files that are inaccessible, you can use the previously backed up files to make a quick restore. It also provides System Backup, Disk Backup and Partition Backup for full data protection. You can download this software to explore more useful features.