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.
I often wonder what Microsoft thinks their users do. I’m offline on my computer all the time, whether it’s a plane flight or at a place without good WiFi, there’s no replacing offline capabilities. Even when I am online, I don’t live in silicon valley where there’s fiber optic everywhere, and most Comcast users still live with a data cap, I don’t want to offload everything onto my internet connection. OneDrive is supposed to be a tool to make switching computers and traveling easier, but the result of how they manage it is the opposite.