How to resolve problems redirecting user profiles in Windows 8.1 when OneDrive is enabled.

Overview

This document provides solutions and recommendations for redirecting Microsoft account user profile with OneDrive on Windows 8.1 using Faronics Data Igloo 2.1.

 

Introduction

Windows 8.1 makes it easier to save and work with files on the OneDrive cloud storage by introducing a special kind of OneDrive file -  smart files, also called Online-only files. Online-only files look like normal files, so they can be browsed on the PC, but the file contents are really in OneDrive. When opening Online-only files from File Explorer and most apps, the file contents are downloaded automatically.

Whenever signing in with Microsoft account to a PC running Windows 8.1 the files on OneDrive are avialable immediately. Even if PC is not connected to the Internet, it is still possible to rename and delete those files. However, opening and editing files is possible only if they're available offline. Making a file available offline saves a synced version of the file on the PC in OneDrive folder located within user profile.

 

Problem Description

OneDrive becomes a built-in feature for Microsoft user accounts on Windows 8.1, where it stores smart files or their offline copies in dedicated OneDrive folder inside the user profile folder. When Data Igloo attempts to redirect the user profile or OneDrive folder, it may fail, if  the local offline copy of smart file is not be available or OneDrive service locks the file during synchronization.

 

Solution

In order Data Igloo to successfully redirect OneDrive folder content, all files in this folder must be available offline, so their content must be physically present on the PC.  This can be achieved by making entire OneDrive available offline:

• While in OneDrive App, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Settings. (If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Settings.)
• Tap or click Options, and then turn on Access all files offline.
  
  Note: enabling offline access may take some time, since smart files content must be physically downloaded to the PC, especially if those files were previously marked as online-only. This also might take some certain physical space on the local drive.

 

Also, to eliminate the possibility of OneDrive service locking the files during periodic synchronization, file synchronization must be paused:

• While in OneDrive App, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Settings. (If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Settings.)
• Tap or click Options, and then turn off Sync Files

After successful redirection of the user profile or OneDrive folder these settings can be restored back to thier original values.