I'm dealing with some staff who are trying to sync over a million files with OneDrive, which we know isn't ideal since Microsoft recommends not exceeding 300,000 files. However, due to various circumstances, slow sync performance is sometimes better than not syncing at all. I've been hearing that OneDrive shortcuts might perform better since they don't sync metadata and they clear themselves when deleted, unlike syncing whole folders. Has anyone transitioned from using the Sync feature to shortcuts? What differences did you notice regarding speed and performance?
12 Answers
Shortcuts are actually recommended by Microsoft for better user experience and organization—makes sense to get on board with them.
When it comes to performance, shortcuts have an edge. Microsoft’s own PM mentioned on a podcast that syncing with Team sites involves pulling in all the metadata, which can slow down the process when you're dealing with large libraries. With shortcuts, you're only syncing the relevant content, so it can make a significant difference for major document libraries.
I should really test syncing subfolders compared to shortcuts to measure performance. My last side-by-side test was for the entire library, and they seemed to take similar times.
You can configure a Group Policy Object (GPO) to limit OneDrive to only sync files that are currently opened, and automatically remove any unused files after a set period. This could help manage those massive file counts and optimize your space.
Following this discussion!
We’ve been exploring shortcuts but hit a wall managing file amounts. Instructions suggest only shortcutting specific folders instead of the whole library, but I often see setups syncing two million files. Sometimes it's just easier to wipe the computer instead of fixing the mess.
We still prefer syncing, despite attempts with shortcuts. Users were confused by long file names and the general functionality. Honestly, I think both options need work compared to services like Dropbox.
From what I've seen, using shortcuts essentially provides the same sync experience, but the shortcuts are a lot more user-friendly since they follow you across devices. Syncing a million files—what's the plan there? Maybe consider splitting those files up into different sites or Teams?
Splitting files only helps if not everyone needs access to the same data. If everyone accesses a shared drive, splitting it into more sites doesn't really reduce the amount synced.
Yeah, we're already in that boat. One department's using it like a file server, and we're in discussions to restructure.
Shortcuts definitely simplify things! When you switch devices, your files are right there, which is a major time-saver. I used to prefer sync, but I’ve transitioned to shortcuts after realizing how annoying it is to redo the sync setup on new computers. Plus, I miss the 'OneDrive - Company' library look, but it's almost the same if you create a folder for your team shortcuts.
I find syncing works well for personal files, but when shared files are edited by others on SharePoint, the changes don’t always show up for everyone, leading to complications. Switching to shortcuts seems to help address this issue; I'm planning to create custom links in OneDrive instead.
Also, the sync button looks similar to a refresh icon, which confuses users into thinking it refreshes the page.
No worries, you can disable the sync button entirely from the SharePoint settings.
We can't exclusively use shortcuts due to lack of automatic setup for users through Settings Catalog/GPO. Sync smoothens transitions from legacy drives to SharePoint in a way shortcuts currently can't.
Honestly, it's pretty much the same system, just organized differently. It’s hard to believe that anyone's letting their active users sync that many files—it's a recipe for chaos!
It's been this way for years. We’ve tried restructuring and upgrading computers to ease it, but the problem is back.
Why do you recommend shortcuts? We’ve encountered issues where users deleting shortcuts leads to mass deletions from the actual libraries. Plus, I’ve experienced confusion about OneDrive storage limits; it’s unclear if it's the local or SharePoint space that’s full.
We switched completely to shortcuts a few years back, but we have faced issues where long file paths (over 400 characters) can block uploads until they’re fixed, which keeps being a user training challenge.