From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

Well, this did not go well! I decided to try and use MS One Drive for my documents and photos backup. It is included with my Office 365 plan at
the 1 TB level.

Then I noticed System Data exploded from about 20 GB to 160 GB, the
difference being the size of my folders for those One Drive data files.
Free space shrank by that same 140 GB. With "only" 512 GB total I had
only about 120 gb free. It was not obvious to me that those were connected.

A short phone conversation with Apple Support led to deleting One Drive. System Data went back to 20 GB. Apparently One Drive stores duplicate
data locally. Maybe there is a fix for that but I never liked One Drive anyway.

So, I think, let's try iCloud. So I upped my iCloud from 50 to 200 GB
and enabled documents and folders backup. I also kept a local copy by
setting Now my System Data is back up to about 160 GB, BUT the 140 GB
that was in documents went away. Now the local data is not duplicated
but included in System Data. Free space is about 270 GB, where it was
before all this took place. Makes sense.

Just to confirm that this is working correctly I turned WiFi off, edited
a file, turned WiFi back on. The changed file immediately synced with
iCloud.

After I get back home next week I'll also set up Time Machine on a local
USB drive.

Replies telling me that I'm and idiot welcomed.
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-02-28, Tom Elam <thomas.e.elam@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, this did not go well! I decided to try and use MS One Drive for my documents and photos backup. It is included with my Office 365 plan at
the 1 TB level.

Then I noticed System Data exploded from about 20 GB to 160 GB, the difference being the size of my folders for those One Drive data files.
Free space shrank by that same 140 GB. With "only" 512 GB total I had
only about 120 gb free. It was not obvious to me that those were connected.

A short phone conversation with Apple Support led to deleting One Drive. System Data went back to 20 GB. Apparently One Drive stores duplicate
data locally. Maybe there is a fix for that but I never liked One Drive anyway.

So, I think, let's try iCloud. So I upped my iCloud from 50 to 200 GB
and enabled documents and folders backup. I also kept a local copy by setting Now my System Data is back up to about 160 GB, BUT the 140 GB
that was in documents went away. Now the local data is not duplicated
but included in System Data. Free space is about 270 GB, where it was
before all this took place. Makes sense.

Just to confirm that this is working correctly I turned WiFi off, edited
a file, turned WiFi back on. The changed file immediately synced with iCloud.

After I get back home next week I'll also set up Time Machine on a local
USB drive.

Replies telling me that I'm and idiot welcomed.

OneDrive is a confusing mess. I had to set it up for a friend of mine
because it did the same thing, filled the local disk up.

Here is why.

You have 3 options of storing files.

<https://www.techbloat.com/where-are-onedrive-files-stored-locally-track-down-easily.html>


Here is a decent link explaining it.

<https://www.cbackup.com/articles/stop-onedrive-storing-files-locally-5026-rc.html>

Here is a link to the myriad of icons next to folders

<https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-do-the-onedrive-icons-mean-11143026-8000-44f8-aaa9-67c985aa49b3>
--

pothead

"How many liberals does it take to change a light bulb?
None, theyrCOre too busy changing their gender."

"WhatrCOs the hardest part about being a Liberal?
Telling your gender neutral parental units that yourCOre straight."
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2/28/26 9:08 AM, pothead wrote:

On 2026-02-28, Tom Elam <thomas.e.elam@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, this did not go well! I decided to try and use MS One Drive for my
documents and photos backup. It is included with my Office 365 plan at
the 1 TB level.

Then I noticed System Data exploded from about 20 GB to 160 GB, the
difference being the size of my folders for those One Drive data files.
Free space shrank by that same 140 GB. With "only" 512 GB total I had
only about 120 gb free. It was not obvious to me that those were connected. >>
A short phone conversation with Apple Support led to deleting One Drive.
System Data went back to 20 GB. Apparently One Drive stores duplicate
data locally. Maybe there is a fix for that but I never liked One Drive
anyway.

So, I think, let's try iCloud. So I upped my iCloud from 50 to 200 GB
and enabled documents and folders backup. I also kept a local copy by
setting Now my System Data is back up to about 160 GB, BUT the 140 GB
that was in documents went away. Now the local data is not duplicated
but included in System Data. Free space is about 270 GB, where it was
before all this took place. Makes sense.

Just to confirm that this is working correctly I turned WiFi off, edited
a file, turned WiFi back on. The changed file immediately synced with
iCloud.

After I get back home next week I'll also set up Time Machine on a local
USB drive.

Replies telling me that I'm and idiot welcomed.

OneDrive is a confusing mess. I had to set it up for a friend of mine
because it did the same thing, filled the local disk up.

Here is why.

You have 3 options of storing files.

<https://www.techbloat.com/where-are-onedrive-files-stored-locally-track-down-easily.html>

Here is a decent link explaining it.

<https://www.cbackup.com/articles/stop-onedrive-storing-files-locally-5026-rc.html>

Here is a link to the myriad of icons next to folders

<https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-do-the-onedrive-icons-mean-11143026-8000-44f8-aaa9-67c985aa49b3>

I addition to that issue I also had 2 Microsoft Office 365 accounts,
personal and business. Both were on One Drive, and all my personal files
were backed up in both. that is a whole other level of confusion. The
business account is now being deleted and we are moving everything to
Google.

Anyway, thanks for the reply.
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