Disastrous update of OneDrive coming for all macOS 12.3 users

[PkennethV]

Anyone found a way to be able to open a folder in One Drive from a spotlight search ?

It should work after "preloading" the list of files/folders within the OneDrive folder using the "ls -alR [insert path to your OneDrive folder here]" Terminal command.

"Preloading" only generates the list of files/folders within the OneDrive folder (which is what will allow for the results to show up when Spotlight searching) but does not download the files locally, so it still might take a moment to open up a file you searched up with Spotlight if the file hasn't already been downloaded to your Mac's local storage, but it should work/open.

If you've both preloaded the items in your OneDrive folder and have the file downloaded locally, then you should be able to open up folders/files in OneDrive with a Spotlight search.

That being said, I did find the OneDrive Mac client to be really slow/unreliable at downloading the files locally. For some files/folders, I had to try clicking the "download" button multiple times before it would work.

And every few times I'd try, I'd get some kind of error regarding the Helper extension (forgot the exact error, sorry), which would require me to restart the OneDrive app to get the Helper extension to reload.

It's definitely been a MAJOR PITA, and I spent almost an entire day getting all my OneDrive stuff downloaded/Spotlight-able again, but it does eventually work. It can work...but the path to getting there is WAY more difficult than it should be?

Good luck!

 

[m-e]

It should work after "preloading" the list of files/folders within the OneDrive folder using the "ls -alR [insert path to your OneDrive folder here]" Terminal command.

"Preloading" only generates the list of files/folders within the OneDrive folder (which is what will allow for the results to show up when Spotlight searching) but does not download the files locally, so it still might take a moment to open up a file you searched up with Spotlight if the file hasn't already been downloaded to your Mac's local storage, but it should work/open.

If you've both preloaded the items in your OneDrive folder and have the file downloaded locally, then you should be able to open up folders/files in OneDrive with a Spotlight search.

That being said, I did find the OneDrive Mac client to be really slow/unreliable at downloading the files locally. For some files/folders, I had to try clicking the "download" button multiple times before it would work.

And every few times I'd try, I'd get some kind of error regarding the Helper extension (forgot the exact error, sorry), which would require me to restart the OneDrive app to get the Helper extension to reload.

It's definitely been a MAJOR PITA, and I spent almost an entire day getting all my OneDrive stuff downloaded/Spotlight-able again, but it does eventually work. It can work...but the path to getting there is WAY more difficult than it should be?

Good luck!

Hi,

Unfortunately, I have all my files downloaded and tried the terminal command too… dont know what I could try now.

 

[PkennethV]

Anyone found a way to be able to open a folder in One Drive from a spotlight search ?

nooooo! I'm so sorry. You're right.

I apparently must have only tested with (quite a few) different files in my OneDrive folder, and they do show up/can open properly with Spotlight...but after seeing your post, I tried to do sanity check and specifically tried searching for a folder and I'm getting the same error as you (OneDrive icon, won't open folder).

I really hope that this a bug and not a limitation of the new API?

 

[AttoA]

I just discovered something very strange.

If you reset OneDrive following the instructions given by Microsoft, it seems to revert to the old OneDrive behaviour.

Is this reproducible? Maybe it's only temporary?

 

[cra19j]

I just discovered something very strange.

If you reset OneDrive following the instructions given by Microsoft, it seems to revert to the old OneDrive behaviour.

Is this reproducible? Maybe it's only temporary?

I did the reset as soon as I saw my files had disappeared. It made no great difference, everything had to be downloaded again. Once all the files are present in the iCloud subfolders finder shows the amount of data in the folder where it didn’t before.

 

[bigboy29]

FWIW - new changes to this experience were just announced:

Updates to Files On-Demand on macOS | Microsoft Community Hub

Based on your feedback we are releasing updates to Files On-Demand on macOS, that would address most common concerns.

techcommunity.microsoft.com

 

[m-e]

Thanks ! Sounds good. But it seems it is so far only available on the "insider" versions. I have the 22.022 and it requires the 22.033

 

[gilby101]

FWIW - new changes to this experience were just announced:

Appeasement. No benefit for those keeping OneDrive files on an external drive.

 

[Bustycat]

Thanks ! Sounds good. But it seems it is so far only available on the "insider" versions. I have the 22.022 and it requires the 22.033

I opted in Insider again for this and I received the update just now. Although OneDrive still uses a lot of memory sometimes, the confusion of Files On-Demand is basically fixed.

 

[m-e]

I opted in Insider again for this and I received the update just now. Although OneDrive still uses a lot of memory sometimes, the confusion of Files On-Demand is basically fixed.

I did as well, but the issue I mentioned regarding spotlight and opening a folder or a file from a spotlight search is still occurring unfortunately. Which means I guess it will never be fixed...

By the way, do you have issue with searching folders via spotlight ? Mine do find them but with this icon :
View attachment 1954677

And when I tap Enter, it does nothing instead of opening the folder. I couldn't find a fix for this... If I open the folder once, it then will sometimes show in Spotlight as a folder that I can actually open.

EDIT : And if I search for the same folder or file from the Finder search bar, it finds the item immediately. So this is definitely an issue on how spotlight understands how to show the result when it has to choose between the folder itself stored locally, and some OneDrive link I guess.
Juste a big mess !

 

[southerndoc]

I opted in Insider again for this and I received the update just now. Although OneDrive still uses a lot of memory sometimes, the confusion of Files On-Demand is basically fixed.

Is the insider version AS/Universal?

 

[m-e]

Is the insider version AS/Universal?

Yes it is.


Regarding the Spotlight issue, the file situation is not improving. It finds a OneDrive link that is useless (nothing happens if you type Enter) and the actual file as you can see on this screen capture in the Documents section.
A fix would be a way to prevent Spotlight to show this OneDrive link. But the only way to make it disappear was to completely remove the OneDrive app, which I tried. After reinstalling the app, they were back, even with the latest OneDrive app.

 

[VictorTango777]

FWIW - new changes to this experience were just announced:

Updates to Files On-Demand on macOS | Microsoft Community Hub

Based on your feedback we are releasing updates to Files On-Demand on macOS, that would address most common concerns.

techcommunity.microsoft.com

OneDrive for Windows:

OneDrive for Mac, before disastrous update:

OneDrive for Mac, after disastrous update:

Update to the disastrous update:

Questions:
1. Does the "Download all files now" button apply only to files that exist in OneDrive at the time the button is clicked, or will it also apply to files created in the future on other devices?

2. With 2 buttons representing 2 different states, how do you tell which is the current setting?

3. Does anyone really think these 2 simultaneously present, opposite buttons are a better design than a single checkbox or a single Turn On/Turn Off button?

In a previous Microsoft article:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-onedrive-blog/inside-the-new-files-on-demand-experience-on-macos/ba-p/3058922)

the author wrote "We're actively looking at ways to make this easier to configure on both macOS and Windows". If that were really true, then Microsoft would have restored the previous Turn On/Turn Off button or implemented the single checkbox used in OneDrive for Windows. Instead, they make it more confusing. It's like they had too much stubborn pride to admit that they were wrong and simply restore the previous interface exactly. So they decided to make it yet again different out of spite.

Microsoft has a vested interest in making sure the Windows versions of their applications get more features and work better than their applications on other platforms. So if Microsoft truly believes that making Files On Demand mandatory is the best design, then they would have done the same thing on Windows. Yet OneDrive for Windows continues to remain unchanged. Why is that?

 

[ursamaior]

I'll add: and I don't want to FIRST download all my files from the cloud to my computer and THEN remove the ones I want to be only on the cloud.
1)Is it possible to choose which folders to download?
2)Is it possible to choose which folders to download BEFORE downloading everything on the cloud?

P.S.
Two days after the disastrous update, for less than $7 I made a subscription to IDrive (only offered for the first year, proving that one was making the switch from another cloud system).
I currently experience:
1) zero problems
2) great speed
3) near-zero CPU and RAM usage

 

[PkennethV]

I'll add: and I don't want to FIRST download all my files from the cloud to my computer and THEN remove the ones I want to be only on the cloud.
1)Is it possible to choose which folders to download?
2)Is it possible to choose which folders to download BEFORE downloading everything on the cloud?

Is there something that right clicking the Folders you wish to download and selecting "Always Keep This Device" doesn't achieve for you?

 

[PkennethV]

Questions:
1. Does the "Download all files now" button apply only to files that exist in OneDrive at the time the button is clicked, or will it also apply to files created in the future on other devices?

2. With 2 buttons representing 2 different states, how do you tell which is the current setting?

3. Does anyone really think these 2 simultaneously present, opposite buttons are a better design than a single checkbox or a single Turn On/Turn Off button?

1. based on the link/article at the top of your post (originally shared by bigboy29), it seems like it will apply to files created in the future on other devices as well.

"Download all OneDrive files now: This most closely replicates the experience of having Files On-Demand disabled. Clicking this button has the same effect as choosing “Always Keep on This Device” for your OneDrive folder. All files and folders will be marked as always available and will download to your device. All newly synced content will also be represented as always available."


2. I don't think you can

3. A toggle does seem like a better/more intuitive way of showing these options

 

[ursamaior]

Is there something that right clicking the Folders you wish to download and selecting "Always Keep This Device" doesn't achieve for you?

As I wrote, I am not currently using Onedrive. The problem is that I do NOT want to download my files (several gigabytes of files) from the cloud, because it is a very slow process.
I'd like to copy them to my OneDrive folder on the computer, and then the app would compare what's on the computer with what's on the cloud.
I've always done it this way in the past and it's always been quick and painless.

And what I don't want to be on my computer (again, dozens of folders) shouldn't even show up as a cloud icon.

P.S..
IDrive does exactly that.
Not amazing, but obvious

 

[gilby101]

Is there something that right clicking the Folders you wish to download and selecting "Always Keep This Device" doesn't achieve for you?

You have no choice about where the files go - always in your home folder. I want files to be stored on an external drive - like they used to be.

 

[m-e]

Questions:
1. Does the "Download all files now" button apply only to files that exist in OneDrive at the time the button is clicked, or will it also apply to files created in the future on other devices?

2. With 2 buttons representing 2 different states, how do you tell which is the current setting?

3. Does anyone really think these 2 simultaneously present, opposite buttons are a better design than a single checkbox or a single Turn On/Turn Off button?

In a previous Microsoft article:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-onedrive-blog/inside-the-new-files-on-demand-experience-on-macos/ba-p/3058922)

the author wrote "We're actively looking at ways to make this easier to configure on both macOS and Windows". If that were really true, then Microsoft would have restored the previous Turn On/Turn Off button or implemented the single checkbox used in OneDrive for Windows. Instead, they make it more confusing. It's like they had too much stubborn pride to admit that they were wrong and simply restore the previous interface exactly. So they decided to make it yet again different out of spite.

Microsoft has a vested interest in making sure the Windows versions of their applications get more features and work better than their applications on other platforms. So if Microsoft truly believes that making Files On Demand mandatory is the best design, then they would have done the same thing on Windows. Yet OneDrive for Windows continues to remain unchanged. Why is that?

Hi,

About your questions, here what I understood so far.

1. It will apply to files created in the future on other devices, I have confirmed it myself. This was one of my main complaint since I use OneDrive to sync Sharepoint's with colleagues.

2. In the preferences you can't, but in the Finder, you can see the icons. It kind of helps.

3. Microsoft way I guess...

And for your last question, this hole issue is due to some API change on macOS that Microsoft tried to work with, but I guess they did not make the best choice at first. Know, it is kind of better.

I Have one issue remaining, the way it works with Spotlight. I can't open a file or a folder that is in my OneDrive from Spotlight. See here. Do you have this issue too ?

You have no choice about where the files go - always in your home folder. I want files to be stored on an external drive - like they used to be.

I got a message at some point when connecting my OneDrive to confirm where the main folder would be. But if you need at list some folders ini your main disk, I guess there is no way to get a Sharepoint for example somewhere else.

 

[southerndoc]

OneDrive for Windows:

OneDrive for Mac, before disastrous update:

OneDrive for Mac, after disastrous update:

Update to the disastrous update:

Questions:
1. Does the "Download all files now" button apply only to files that exist in OneDrive at the time the button is clicked, or will it also apply to files created in the future on other devices?

2. With 2 buttons representing 2 different states, how do you tell which is the current setting?

3. Does anyone really think these 2 simultaneously present, opposite buttons are a better design than a single checkbox or a single Turn On/Turn Off button?

In a previous Microsoft article:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-onedrive-blog/inside-the-new-files-on-demand-experience-on-macos/ba-p/3058922)

the author wrote "We're actively looking at ways to make this easier to configure on both macOS and Windows". If that were really true, then Microsoft would have restored the previous Turn On/Turn Off button or implemented the single checkbox used in OneDrive for Windows. Instead, they make it more confusing. It's like they had too much stubborn pride to admit that they were wrong and simply restore the previous interface exactly. So they decided to make it yet again different out of spite.

Microsoft has a vested interest in making sure the Windows versions of their applications get more features and work better than their applications on other platforms. So if Microsoft truly believes that making Files On Demand mandatory is the best design, then they would have done the same thing on Windows. Yet OneDrive for Windows continues to remain unchanged. Why is that?

I'm on 22.022 and do not have that option.

 

[m-e]

I'm on 22.022 and do not have that option.

You need to accept to be in the insider program in the "About" section fo the preferences.

 

[southerndoc]

You need to accept to be in the insider program in the "About" section fo the preferences.

I thought the MacRumors story said that it was released to general public.

 

[LostLib]

Maybe this is answered, after 20m of looking in this thread I could not find one...

I am stuck between immovable forces:
1) Work requires OneDrive to function, its how your files sync. No Choice there.
2) Also have a concurrent personal account - which syncs folders "in use".
3) APFS upgrade is NOT AN OPTION.

Local SSD will not remotely hold my user directory. I've been using enclosures to hold RAID drives. APFS conversions with RAID have destroyed data and file systems - it doesn't work reliably on NVMe or SSD enclosures using SSD.

The worst part, is that OneDrive insists on closing when there is a startup issue. So all these fantastic suggestions to change or even view the preferences - do not work.

All of this is on OneDrive 20.33....

These are file systems. They need to just work. And so far - both Apple and Microsoft have foobar'd my file systems multiple times. If not for manual backups to Synology systems (two of them) - I'd have lost a LOT of data.

This is the fundamental issue: These are FILE SYSTEMS. They are not Applications, and both companies need to stop treating the two as the same.

I still do not have a solution. It would be nice if we could get pointed to the underlying configuration files so we could actually turn this CRAP off. Its crap - it really is. These notes and problems indicate to me that the application teams do not understand the two fundamentally hard problems in computing. Cache Coherence anyone?

 

[Lenortic577]

Anyone had any luck fixing this massive fu#$up around using OneDrive?

I am on 20.33 with the "Download all OneDrive files now" and after pushing this button multiple times most of my files are still pulling from the cloud.

iStat Menus does not indicate there is a massive download underway taking network bandwidth.

 

[m-e]

The download part is okay on my side.
The search part is definitely broken... I had no feedback here on this issue, so maybe I am the only one using Spotlight to open folders and files ¯\_(ツ)_/¯