Microsoft this week on a OneDrive for Mac upgrade that has prompted fury among users, partly owing to purported issues created, but mostly because the new version no longer allows users to opt out of the cloud-based Files On-Demand function, which was previously an optional choice.
Microsoft has responded to these concerns in an update to its original blog post introducing this aspect of its new “Files On-Demand Experience,” explaining that the first version of Files On-Demand is built on several pieces of technology that are now deprecated by Apple in macOS 12.3, which is still in beta. also The iPhone water resistance case has been dismissed by a judge
Because Apple is deprecating the kernel extensions that were previously utilised by OneDrive’s synchronisation functionality, the Mac client now uses Apple’s File Provider extensions instead. On whether this has introduced a technical reason why Files On-Demand must always be enabled, Microsoft touts the benefits of OneDrive’s new dependency on Apple’s File Provider platform, including the resolution of compatibility issues, and how this has factored into its controversial decision to enforce its Files On-Demand feature:
Files On-Demand has been available on Windows since 2017, and on macOS since 2018. In that time, we’ve progressed from the feature being opt-in only to being on by default for all users and have closely monitored how many users turn off Files On-Demand. Only a very small number of users disable Files On-Demand on both platforms, and there are two main reasons for that.
When Files On-Demand first shipped on Windows, some applications didn’t work well with the way we stored files, or with anti-virus or other security software that was installed. Over time, we’ve fixed most of these problems. On macOS, we took a similarly cautious approach, but the application compatibility landscape is quite different and, in some ways, less complex. Still, there were a few cases where, due to the technology stack we were using on macOS, it made sense for certain users to disable Files On-Demand to preserve compatibility. With the File Provider platform, these problems have gone away, so application compatibility issues on macOS should be much less likely to occur. If you find something different with your setup, please reach out to your support contact so we can diagnose the issue.
Despite its argument for requiring Files On-Demand, Microsoft concedes that retaining all material locally on devices is “an essential situation for a limited set of users,” and that the simplest method to do so is to identify information as pinned by selecting Always Keep on This Device. “Pin the OneDrive folder if you want all files synchronised on your device,” Microsoft advises.
Users may accomplish this by navigating to their OneDrive in Finder, switching to Icons view, and then right-clicking the blank area between icons and selecting Always Keep on This Device. “We’re working on methods to make this easier to set on both macOS and Windows,” Microsoft says.
Furthermore, Microsoft explains why certain customers have noticed slowdowns when accessing files in OneDrive:
“To save space and system resources, the File Provider platform doesn’t actually create the files OneDrive is managing until the first time you need them. The first time you open a OneDrive folder, macOS will create them on-demand. This can sometimes take a moment.
“To avoid this delay, you can force the system to pre-create all of these files and folders for you without downloading your content. To do this, open a Terminal window and type “ls -alR ~/OneDrive” (or the path to your OneDrive). This will ensure all of your files and folders are created, but not downloaded, before you browse.
“Finally, it is important to note that beginning in macOS 12.3, File Provider is the only Files On-Demand solution that is supported on macOS. Our prior solution is no longer supported.”
Microsoft says it is aware of consumers encountering AutoSave difficulties while using the App Store version of the OneDrive app, and it is working to remedy the issue in the coming days.
Users who can’t wait that long can switch to the Standalone version of OneDrive by unlinking their account, deleting the App Store version, and reinstalling the Standalone version [Direct Link].
Is Microsoft’s justification for imposing the Files On-Demand option satisfactory to you? Leave your ideas in the comments section.