How to back up Documents with OneDrive, while also using another cloud service?

Question

I use OneDrive for Business on Windows 11 and I want to back up the Documents folder on my harddrive to OneDrive.

In the OneDrive settings I go to "Sync and backup > Manage backup". Here, I see three switches to toggle backup for Documents, Pictures and Desktop. All three switches are off and I can't switch any of them on, apparently because my Pictures folder contains my iCloud photos. The error message I get is: "We can't back up your Pictures folder in OneDrive, because it contains another cloud storage. Please turn off the cloud service syncing in this folder and try again." While this explains why OneDrive won't back up my Pictures, it's not clear to me why I can't turn on backup for Documents or Desktop, since I don't have iCloud sync anything in those folders.

How can I switch on backup for Documents? I don't need to switch on backup for Pictures and I don't want to turn off iCloud.

Answer 1

I recommend relocating your iCloud files and folders to a location outside the area you intend to back up with OneDrive. Given that you already have iCloud automatically backed up on its platform, duplicating this backup by storing those synchronized photos on OneDrive is redundant.

Change where your files and folders are stored

Your files and folders are stored in C:\Users\[user name]\iCloud Drive by default. If you have iCloud for Windows 14, you can choose a different location.

1. On your Windows computer, open iCloud for Windows.
2. If iCloud Drive is enabled, deselect it, then click Apply.
3. Click the Options button next to iCloud Drive, then click Change.
4. Choose a different disk drive that’s formatted as NTFS, click OK, then click OK again.
5. Click Apply.

To get started with iCloud Drive on your Windows computer, learn how to view, add, or remove files and share files and folders.

source

Furthermore, consider exploring an extended solution by creating a symbolic link to the folder where you've made changes to the iCloud storage folder. This symbolic link would reside within the original Pictures\iCloud Photos subfolder, would be named iCloud Photos, but would point to the new location you've designated for iCloud synchronization (e.g. C:\users\<username>\iCloud Photo).

Command Line - CMD

mklink /D "C:\users\<username>\Pictures\iCloud Photos" "C:\users\<username>\iCloud Photos"

You can now seamlessly access the original path again just as was done before the modification.

Steps and Recap

1. Transition iCloud to store files in the C:\users\<username>\iCloud Photos directory and allow sufficient time for the transition to be successfully completed.
2. Delete the original C:\users\<username>\Pictures\iCloud Photos folder if it is still present.
3. Create a symbolic link directory named "iCloud Photos" at the original location, directing it to the new location where iCloud files are stored.

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Supporting Resources

• Forcefully delete a folder that just won't delete no matter what

• mklink /?

  Creates a symbolic link.
  
  MKLINK [[/D] | [/H] | [/J]] Link Target
  
          /D      Creates a directory symbolic link.  Default is a file
                  symbolic link.
  

Answer 2

You need to duplicate the folders that interfere with icloud.

Firstly, create a folder by opening a cmd prompt and typing

mkdir %userprofile%\pictures_onedrive

Every time the computer starts, a batch file will run, cloning the interfering folders - for example in this case, pictures.

xcopy /s /c /d /y %userprofile%\pictures\*.* %userprofile%\pictures_onedrive

Copy the above and save to a file called onedrive_help.bat

Either add the onedrive_help to startup or add a scheduled task for running at startup.

Go into onedrive and make sure pictures folder is not selected to be backed up, and pictures_onedrive is.

Answer 3

A good explanation why having iCloud Pictures blocks also the backup of Documents or Desktop is found in the Ask Leo article of The Problem With OneDrive Backup. Note that the sub-title of the article is "Good intentions? Maybe. Confusing mess? Definitely."

Here is the quote with the explanation (the bold highlight is mine) :

Here’s what really happens when you enable this (again, we’re focusing on your Documents folder, but the backup feature also takes over your Pictures and Desktop).

• The contents of your computer’s Documents folder (C:\Users\<username>\Documents) are moved to the OneDrive Documents folder (C:\Users\<username>\OneDrive\Documents), leaving your computer’s Documents folder empty.
• The OneDrive app notices that files have been added and dutifully begins sending them to OneDrive.com cloud storage.
• The Documents shortcut present in Windows File Explorer is changed to point to C:\Users\<username>\OneDrive\Documents. In Windows File Explorer, the Documents icon that used to say “Stored locally” will now say “Leo – Personal” (or its equivalent for your sign-in), indicating that it’s now pointing at OneDrive.

The backup feature moves your personal folders elsewhere, so is disabled when another backup is also pointing to the same folders that OneDrive wishes to move.

I do not know why OneDrive insists on an all-or-nothing approach for all the three folders, Documents, Pictures and Desktop, but it's a matter of the OneDrive implementation (which already by the above description seems very kludgy).

(Personally, I would advise against the use of a backup method that permits itself such liberties with your personal folders.)