OneDrive File Issues

How to Bulk Download More Than 5000 Photos from OneDrive

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs a method to download over 5,000 photos from OneDrive because the web interface does not allow efficient selection of large numbers of files.

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to select and download a massive collection of photos simultaneously from the OneDrive website.
Observed behavior: Standard selection methods fail on the web interface: click-and-drag selection does not scroll the page down, and the Ctrl+A keyboard shortcut does not work for selecting all items.

Before you start

Verify that your local hard drive has enough free storage space to accommodate over 5,000 photos and ensure you are connected to a stable internet network to prevent the download from timing out.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the OneDrive Desktop Application (Recommended)

Syncing files through the OneDrive desktop client bypasses web browser selection limitations and automates the large-scale download process.

Downloading massive amounts of data through a web browser is prone to freezing and selection errors due to page loading limitations. Using the native OneDrive desktop application ensures a stable, background transfer directly to your local file system.

Open OneDrive Settings

Launch the OneDrive desktop application on your computer and click the gear icon to access Settings.

Navigate to Advanced Settings

In the settings menu, select the 'Sync & Backup' tab and then click on 'Advanced Settings'.

Download all files

Locate the 'Files On-Demand' section and click the 'Download all files' button. OneDrive will begin syncing and downloading all your cloud content to your local drive.

Manage downloaded content

Once the synchronization is complete, open your local OneDrive folder to access your photos. You can then safely remove or un-sync non-photo files if you do not want them stored locally.

Alternative to Missing Options: If the 'Download all files' option does not appear in your settings, open File Explorer (or Finder), right-click your main photo folder inside the OneDrive directory, and select 'Always keep on this device'.

Solution 2

Download Photos by Folders or Smaller Batches

If you must use the OneDrive web interface, organizing and downloading your photos in smaller, manageable batches prevents browser selection bugs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't Ctrl+A select all my photos on the OneDrive website?

The OneDrive web interface uses a technique called 'lazy loading' for large directories. It only loads the items currently visible on your screen to save memory. Because the rest of the 5,000 photos haven't loaded yet, pressing Ctrl+A will only select the small batch of photos currently rendered in your browser.

What is the maximum download size for a ZIP file from the OneDrive website?

When downloading multiple files or folders from the OneDrive web interface, Microsoft limits the total size of the generated ZIP file to 20 GB. Additionally, you cannot download more than 10,000 files in a single web request.

How do I force OneDrive to keep photos physically on my hard drive?

To ensure photos are actually downloaded to your hard drive instead of just showing as cloud-only shortcuts, open your File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), navigate to your OneDrive folder, right-click the specific files or folders, and choose 'Always keep on this device'. A solid green circle with a white checkmark will appear once they are fully downloaded.

Document & File Issues