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How to Find OneDrive Files Marked Always Keep on This Device
Question details
The user wants to locate a list of all files marked 'Always keep on this device' in OneDrive for Windows to manage local storage.
- Product
- OneDrive for Windows
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Managing local disk space and finding locally cached files downloaded by OneDrive.
- Observed behavior
- OneDrive for Windows does not provide a direct sorting option or a dedicated 'Files Available Offline' view like the Android app does.
Ensure your OneDrive client is running, actively syncing, and the 'Files On-Demand' feature is enabled in your settings.
Identify Local Files Using OneDrive Status Icons
Since Windows does not have a dedicated offline view, you must check the file explorer status icons to identify locally saved files.
The Windows OneDrive client currently does not offer a direct list or sorting option for every file marked 'Always keep on this device'. Instead, you can manually identify them using the visual status indicators natively integrated into File Explorer.
Press Win + E on your keyboard to open File Explorer, then click on your 'OneDrive' folder in the left navigation pane.
Look at the 'Status' column next to your files and folders. If you do not see this column, ensure your folder view is set to 'Details'.
Scroll through your files and look for a solid green circle with a white checkmark. This icon specifically indicates that a file or folder is marked as 'Always keep on this device'.
To save disk space, select the identified files or folders, right-click them, and choose 'Free up space' from the context menu to make them online-only.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I sort OneDrive files by 'Always keep on this device' in Windows?
Windows File Explorer's current OneDrive integration does not offer a metadata column specifically for filtering or sorting by this exact sync state. This feature is currently only available as an 'Offline' view in the Android app.
What is the difference between 'Locally available' and 'Always keep on this device'?
'Locally available' files are downloaded when you open them and can be automatically removed by Windows Storage Sense when disk space is running low. 'Always keep on this device' files remain on your hard drive permanently until you manually choose to free up space.
How can I make all OneDrive files online-only at once?
Right-click the main OneDrive root folder in File Explorer and select 'Free up space'. This command will cascade through all subfolders and convert all locally stored files inside to online-only, maximizing your free disk space.
