Attachment Issues

How to Save Outlook on the Web Attachments to a Local Drive

Steve K Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to save email attachments from Outlook on the Web directly to a local hard drive instead of the default OneDrive cloud storage.

How to Save Outlook on the Web Attachments to a Local Drive

Product: Outlook on the Web
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Downloading and managing incoming email attachments locally on a computer.
Observed behavior: Outlook on the web defaults to saving attachments to OneDrive and lacks a built-in setting to change this default behavior to local storage, requiring manual downloads.

Before you start

Verify your web browser's default download location settings, as this will determine exactly which local folder your Outlook attachments are saved to when downloaded.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Download Attachments to a Local Folder

Since Outlook on the Web does not allow changing the default save location away from OneDrive, you must manually download the attachments using the browser's download feature.

While Microsoft encourages using OneDrive for storing attachments, you can bypass this by utilizing the manual download option within the email interface.

Keep in mind that the exact location where your files end up is controlled by your web browser (like Chrome, Edge, or Firefox) rather than Outlook itself.

Open the email

Access the attachment menu

Locate the attachment within the email body. Click the drop-down arrow next to the attachment name, or right-click the attachment icon to open the context menu.

Select the download option

Choose 'Download' from the menu to save a single file, or click 'Download all' if you have multiple attachments in the same email.

Choose the local drive destination

If your browser prompts you, select the specific local drive or folder where you want to save the file. Otherwise, navigate to your computer's default 'Downloads' folder and move the file to your preferred local drive.

Manually Download Attachments to a Local Folder

Change Browser Prompt Settings: To have better control over where attachments go, go into your web browser settings and enable the option to 'Ask where to save each file before downloading'.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

View and Edit Your Downloaded Attachments with WPS Office

If you are tired of cloud-only limitations in the Microsoft ecosystem, switch to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free, and lightweight alternative that lets you seamlessly open, edit, and manage all your downloaded Office attachments directly on your local drive.

1. Download the software: Download and install WPS Office Free on your computer.
2. Locate your attachment: Navigate to the local folder where you downloaded your Outlook web attachment.
3. Open and edit: Right-click the document, select 'Open with', and choose WPS Office to begin editing your file instantly.

Seamlessly open and edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint attachments with high format compatibility.Completely free and lightweight Office suite ideal for local offline work.Familiar user interface making the transition from Microsoft Office incredibly easy.Manage all your documents locally without forced cloud syncing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I permanently change the default attachment save location from OneDrive to my PC?

No, Outlook on the Web currently does not provide a built-in setting to change the default attachment storage location away from OneDrive. You will need to manually download files to save them directly to your local PC.

Where do my downloaded attachments go on my computer?

By default, attachments downloaded from Outlook on the Web are sent to your web browser's designated Downloads folder. You can change this destination by modifying your browser's download settings.

How can I download multiple attachments from an email at the same time?

Open the email containing the attachments. Above or next to the attachment list, click the 'Download all' button. This will usually compress all the files into a single ZIP folder and save it to your local drive.

Outlook & Email Problems