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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To download OneDrive files to an external hard drive, use OneDrive in a browser, select the files or folders, choose Download, then save the download to the connected drive. If your browser saves automatically to Downloads, move the completed file to the external drive. For many files, sync only the folders you need to your computer, make sure they are fully downloaded, then copy them to the drive.
Choose the right method for your OneDrive download
| Situation | Recommended method | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| A few files or one modest folder | Download from OneDrive in a browser | You can choose the external drive in the browser’s save dialog. Multiple selected items download as a ZIP archive. Microsoft’s download instructions. |
| Many files or several folders | Use the OneDrive sync app, then copy | Wait until the files are downloaded locally before copying them from File Explorer or Finder. Microsoft’s sync guidance. |
| Limited space on your computer | Download in the browser directly to the external drive, or sync only selected folders | Files On-Demand placeholders are not complete local copies until downloaded. |
Download files or folders in a browser
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Connect and open your external hard drive so it is available as a save location.
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Open OneDrive in a browser and navigate to the files or folder you want.
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Select the items. You can select individual files, use Shift to select a range, or use Ctrl+A to select everything in the current folder. To download a folder, go up one level and select that folder if needed.
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Choose Download in the top navigation, or right-click the selection and choose Download. Microsoft’s instruction is: “In the top navigation, select Download.” Microsoft Support.
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When the browser asks where to save the file, choose Save or Save As, browse to the external drive, and confirm. If the browser saves downloads automatically, wait for the download to finish and then move the completed download from your Downloads folder to the external drive.
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If the download is a ZIP and you want ordinary files and folders rather than an archive, extract the ZIP on the external drive.
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If Download is missing or the wrong contents start downloading
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Make sure the intended items are selected; the Download control may appear only after you select items.
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If you are inside a folder and choose Download without selecting particular items, OneDrive may start downloading the folder’s contents. To download that folder as a selection, navigate up one level and select it.
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If the Download button disappears after refreshing, Microsoft’s suggested workaround is to navigate up and back into the folder or reopen the page.
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Files shown in the Shared view may not be directly downloadable there. Open the file and save a copy to a location you choose, if your access allows it.
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Copy many files with the OneDrive sync app
For large collections or work spread across folders, syncing selected folders can be easier than downloading several separate ZIP files. The OneDrive app places synced content in File Explorer on Windows or Finder on macOS. During setup, you can choose the OneDrive folder location and which cloud folders to sync. Microsoft’s sync instructions and folder selection guidance explain those options.
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Set up the OneDrive sync app and select only the cloud folders you need.
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In File Explorer or Finder, locate the synced OneDrive folder and check that the files you need are fully downloaded. With Files On-Demand, cloud-only placeholders can appear in the folder without storing the file contents locally.
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Copy the files or folders to the external hard drive. Copy rather than move if you want to retain the cloud originals: changes made in the synced OneDrive folder can sync back to OneDrive.
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If you are copying from another person’s work or school OneDrive, you need permission to access the content. Microsoft recommends the sync app for copying many items or work spread across multiple folders. Microsoft’s guidance on copying from another person’s work or school OneDrive.
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Saving a download to a drive is not the same as syncing to it
Selecting an external drive in a browser’s Save dialog makes it the destination for that download. It does not make the drive a suitable location for the active OneDrive sync folder. Microsoft says removable USB drives are not supported as the OneDrive folder location and notes that Folder Protection cannot be set up with OneDrive on external memory. Its instructions also describe filesystem requirements for supported external storage. Microsoft’s external-drive guidance.
For a separate backup or copy, download or copy files onto the external drive. Do not relocate the active sync folder there on the assumption that choosing it once as a browser download destination makes it supported for ongoing sync.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Download limits and cases that need a different approach
Microsoft publishes the following OneDrive and SharePoint download limits. They may change and are not guarantees that every individual transfer will complete successfully. Microsoft’s restrictions and limitations.
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|---|---|
| One file | 250 GB maximum |
| Files selected for download | 10,000 files total; no more than 10,000 files per folder |
| Compressed download | 10 GB per ZIP file and 20 GB overall for multiple compressed files |
| Protected files in certain ZIP scenarios | Files encrypted by sensitivity labels or IRM that exceed 4 MB may be omitted and need to be downloaded separately |
| OneNote notebooks | Cannot be downloaded as notebooks; a ZIP of a folder containing a notebook includes an error text file |
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Internet Explorer cannot download folders or multiple files from OneDrive for work or school.
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For OneDrive web copying, Microsoft lists a limit of 2,500 files at a time. That is a copy limit, not the ZIP download limit.
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Microsoft recommends syncing no more than 300,000 items across cloud storage for optimum performance. A public preview supports up to 1,000,000 items per instance on qualifying Windows devices with specific requirements; this is preview guidance, not a general download limit. Microsoft’s limits page.
When files are shared or the account is managed
Shared files and work or school accounts can behave differently from files in your personal OneDrive. Confirm that you have access before starting a large transfer. If a shared item cannot be downloaded from the Shared view, open it and save a copy where permitted. An organization may also apply controls that limit downloading or copying.
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