OneDrive placeholders are finally returning with RS2

Sep 27, 2016 07:21 GMT  ·  By

One of the few Windows 8 features that have actually been praised by users was OneDrive placeholders, which allows users to browse the content of their OneDrive cloud account without actually downloading anything unless they wanted to open the files.

In Windows 10, however, Microsoft decided to remove this feature and replace it with the traditional synchronization mode that requires files on the local drive to always be in sync with those stored in the cloud.

Feedback has shown that Microsoft made the wrong decision to remove OneDrive placeholders and offer full synchronization, and users made it clear that the company should bring back this feature in a future OS update.

After the firm previously hinted that it was indeed looking at a possible return of placeholders in Windows 10, it turns out that this plan is going forward and the feature could be once again offered to users with the arrival of Windows 10 Redstone 2.

On-Demand Sync

Microsoft revealed at the Ignite conference that OneDrive placeholders are already being tested on some internal builds of Windows 10, but the company hasn’t provided any details as to when exactly users could get this new feature. Most likely, placeholders will soon be released for insiders who are enrolled in the fast ring, before eventually getting the go-ahead for retail users in Windows 10 Redstone 2.

As you can see in this screenshot, OneDrive placeholders seem to work pretty much like they did in Windows 8, allowing users to browse files stored in the cloud without downloading anything. The actual download process starts when attempting to open the file and this is why the feature is currently being called “On-Demand Sync” instead of OneDrive placeholders.

Without a doubt, seeing Microsoft bringing back this highly requested feature in Windows 10 Redstone 2 makes the update even more exciting for users who are still on Windows 8.1, but expect more information to be provided in the coming months, as the new tool is being worked on behind the doors.