OneDrive helps you sync your favorite files and folders with the cloud and other computers so that you can access them no matter where you are. All you need is an internet command and the ability to log into your Microsoft account. By default, any file you place in the OneDrive folder is automatically synced. However, what if you want to exclude specific file extensions in OneDrive? For instance, maybe you don’t want to sync .exe files or specific image or document formats in your OneDrive folder. For this specific use case, OneDrive lets you exclude files by file extension instead of stopping sync.
This tutorial shows you where the file the option to exclude file extensions from OneDrive sync, and how to use it. Let’s get started.
Exclude file extensions from OneDrive sync
If you don’t want a specific file type to sync with OneDrive, follow the steps provided below:
Step 1: Right-click on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.
Note: If you don’t see the OneDrive icon, search for OneDrive in the Start menu. It should add the OneDrive icon to the taskbar.
Step 2: Click on the Gear icon in the OneDrive flyout menu and choose Settings.
Step 3: Go to the Sync and Backup tab on the sidebar of the OneDrive settings window.
Step 4: Scroll down in the right panel and click on the Advanced Settings option.
Step 5: Scroll down and click on the Exclude button in the “Exclude file extensions” section.
Step 6: Enter the file extension you want to exclude and press the Exclude button.
Step 7: This will add the extension to the exclusion list.
Step 8: Close the OneDrive window.
That is it. With this change, OneDrive will no longer sync files with the excluded extensions. In my case, OneDrive will not sync .exe or .ink (default entry) files. Do keep in mind that this will not remove already synced files with the excluded extensions. Instead, it only applied to future synchronization.
To allow OneDrive to sync excluded file types, you need to remove the file extension from the exclusion list. For that, go to OneDrive Settings > Sync and Backup > Advanced Settings and click the Remove (X) icon next to the file extension under the “Exclude file extensions” section.
That is all. I hope this simple and easy tutorial helped you in configuring OneDrive to stop syncing specific file types or extensions.
If you are stuck or need help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.
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