Windows 10: OneDrive on two computers - how to prevent overwriting newer files by older files from...

I'd like to work on files located on OneDrive on two computers, but theres an issue. When I work on desktop computer and then I turn on my laptop, OneDrive uploads files from laptop destroying my work made on desktop computer. This issue happens also backwards - when I work on laptop and then turn on desktop computer OneDrive also uploads older files from desktop computer and overwrites newer files from laptop. Can you help me?

:)

 

Onedrive overwrites newer files

Somehow after a while onedrive started working on my surface and laptop and it overwrote newer files including several excel spreadsheets. I was under the impression that files would not be overwrote if newer files existed.

 

Onedrive overwrites newer files

Hi Earl. I'm Greg, an installation specialist, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, and Volunteer Moderator, here to help you.

The way OneDrive should work if it sees two versions of the same file is to always use the latest, unless they have been created by different users in which case it should save both with each PC name appended.

You can recover an older version by using File History and selecting an older version from the file Properties box Version tab:

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/restor...

Deleted files are always kept in the OneDrive Recycle Bin until you give the OK to empty it.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and keep me posted. If you'll wait to rate whether my post resolved your problem, I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

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copy newer file over older file

When you upload a file to your web server that hosts your website, that file automatically overwrites the file name by the same filename; that is the way it is set up to behave. I was duplicating the same thing between two opened folder windows. I'm using
Dreamweaver, and notice that it was saving the file to a default folder, but not to the folder I wanted it saved in. So I opened both folders to copy from a default folder to another folder with same file names as the default folder. When I copied, say index.html
from a default folder to the other folder, I was expecting that newer file to overwrite the older file by same name. It did not overwrite the older file. Nothing happened. I didn't realize that nothing was happening at first, and was getting frustrated as
to why the web page was not being updated with the newest editing I had done to the file on my computer after uploading it by hand. I presently am using a new host which is free, but can't use Dreamweaver to upload files as on my main website, but have to
open the host cPanel and upload from that, and upload only one file at a time, so it is time-wise slow in doing that process.I tried quite a few times trying to upload the correct file, but refreshing browser saw no changes in that file. Finally I narrowed
it down to the two folders on my laptop hard drive. If I deleted the older index.html file, then copied the newer index.html file to that other folder, then uploaded that file, all was well and good. I saw the changes in the browser when I refreshed it. I
have not been using Windows 10 too long, so I don't know about the correct answers to your 4 questions.

1. Do you get any pop up message while replacing the old file? NO. I just recently, after contacting you folks, changed the default setting in the (Trash Can) Recycle Bin properties, and CHECKED "Display delete confirmation dialog". That
has been bugging me ever since I started using Windows 10: no Confirmation when deleting a file, for I could very well accidentally delete a good file not knowing that I had deleted it, since no confirmation box ever popped up alerting me that I was deleting
a file; so I have to be very careful and deliberate when deleting any files. Now the Confirmation box pops up when I'm about to delete a file, and I can decide what to do about that file. I went online and Googled "no confirmation when deleting file in Windows
10" and found my answer, for which I'm very thankful.. And since then, I've been trying to reproduce the same items, and NO, no pop-up message of any kind when trying to copy newer file over the older file. Just plain nothing happens.

2. Does this issue occur only with HTML file? I do not know. I usually only use other programs copy/paste facilities when doing this. I have no problem generally when just copying files from 1 folder to another folder, using 2 opened folder
windows. But I'm not generally overwriting other files by the same filename. Windows 10 is acting differently in this respect, somehow.

3. Did you tried copying in different location? No. Now, I am. Yes. The older file is 8 KB, the newer file is 9 KB. The newer file of 9KB is NOT overwriting the older file of 8 KB. I'm using my mouse to move the file, then press Ctrl Key to
Copy file before I let go of mouse button. I've tried it quite a few times, and each time checked it in the browser. The 9 KB file has a much larger Title then the 8 KB file, is how I can tell if it is the same file, or a different one. Other words, it is
NOT copying the newer file over the older file. Why? WHY?? I'm not trying this out with any other types of files, be too long trying to set up to experiment with. One file copied should overwrite, replace the other file with same name, right? Always has in
the past, or else some dialog box comes up asking if I want to keep both files, and renames the older file, so nothing is lost —this may be how the MacBook Apple works, I forget. Anyways, Windows should be similar, or has been in the past. I do NOT want to
MOVE the file, just copy it to a different folder, but it is not copying, not doing anything I guess. When I open each file in a browser, the file being copied is NOT in that differnet folder. Why? I have to delete the older file in the other folder FIRST,
—THEN copy the newer file to the other folder. That is a hassle, and very error-prone in maybe deleting the good file, instead of the not-wanted file...

4. Did you make any changes to the computer prior to the issue?
NO. I have no control over Windows Updates anymore; they are downloaded automatically, and installed, which I HATE very much, for example, the other night I was getting ready to go to bed, was very tired, and closed down Windows, and then it said something
about, Do not turn off computer, for it was getting Windows ready to install updates. I perfer to install Windows updates on MY OWN TIME, when I have time, not when it's ready to go to Church, or go to work, etc. So I had to wait around until it did its
thing, then close computer down, and unplug the whole system like I always do when not using laptop. No, I have not installed anything new lately, nor adjusted any settings recently, especially anything related to saving files. I would have to go online and
research into that area. In fact, I did go online and tried to find anything concerning this problem I'm having, but found nothing that applied, so that is the reason I contacted you folks in the first place. I have been working with computers since 1985 thereabouts,
Timex Sinclair, Commodore, Amiga, then IBM pc type which is what most people use today; I also have a MacBook Pro 17, that is not working as of now, so am back to using the PC. I'm not new to using PC, nor windows; my first Windows PC was Windows 3.1, skipped
95, since 98 was already out, and have used them all since Win98 up to Win10.