Backup and Restore

Using One Drive to backup Desktop, Documents, Picture folders

Enable One Drive by signing into the OneDrive applicaiton with a Microsoft account. Take care to only Sign-in to One Drive, and not all Microsoft applications.

Backup

Enable important folder backup.  Certain file types, including PST and OneNote files, are not compatible with OneDrive.  By deftault PST files are saved to the ~\Documents\Outlook Files folder and will need to be moved to a new location outside of the ~\Documents subtree.

Enable Keep all files on this computer.

Wait for all files to synchronise.

The files will be saved in ~\OneDrive\Desktop, ..\Documents, ..\Pictures folders in the OneDrive location both locally and on the server.  i.e.  Desktop, Documents, Pictures are no longer in the root of the user home folder. 

Each Microsoft account may have only one ~\OneDrive\Desktop etc folder

Where a ~\OneDrive\Desktop etc folder already exists on the server, the contents are merged with the local folder, which may cause files to become duplicated. Take care with Pictures folders.  Take care when enabling important folder backup for the same Microsoft account on multiple devices.

If in doubt copy OneDrive local folder structures outside of the User Home subtree for back up purposes.

Restore

Enabling Important folder backup on a new PC will cause the ~\Desktop etc folders to be relocated to  ~\OneDrive\Desktop etc locally.  The contents of ~\OneDrive\Desktop etc located on the server will downloaded and merged.

Care should be taken when enabling important folder backup after a local restore. If in doubt copy or move the contents of the local ~\Desktop etc folders to a location outside of the user home structure before enabling important folder backup.