HOW TO SYNC SHAREPOINT LIBRARIES TO YOUR COMPUTER

 Timeframe: 15 to 30 minutes

Microsoft SharePoint is a cloud-based service, included with Microsoft 365, used to host all your company’s files. SharePoint is broken down into Sites which usually correspond to the various business units in your company.

SharePoint can be accessed through a browser, but it is often easier to access your company’s files through Windows Explorer on your PC or laptop.

To do this you need to sync the document libraries with your computer.

Set up syncing

1. Near the upper left corner of the browser page, select the Microsoft 365 app launcher.

2.  From the menu that opens, select SharePoint or Teams, and then select the site with the files you want to sync.

3.  Select Documents or navigate to the subfolder you want to sync.

4. Select Sync. (You only need to do this once on a computer to set up syncing on that computer. After you set up syncing, the files sync automatically.)

5.  If your browser requests permission to use "Microsoft OneDrive," confirm that this is okay.

**The files then sync to a folder on your PC that has the name of your organization (for example, %userprofile%\DBA Advisory Pty. Ltd). This folder is automatically added to the left pane in File Explorer.

Notes: 

• If you see a lock icon on synced files in File Explorer, it means the files are synced read-only. You might not have permission to edit the files, or the library might require checkout or have required columns or metadata. If you change the files on your computer, the changes won’t sync. For permissions, contact your admin.
• You can't move OneNote notebooks from one site to another on your computer, and if you move other Office files between sites, version history will be lost. To move Office files, go to the site, and use the Move to or Copy to command.
• If a site name includes a character such as “:” that isn’t supported in folder names in Windows, files on the site can’t be synced.
• If you used the previous OneDrive for work or school sync app the folder structure for your synced folders might change when you begin syncing with the sync app. On computers with older versions of Windows where you used the previous OneDrive sync app, you may see an old "SharePoint" or "Teams" folder under Favorites in File Explorer. To remove the extra "SharePoint" or "Teams" folder, right-click and select Remove.

Change sync settings

To change the folders that sync for a site, or to stop syncing all files on a site, follow these steps:

1.  Select the blue OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows taskbar notification area.

(You may need to select the Show hidden icons arrow  next to the notification area for the OneDrive icon to appear. If the icon doesn't appear in the notification area, OneDrive might not be running. Select Start, enter OneDrive in the search box, and then select OneDrive in the search results.)

2. Select > Settings.

3. To see a list of all your syncing sites, select the Account tab.

4. To change the folders that you're syncing, select Choose folders for that library, and then select the folders that you want to sync.

5. Then select OK once done.

Note: Sync ONLY necessary files needed to avoid sync or storage issues that may occur.