How to Choose Per-Machine vs Per-User OneDrive Install in OneDrive for Business

When deploying OneDrive for Business across an organization, you must decide between a per-machine or per-user installation. This choice affects how OneDrive updates, how multiple users share a single device, and how much administrative control you have over the sync client. The per-machine option installs OneDrive for all users on a Windows device and enables automatic updates for all of them. The per-user option installs OneDrive only for the currently logged-in user and updates only that user’s client. This article explains the difference between these two installation modes, the technical requirements for each, and how to choose the right one for your environment.

What Per-Machine and Per-User OneDrive Installation Means

OneDrive for Business can be installed in two modes: per-machine and per-user. The installation mode determines where the OneDrive executable is stored, how updates are applied, and which users on a shared device can use the sync client.

In a per-machine installation, OneDrive is installed under Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive. All user accounts on the device can access the same OneDrive executable. Updates are downloaded and applied once for the entire machine, and every user who logs in receives the updated version automatically. This mode requires local administrator rights to install. The command to trigger a per-machine install is OneDriveSetup.exe /allusers.

In a per-user installation, OneDrive is installed under %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\OneDrive. Only the user who ran the installer can use that copy. Updates are downloaded and installed separately for each user account. This mode does not require administrator rights. The command to trigger a per-user install is OneDriveSetup.exe without any switches.

How Updates Work in Each Mode

In per-machine mode, OneDrive checks for updates and installs them using the SYSTEM account. All users on the device see the same version. If an update fails, it affects the entire machine. In per-user mode, each user’s OneDrive instance checks for updates independently. If one user’s update fails, other users are not affected. However, this can lead to version fragmentation across users on the same device.

Prerequisites for Per-Machine Installation

To install OneDrive per-machine, the device must be running Windows 10 or Windows 11. The user running the installer must have local administrator privileges. The device must be joined to Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) or hybrid joined. The per-machine installation is available starting with OneDrive build 22.022. The /allusers switch is supported only in the production ring and not in Insider rings.

Steps to Install OneDrive Per-Machine or Per-User

The following steps apply to both manual installations and scripted deployments. Use the method that matches your environment.

Method 1: Manual Command-Line Installation

1. Download the OneDrive setup file
   Go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/download and download OneDriveSetup.exe.
2. Open Command Prompt as administrator
   Right-click the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin). Confirm the User Account Control prompt.
3. Run the per-machine installer
   Type OneDriveSetup.exe /allusers and press Enter. Wait for the installation to complete. A OneDrive setup window appears. Sign in with a work or school account.
4. Verify the installation mode
   Open Task Manager and go to the Details tab. Locate OneDrive.exe. Right-click it and select Open file location. If the path is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive, the installation is per-machine.

Method 2: Deploy with Microsoft Intune

1. Create a new Windows app in Intune
   Sign in to Microsoft Intune admin center. Go to Apps > All apps > Add. Select Windows app (Win32).
2. Upload the OneDrive setup file
   Download OneDriveSetup.exe. Package it using the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool. Upload the generated .intunewin file.
3. Set the install command
   In the Install command field, enter OneDriveSetup.exe /allusers. In the Uninstall command field, enter OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall.
4. Assign the app to device groups
   Under Assignments, add a device group. Choose Required for the installation intent. Set End-user notifications to Hide all toast notifications to avoid user prompts.

Method 3: Deploy with Group Policy

1. Download OneDrive Group Policy templates
   Download the OneDrive.admx and OneDrive.adml files from Microsoft Download Center.
2. Copy the templates to the Central Store
   Copy OneDrive.admx to %SystemRoot%\PolicyDefinitions. Copy OneDrive.adml to the appropriate locale folder, such as en-US.
3. Enable the per-machine policy
   Open Group Policy Management Console. Create or edit a GPO linked to the target organizational unit. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > OneDrive. Enable Set the default installation location for OneDrive and set it to Per-machine.
4. Link the GPO and run gpupdate
   Link the GPO to the OU containing the target computers. On each target device, run gpupdate /force from an elevated Command Prompt.

Common Mistakes and Things to Avoid

Running the per-machine installer without administrator rights

If a standard user runs OneDriveSetup.exe /allusers, the installer fails with an access denied error. Always run the per-machine installer from an elevated command prompt or deploy it through a management tool that runs as SYSTEM.

Mixing installation modes on the same device

If a per-machine installation already exists and a user runs the per-user installer, OneDrive may create a second instance under the user’s local app data folder. This causes two OneDrive processes to run simultaneously, leading to sync conflicts and duplicate file entries. To avoid this, uninstall all existing OneDrive instances before changing the mode.

Forgetting to configure update rings

In per-machine mode, all users on the device receive updates from the same ring. If you have users in different update rings, per-machine mode forces them to the same ring. Use Group Policy to set the update ring for the device before deploying per-machine.

Item	Per-Machine Install	Per-User Install
Installation path	Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive	%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\OneDrive
Administrator rights required	Yes	No
Update scope	All users on the device	Only the installing user
Update trigger	SYSTEM account	User account
Install command	OneDriveSetup.exe /allusers	OneDriveSetup.exe
Best for	Shared workstations, VDI, labs	Single-user devices, personal computers

Now you can select the correct OneDrive installation mode based on your device type and user count. For shared devices such as conference room computers or lab machines, choose per-machine installation to reduce update overhead and ensure consistent behavior. For single-user devices, the per-user installation is simpler and does not require administrator privileges. To verify the current installation mode on any device, open Task Manager, locate OneDrive.exe, and check the file path in the Details tab.