How to Handle Multiple Desktop Locations During OneDrive Backup

When you enable OneDrive backup for your Desktop folder, OneDrive expects a single Desktop folder location. If your Desktop folder is redirected, synced to another cloud service, or spread across multiple drives, OneDrive may fail to back it up or show errors like “We can’t sync this folder.” This happens because Windows stores the Desktop location in the registry, and OneDrive follows that path. This article explains how to consolidate multiple Desktop locations into one folder that OneDrive can back up successfully, including how to move files from a secondary Desktop and adjust Windows folder properties.

Why OneDrive Fails With Multiple Desktop Locations

OneDrive backs up the Desktop folder that Windows considers the user’s primary Desktop. Windows stores this path in the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders as the {754AC886-DF64-4CBA-86B5-F7F2F5CEBE6F} entry. If you have two Desktop folders for example, one on drive C: and one on drive D: Windows can only point to one as the official Desktop. The other folder is just a regular folder named Desktop.

Common causes of multiple Desktop locations include:

Desktop Folder Redirection via Group Policy

In business environments, IT administrators may redirect the Desktop folder to a network drive or another local drive using Group Policy. This changes the shell folder path. OneDrive then tries to back up the redirected path, which may be a network location or a drive that is not always available. OneDrive cannot sync network drives or removable drives reliably.

Third-Party Cloud Sync Clients

Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box offer options to sync a folder named Desktop. If you previously enabled this, you may have two Desktop folders: the original Windows Desktop and a second Desktop folder inside the third-party sync folder. OneDrive will only back up the Windows Desktop, leaving the other Desktop folder unsynced.

Manual Folder Moves

Some users move their Desktop folder to a different drive to save space on the system drive. If you move the Desktop folder using the Location tab in Properties, Windows updates the shell folder path. But if you also created a Desktop folder on another drive manually, you now have two folders with Desktop content. OneDrive will back up only the folder that Windows considers the primary Desktop.

Steps to Consolidate Multiple Desktop Locations for OneDrive Backup

1. Identify all Desktop folders on your computer
   Open File Explorer and navigate to the root of each drive C:, D:, and so on. Look for any folder named Desktop. Also check inside your user profile folder at C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktop. Right-click each Desktop folder and select Properties. Go to the Location tab. If the Location tab shows a path different from the folder you are viewing, that folder is a secondary Desktop. Write down the full path of each Desktop folder you find.
2. Check which Desktop OneDrive is currently backing up
   Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray and select Settings. Go to the Sync and backup tab and click Manage backup. Under Desktop, you will see either Backed up or Not backed up. If it shows Backed up, OneDrive is already syncing the primary Desktop folder. Click the arrow next to Desktop to see the folder path. Write down this path.
3. Move files from secondary Desktop folders into the primary Desktop folder
   Open the secondary Desktop folder you identified in step 1. Select all files and folders inside it. Press Ctrl+X to cut them. Navigate to the primary Desktop folder the one OneDrive backs up. Press Ctrl+V to paste the items. If any file names conflict, check the box for Do this for all current items and select Skip or Replace as appropriate. Do not delete the secondary Desktop folder yet.
4. Verify the primary Desktop folder location in Windows shell folders
   Press Win+R, type regedit, and press Enter. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders. Find the entry named {754AC886-DF64-4CBA-86B5-F7F2F5CEBE6F}. Double-click it and confirm the value matches the primary Desktop folder path you wrote in step 2. If it does not match, change the value to the correct path. Close Registry Editor.
5. Remove the secondary Desktop folder
   After confirming all files are moved and the shell folder path is correct, right-click the secondary Desktop folder and select Delete. If Windows warns that the folder is in use, close any open File Explorer windows and try again. If the folder still cannot be deleted, restart your computer and try again.
6. Restart OneDrive backup for Desktop
   Right-click the OneDrive icon and select Settings. Go to Sync and backup and click Manage backup. If Desktop shows Not backed up, click the toggle to turn it on. If Desktop shows Backed up, click Stop backup, then click Start backup again. This forces OneDrive to re-evaluate the Desktop folder path and begin syncing all files.
7. Confirm backup status
   Open File Explorer and navigate to the primary Desktop folder. Right-click any file and select OneDrive > Check status. You should see a green checkmark or a syncing icon. Open OneDrive online and navigate to the Desktop folder under your OneDrive files. Confirm all files from the moved secondary Desktop appear there.

Common Issues After Consolidating Desktop Folders

OneDrive Still Shows Desktop as Not Backed Up

If after moving files and deleting the secondary Desktop folder OneDrive still does not offer to back up Desktop, the shell folder path may still point to a network location. Open Registry Editor again and check the {754AC886-DF64-4CBA-86B5-F7F2F5CEBE6F} value. If it starts with \\ indicating a network path, change it to C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktop. Restart File Explorer from Task Manager and try OneDrive backup again.

Files Appear in Two Places After Moving

If you see duplicate files on your Desktop after moving them, the secondary Desktop folder may still be syncing with a third-party cloud service. Open the third-party sync client and disable folder sync for Desktop. Then delete the secondary Desktop folder again. If duplicates remain, use the OneDrive Files On-Demand feature: right-click the OneDrive folder in File Explorer, select Settings, and uncheck Files On-Demand. Let all files download, then re-enable Files On-Demand. This forces OneDrive to reconcile file states.

OneDrive Sync Shows Error Code 0x8007016A

This error occurs when OneDrive encounters a file path longer than 260 characters. After consolidating Desktop folders, some nested folder structures may exceed this limit. Open the primary Desktop folder and look for folders with deep nesting. Move those folders to a shorter path, such as directly inside the Desktop folder, or rename some subfolders to shorter names. The error should clear after OneDrive rescans the folder.

Desktop Folder Consolidation Methods: Manual Move vs Registry Edit

Item	Manual Move via File Explorer	Registry Edit via Regedit
Description	Cut and paste files from secondary Desktop to primary Desktop using File Explorer	Change the shell folder path in the Windows Registry to point to the primary Desktop
When to use	You have already identified the correct primary Desktop path and just need to move files	The shell folder path is wrong or points to a network or missing drive
Risk level	Low – file conflicts can be handled manually	Medium – incorrect registry edits can break shell folder redirection
Effect on OneDrive	OneDrive automatically syncs the moved files after they land in the primary Desktop folder	OneDrive may need a restart or re-enabling of Desktop backup to recognize the new path

After consolidating Desktop locations, open OneDrive Settings and click the Sync and backup tab. Verify that Desktop shows Backed up and that the folder path matches your primary Desktop. To avoid future conflicts, do not create additional Desktop folders on other drives and do not enable Desktop sync in other cloud services while OneDrive Desktop backup is active.