Automate OneDrive for Business local setup for use with Folder Redirection

Question

after successfully enabling automatic sign in and mapping a drive to OneDrive for business, I want to take it one step further in replacing on-premise fileshares:

I want to use folder redirection to make sure all user data is stored on the OneDrive, just like we make sure all user data is stored on the fileserver at the moment.

A direct redirection to the cloud is not possible. It IS possible to redirect to the local OneDrive folder from which data will get synced to the cloud.

There are some challenges in this regard:

1. The user has to start the 'OneDrive for business' app to setup the sync and local folder.
2. It is possible for the user to change the default location.

For use with folder redirection we need to make sure:

1. Sync is enabled and there actually is a local folder...
2. This folder needs to be in the same location for every user.

I thought it would be quite simple something like this:

onedrive.exe -sync c:\users\%username%\Onedrive

But no way )-:

Turns out the executable is called 'GROOVE.EXE' and resides in the Office directory.

Documentation is virtually non-existent, I have managed to determine the following command-line switches:

/clean
/clean all
/RunFolderSync
/OneNoteStub:
/TakeOffline:
/TrayOnly

Running the following command starts OneDrive for business silent and in the tray but the user has to right-click and use 'Sync A new library', not usable!

GROOVE.EXE /RunFolderSync /TrayOnly

The following invokes the 'Ready to sync?'-dialog but the user can change the location and has to click 'Sync Now'. Also not usable!

GROOVE.EXE" /TakeOffline: https://contosocom-my.sharepoint.com/personal/%SKYDRIVEID%/Documents

Would like to run the last command silent and settle for the default location!

I have been messing with prepopulating registry keys that are created but to no avail.

Anyone?

Answer 1

I think a bit of ground information is needed to understand which file to use.

Microsoft have two different applications for syncing with OneDrive. The first (Which is the old one) used to be called SkyDrive and uses the GROOVE.EXE file. The Display name of this is called OneDrive for Business.

This application is just plain horrible and has caused Microsoft a ton of grievance over the years, its cache would get corrupt constantly and require a totalt resync of everything, it would mis-sync and was generally not usable for a work environment. I have seen tons of changes go lost and not be synced properly to OneDrive/Sharepoint from faults, errors and bugs with this application.

For the none Office 365 accounts they used an application simply called OneDrive with the OneDrive.exe as filename.

They then finally made it so that OneDrive.exe could sync with Office 365 (both OneDrive and SharePoint) and deprecated the old GROOVE.EXE.

If you download Office 365 from a new click to run installer it should no longer include OneDrive for Business (GROOVE.EXE).

If your users still use Groove.exe I would recommend that you upgrade them, for a much nicer and supported experience.

Microsoft has a nice article regarding deployment of the OneDrive.exe.

For searching properly in Google for more help be sure to search for either onedrive.exe or "Next Generation Sync Client"