OneDrive uses a feature called Files On-Demand, which shows every file in your OneDrive folder in File Explorer, but doesn't necessarily store all of them on your actual hard drive — some exist only as a placeholder, downloaded on-the-fly the moment you open them. Understanding the icon system is the key to troubleshooting this properly.
What the icons actually mean
- Cloud icon (outline only) — the file exists only in the cloud. It will download automatically the moment you open it, but isn't using any space on your local drive right now.
- Green checkmark in a circle — "Always keep on this device" is set; the file is downloaded and stored locally, and will stay that way.
- White checkmark in a green circle (solid) — the file is currently available locally because you opened it recently, but isn't permanently pinned — it may revert to cloud-only later to save space, depending on your settings.
If "Always keep on this device" isn't actually keeping a file local
- Right-click the file or folder in File Explorer
- Confirm you see "Always keep on this device" in the context menu with a checkmark — if it's not checked, click it
- Wait for the download to complete — for large files or many files at once, this can take a while, and the icon won't update to the green checkmark until the download finishes
- Check your internet connection — if you're offline or have a poor connection, the download simply can't complete yet, even though the setting is correctly applied
If files revert to cloud-only after you previously downloaded them
This happens because of OneDrive's "Storage Sense"-like behavior — if a file isn't explicitly pinned with "Always keep on this device," and you're low on local disk space, OneDrive can automatically free up space by converting locally-cached files back to cloud-only placeholders. If you need a file to genuinely always stay local regardless of disk space, make sure to explicitly select "Always keep on this device" rather than just opening it once.
If "Always keep on this device" doesn't appear in the right-click menu at all
This usually means Files On-Demand itself is disabled, which removes the distinction entirely (everything is just always local):
- Click the OneDrive icon in the system tray → Help & Settings → Settings
- Go to the Settings tab
- Confirm "Save space and download files as you use them" (Files On-Demand) is checked
If downloads are simply very slow
Download speed for cloud-only files depends on your actual internet connection and Microsoft's service load, not something you can speed up locally in most cases. If you have many large files you know you'll need offline (for travel, for example), it's worth proactively setting them to "Always keep on this device" well before you actually need them, rather than waiting until you're about to go offline.