How to back up OneDrive to Backblaze B2
OneDrive is good at keeping files available across your devices. It is not a separate backup. A deleted folder, a compromised account, or a bad sync can reach every device connected to the same account.
Backblaze B2 gives you a copy outside Microsoft's ecosystem. Blober can now read OneDrive through Microsoft Graph and write those files directly to B2, so you do not need to download the whole library first.
Why the desktop folder is a poor backup source
Section titled "Why the desktop folder is a poor backup source"OneDrive Files On-Demand keeps online-only files as placeholders on your disk. They look like ordinary files in Finder or File Explorer, but the content stays in Microsoft's cloud until something opens the file.
That saves disk space. It also means a backup tool that reads only the local OneDrive folder may see a placeholder instead of the file itself. The usual workaround is to select "Always keep on this device" and wait for OneDrive to download everything. For a large account, that can take hours and may not fit on the computer at all.
Blober avoids the local folder. It requests each file from OneDrive through Microsoft Graph, then streams it to Backblaze B2 through your computer. Files On-Demand does not enter the path.
Why use B2 for a OneDrive backup
Section titled "Why use B2 for a OneDrive backup"The useful part is separation. Your working files stay in OneDrive, while the backup lives under a different provider and account. B2 also uses S3-compatible object storage, which suits archives that you expect to keep longer than you actively edit them.
This transfer copies files and folders. It does not reproduce Microsoft sharing permissions, version history, comments, or recycle-bin contents.
How to copy OneDrive to Backblaze B2
Section titled "How to copy OneDrive to Backblaze B2"- Connect Microsoft OneDrive in Blober.
- Connect Backblaze B2 with your key ID, application key, and bucket.
- Create a workflow with OneDrive as the source and B2 as the destination.
- Choose the OneDrive folder and the destination path in your bucket.
- Start the workflow and keep Blober open until it finishes.
Blober recreates the folder structure in B2. The data passes through the computer running Blober, but it is not staged as a second full copy on disk.
What the OneDrive connection can see
Section titled "What the OneDrive connection can see"Blober reads the signed-in user's default OneDrive. That includes ordinary files and folders in "My files." It does not include "Shared with me," SharePoint or Teams libraries, OneNote notebooks, Personal Vault, or shortcuts to another drive.
If a shared file must be part of the backup, first download it and upload it to your own OneDrive as an ordinary file. An "Add shortcut to My files" shortcut is still a reference to another drive, so Blober skips it.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled "Frequently asked questions"Do I need to mark every OneDrive file "Always keep on this device"?
No. Blober reads the cloud copy through Microsoft Graph rather than backing up the local OneDrive sync folder.
Does the transfer need free disk space equal to my OneDrive library?
No. Files stream through the computer running Blober and are not stored there as a complete intermediate copy.
Is Backblaze B2 a full OneDrive clone?
No. It receives the files and folder structure. OneDrive permissions, links, comments, version history, and deleted items do not transfer.
Can Blober include files shared with me?
Not from OneDrive. Microsoft's old "Shared with me" Graph endpoint is
deprecated, requires broader access to read remote items, and will stop
returning data after November 2026. Blober keeps the narrower
Files.ReadWrite permission and reads only the signed-in user's drive.
Related guides
Section titled "Related guides"- The 3-2-1 backup rule for people who live in the cloud
- What S3-compatible really means
- OneDrive setup
Get Blober
Section titled "Get Blober"Move your OneDrive files to Backblaze B2 without first filling your disk.