Microsoft discontinues OneDrive fetch files service

OneDrive fetch files feature will retire on July 31, 2020. If you accessed files this way, it's time to upload the to cloud for easy access.

OneDrive fetch files (discontinued)
OneDrive fetch files (discontinued)

Microsoft will remove file fetching feature from OneDrive starting on July 31, 2020. In OneDrive, fetch files was a handy feature available in the client application on Windows 10 and Windows 7, which allowed you to access all your files on a computer using the web version of OneDrive.

The feature was capable of letting you browse pretty much any storage connected to the device. You were able access the “C” drive and secondary drives, and even network locations mapped as network drives.

According to an updated support page that was first spotted by Borncity (via Neowin), Microsoft is planning to discontinue the feature at the end of July 2020. In the meantime, you can still access your files, but the OneDrive page will show you a message that reads: “OneDrive is shutting down the fetch files service. After July 31, 2020, you will no longer be able to fetch files from your PC.”

If you have specific files that you used access with the fetch files feature, it’s now the time to upload them to OneDrive to make them available online.

Did you used to use OneDrive fetch files? Tell us in the comments.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.