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Microsoft makes test build of its OneDrive Placeholders replacement available to Windows 10 Insiders

Microsoft is opening up testing of its OneDrive Files On-Demand feature to Windows Insider testers, ahead of its debut in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

Microsoft is making available an updated OneDrive client that will allow Windows Insider testers to try out its promised replacement for its former OneDrive Placeholders feature.

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Credit: Microsoft

Over the next few days, said officials on June 13, Microsoft will deliver the new OneDrive Files On-Demand feature which officials announced at Build 2017 to Fast Ring testers. Testers who want to try this out need to be running Windows 10 build 16215, which Microsoft rolled out last week. Fast Ring Insiders who don't want to wait can install the preview of OneDrive Files On-Demand directly from Microsoft's download site.

Files On-Demand, which ultimately will be part of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, expected to roll out this September, will allow users to access their files without having to download them, using up storage on their devices. Even online files will be viewable in File Explorer and work like other files stored locally on users' devices, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft removed Placeholders from Windows 8.1 back in 2014. Officials have been promising some kind of a replacement for the feature for the past couple of years.

Unlike the Windows 8.1 Placeholders version, OneDrive Files On-Demand will work with the consumer OneDrive service, OneDrive for Business, and SharePoint sites for Microsoft Teams, company officials said.

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