Short answer
Known Folder Move redirects a user's Windows Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders into OneDrive, so those files are backed up, synced across devices and restorable. Most organizations on Microsoft 365 should turn it on, silently, through Intune or Group Policy. Check first for large or unsupported files, existing folder redirection, and network capacity for the initial upload.
Key facts
- Known Folder Move covers the Windows Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders.
- It can be deployed silently with Intune settings or Group Policy, with an option to stop users moving folders back.
- Files On-Demand keeps local disk use down by downloading content only when opened.
- Existing folder redirection to a file server should be removed before enabling it.
- Once enabled, a lost or replaced laptop no longer means lost desktop files.
What Known Folder Move actually does
Known Folder Move, often called KFM or folder backup, is a OneDrive sync app feature. It changes the location of Windows known folders, Desktop, Documents and Pictures, so they live inside the user's OneDrive folder. The paths users see do not change: Desktop is still Desktop. Behind the scenes, the files sync to OneDrive in Microsoft 365.
That gives three benefits. Files are protected if a device is lost, stolen or reimaged. Users see the same files on every Windows device they sign in to. And version history, the OneDrive recycle bin and Restore your OneDrive let users and admins recover from deletions and ransomware.
Should you turn it on?
For most organizations using Microsoft 365 and Windows, yes. It closes the most common data loss gap: work saved to the desktop or Documents on a laptop with no backup. It also makes device replacement and Autopilot resets much easier, because users sign in and their files come back.
There are cases to plan for rather than reasons to skip it. Shared or kiosk devices, users who keep very large media or virtual machine files in Documents, and environments that still redirect folders to a file server all need a decision first.
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Standard laptops and desktops | Enable silently |
| Existing folder redirection to a file server | Remove redirection, migrate content, then enable |
| Very large or unsupported files in Documents | Clean up or move before enabling |
| Shared or kiosk devices | Usually leave off |
| Low bandwidth sites | Throttle upload and stage rollout |
How to deploy it
Use the OneDrive policies available in Intune settings catalog or Group Policy administrative templates. The key settings are silently sign in users to the OneDrive sync app with their Windows credentials, silently move Windows known folders to OneDrive, and prevent users from redirecting known folders back to their PC. Files On-Demand is on by default in current versions.
Roll out in rings. Start with IT, then a pilot group, then the rest by department or site. Watch the OneDrive sync health reports in the Microsoft 365 apps admin center for errors and devices that did not move.
- Confirm devices are Entra joined or hybrid joined and on a current OneDrive version.
- Enable silent account configuration and silent Known Folder Move.
- Block moving folders back to the PC once you are confident.
- Use upload rate limits on constrained networks.
- Monitor sync health reports and follow up with failures.
Common problems and how to avoid them
The move can fail or be delayed when folders contain files OneDrive cannot sync, such as certain system files, open Outlook data files, or paths that are too long. Older Outlook PST files in Documents are a common culprit; plan to retire or move them. Folders already redirected to a network share must be un-redirected first, usually by changing the Group Policy and letting content copy back, or by migrating that content to OneDrive with Migration Manager.
The initial upload can be large across many users at once. Stagger the rollout and use upload throttling at small sites. Also tell users what will change: their desktop icons will show cloud status, and files are now visible in OneDrive on the web and mobile.
Known Folder Move and security
Moving files into OneDrive brings them under Microsoft 365 controls: sensitivity labels, data loss prevention, retention policies and sharing settings. Review OneDrive external sharing defaults before rollout so more files in OneDrive does not mean more files shared outside the organization. Pair KFM with Conditional Access that limits sync to managed devices if your security baseline requires it.
How Accred Consulting approaches it
Accred Consulting deploys Known Folder Move as part of device and migration engagements. Discovery checks device join state, OneDrive versions, existing folder redirection, file types and bandwidth, and the proposal sets scope, fixed price and timeline. The US-based specialists assigned to your engagement configure OneDrive policies in Intune or Group Policy, migrate redirected folders, roll out in rings and monitor sync health. In one engagement, about 280 devices across 11 locations moved to Autopilot and Intune. Handover includes documentation and knowledge transfer, with optional support retainers.
Track record: 475+ client projects, 2,000+ migration workstreams and 210,000+ users migrated by a US-based team. Company facts · Case studies
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