How to Install and Configure OneDrive for Business Next Generation Sync Client

OneDrive for Business is a cloud service from Microsoft designed for you to store, sync, and share your work files. As part of Office 365 or SharePoint Server 2013, OneDrive for Business lets you and your team members update, share and collaborate on any of your Office documents from anywhere, on virtually any device.

Microsoft has recently made lots of improvement to the client that syncs files between your local computer and your remote cloud-hosted OneDrive for Business folder.

This blog post highlights some of the new features (and things to be aware of) of the OneDrive for Business Next Generation Sync Client, and provides instructions on how to install the newly released client.

New Features Highlights

Improved reliability and performance
Selective sync
Support for large file up to 10 GB in size
Removing 20,000 file sync limit
Admin controls to deploy and configure for end users for Windows and Mac OS X

Software Requirements

Requirements as of writing:

Windows 10, Windows 8, windows 7 or Mac OS X 10.9 and above.

Note that the New Sync client will work side–by-side with the existing sync client.

Installation and Setup

Step 1

Download and install the new OneDrive for Business sync client.

After the client is installed, you’ll see the following screen. At this stage, the client only shows the Sign in with Your Microsoft account option. The OneDrive accessed with your Microsoft account (such as Hotmail.com MSM.com and Outlook.com) is NOT OneDrive for Business, part of Office 365. This is your personal OneDrive associated with your Microsoft account. In order to sign in to your OneDrive for Business account associated with your Office 365 subscription, follow the instructions in step 2.

Step 2

Extract the Deployment Package, open DefaultToBusinessFRE.reg and then open EnableAddAccount.reg

After importing the registry keys, you will need to open the sync client from the windows start menu. This time it will show the Sign in with your work or school account option.

Step 3

Sign in and configure the folder location (optional).

Step 4

Select the folder that you want to sync locally and click next.

At this stage, the configuration is complete. Click on Open my OneDrive to go to your local folder.

The Windows Taskbar will show the sync client icon and status of the sync.

You’re all set and the new client has been successfully installed.

What’s Not Supported in the First Release of the New Sync Client?

The new sync client does not support syncing site libraries or on-premises instances of One Drive for Business
The new Sync client is not supported in windows 8.1. Support for this version will be added later on
If a user opens an Office document from their locally synced folder in Windows Explorer, the Office application does not detect that the file is a OneDrive for Business cloud-stored file. As a result, the following limitations apply:
- The user can’t participate in a co-authoring session of the document
- The ‘Most Recently Used’ list is updated with the local path to the document, not the cloud location
- Sharing via OneDrive for Business from the backstage of the Office app is not available
- Modern attachments are not available in Outlook 2016 because the system assumes that the attachment is a locally stored file versus a OneDrive for Business cloud-stored file
Microsoft has announced that the above stated limitations will be resolved for the Windows sync client in the second quarter of 2016. The above stated issues can be avoided by training users on how to properly open files. If they want co-authoring support and in-app sharing options, they need to open the documents in one of the following ways:
- Open command in the Office application
- Use Office Web Apps for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
There is currently no automated way to migrate content from an existing sync client to a new sync client but this feature will be available during the first quarter of 2016

For more information about OneDrive for Business, please contact FMT Consultants.

Written by:
Abdur Raheem, Senior SharePoint Consultant
FMT Consultants

FAQs

What is OneDrive for Business Next Generation Sync Client?

OneDrive for Business Next Generation Sync Client is a tool that allows users to synchronize their OneDrive for Business files with their local computers. It enables users to access, edit and share their files from anywhere, on any device, and offline. It is the latest version of the sync client for OneDrive for Business.