Managing Files on Your PC and in the Cloud

Keeping track of what is where.

Document management can be complex and confusing, particularly when cloud storage is involved. I'll review why that is and suggest how to manage it.

A computer screen. On the screen, there are synchronization arrows connecting to a cloud icon, illustrating the cloud sync process. The background features a modern office setup with a keyboard and mouse on the desk, and a tidy workspace. — (Image: DALL-E 3)

Question: I have one desktop computer in the office, one at home, a laptop at home, and an iPhone. I have OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud. I do presentations using PowerPoint. I plan to use OneDrive as the main cloud storage. I have been having many versions of the same presentation, which is confusing. What is a good way to use when preparing a presentation? Should I work on the native computer and then save it in the cloud, or should I start in the cloud all the time and then save it to the native computer?

Given all the different services for cloud storage and all the places our documents can end up, it’s easy to get confused about what to do where and when.

Naturally, I have opinions.

Let me show you how I handle files working on files on my PC and in the cloud.

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Working on your PC and the cloud

Make sure your cloud app is running and synchronizing properly; then work on your documents locally and let the cloud service sync changes online. Keep one master file, avoiding multiple active versions. Archive final versions in a dedicated archive folder either in your cloud service folders or a local folder. Regularly back up your files to ensure data safety.

How most cloud services work

Cloud Synchronization — (Image: askleo.com)

Services like OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, Proton Drive, and iCloud all share one fundamental way of operating: synchronization. That’s a state in which everything is identical.

Each has a synchronization application you install and run on your PC 1.
Each has a folder on your PC specifically for their service.
The application keeps everything in that folder (including subfolders) in sync with their respective online storage.

What does that last one mean? I’ll use Dropbox as an example.

Say your Dropbox folder is at “C:\Users\<username>\Dropbox” on your PC.
If you create a file on your PC — say “C:\Users\<username>\Dropbox\example.txt” — it is immediately copied to your Dropbox storage online.
If you create a file online on Dropbox.com — say “secondexample.txt” — then it’s immediately copied down to your PC and appears in “C:\Users\<username>\Dropbox\secondexample.txt”.
If you update or delete a file locally on your PC, it’s automatically updated or deleted online.
If you update or delete a file online, it’s automatically updated or deleted on your PC.

There are disk-saving and other options to control what files appear on your PC and how, but fundamentally, that’s how all these services work: they keep a folder on your PC synchronized with the cloud storage online.

How OneDrive Works: the Very Basics

OneDrive is a free, useful service. Learn the basics here.

Deleting is worth an extra look

I sometimes hear from people who have deleted a file on their PC and are surprised that the file has also been removed from the cloud.

That’s how it’s supposed to work.

In part, that’s why it’s dangerous to think of OneDrive as a backup system. While it can be a part of an overall strategy, it should never be considered a backup by itself. Why?

If you delete a file locally on your PC, it’s automatically deleted online.
If you delete a file online, it’s automatically deleted from your PC.

That’s an important part of synchronization to understand.

Working on a document

So do you work on documents on your computer or online? Here’s my recommendation.

Make sure your cloud service’s application is running and working as I’ve described above.
Always work on the copy on your PC. PC-based applications are typically more robust, but more importantly, working on your PC will be faster and more responsive.
Let the cloud service application replicate any changes you make on your PC online.

That’s it. I daresay that’s the workflow most of these services were originally designed for.

How not to organize revisions

Now that we have the master document in one place, we can deal with saving revisions, if that’s what you want to do.

I think we’ve all seen a document (or a meme) named:

MyImportantLetter-2024-05-04.1.23.final.really-final.really-mean-it-this-time.ok-once-more.docx

Essentially, folks keep changing the name of the file to reflect the version of the document they’re working on.

Stop doing that.

Never change the filename of a document master to reflect a document revision. Period. Never.

As you’ve seen, this gets very confusing very quickly, especially if it’s a document you’re sharing with or collaborating on with others.

At any point in time, there should be one and only one master copy of the document.

MyImportantLetter.docx

That’s the document you work on, that’s the document you find in Dropbox (or whatever it is you’re using), and that’s the document that is automatically updated online. Most importantly, it’s clear that this is The Official Current Document.

So how do you manage revisions?

Managing revisions

An archival scheme. — (Image: askleo.com)

If 2 you need to manage or archive previous versions of documents, here’s my suggestion.

Create an Archive folder within whatever folder the master copy of the document is stored.
When a document is “released” (or whatever is equivalent for your situation), place a copy in the archive.
Then and only then change the archived copy’s filename to indicate its revision. That could mean including a date, a revision number, a letter, or whatever you like. Something along the lines of:

MyImportantLetter.2024-05-04.docx

This way, you always know where the master copy is, and your revisions are easily accessible.

If you follow the approach above, that “archive” folder is kept in your cloud storage. This has pros and cons: it takes up more space, but it’s accessible wherever the cloud storage is accessible.

Depending on the situation, you may choose not to keep the archive online. You might place the archive folder in a folder local to your PC but not in any cloud service. For example:

C:\Users\<username>\MyArchives

This means they won’t be taking up space in the cloud. If you’re backing up your PC regularly, as you should be, they’ll still be getting backed up.

Do this

It’s absolutely worth the effort to set up a document management and archival procedure, especially if you’re collaborating. While what I’ve described above is my recommended approach, anything that keeps things organized in a way that makes sense to you is great.

Just don’t put version numbers in the filename, OK? Smile

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Footnotes & References

1: In the generic sense of PC. This applies to Macs as well. Mobile devices work differently.

2: In many cases, the answer is that you don’t. In that case, all of this becomes moot.

3 comments on “Managing Files on Your PC and in the Cloud”

Mark Jacobs (Team Leo)

June 13, 2024 at 12:24 pm

I have a spreadsheet in OneDrive that I edit online with Excel Online. Why do I do it? I have a couple of Linux machines. I can simply edit my file online and sync it with my other computers. I can download the file to my Linux machine, edit it in Libre Office, and upload it again, but working online is easier. On my Windows machines, I sometimes edit online, and other times Excel.exe on my computer. They are interchangeable.
Lanny Beam

June 13, 2024 at 3:39 pm

Leo,
I’m new to cloud storage. If I have multiple computers signed onto the same cloud account (maybe One Drive), and I edit and make changes on one computer, when I save that file will it be reflected not only on the cloud, but on the 2nd computer? How long (with a reasonably quick Internet connection) will this take? Seconds, minutes, or longer?
- Mark Jacobs (Team Leo)
  
  June 13, 2024 at 5:19 pm
  
  Yes, that’s how it works. I have 5 computers. All my user files are in my OneDrive folder on each computer. I can sit down at any one and it’s as if they are all the same computer. Small files such as office documents and even photos range from almost instantaneous to a few minutes unless there is the rare glitch. Larger files can take hours.