Opinion: Learning to manage your cloud storage
This week a reader is having a problem with Microsoft OneDrive.
'I had been keeping all of my files off of OneDrive successfully for several years. Somehow in the last year, all of my files, documents, photos, etc., have been moved to the OneDrive cloud storage. I want everything back and nothing left on the cloud. Each time I have followed Microsoft's instructions on how to do this, it doesn't work. It places everything back on my hard drive as 'copies' of everything in the cloud, leaving all of the originals on the cloud. I am at my wits' end! I want to turn OneDrive off permanently once I finally get everything back.'
Not everyone is comfortable with their files being stored in the cloud.
You can see what local folders are set to sync to the OneDrive cloud by clicking on the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray and choosing the gear icon on the top right and choosing Settings.
At the top of the Settings page is a button to Manage Backup, which is where you can pick which of your local folders are automatically synced to OneDrive. You can check here to see if your Desktop, Documents or Downloads folders (or others) are set to sync. Make your own choices here.
You can also pause syncing all your files under the gear icon.
The easiest way to copy your files from OneDrive back to your computer is to use a browser to log into your OneDrive and download the files.
The OneDrive web interface will show you exactly what files are in the cloud. You can select the files and/or folders and click the download button. I recommend you save them to an external hard drive or flash drive.
Once you have your files safely onto whatever drive you choose, you can unlink your PC from OneDrive. Under the gear icon, select the Account setting and click 'Unlink this PC.'
Finally, you can uninstall OneDrive under your computer's Settings by selecting Apps or Apps & Features, then choosing Microsoft OneDrive from the application list, clicking on it and selecting Uninstall. – Tribune News Service
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The Star
13 hours ago
- The Star
Indonesia-US trade deal possible threat to data sovereignty
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Airlangga added that 12 US tech companies, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and Google Cloud, have complied with national regulations by building data centres in Indonesia. Digital advocacy groups, however, have raised concerns over the agreement's potential threat to domestic data rights and privacy, as well as compromised control over the country's digital infrastructure. Hendra Suryakusuma, chairman of the Indonesian Data Centre Providers Organisation, warned that allowing personal data generated in Indonesia to be transferred and analysed in the US could undermine Indonesia's digital sovereignty. 'We are at risk of losing our data control, whether it's strategic, personal or open data. This may also lead to the potential of increased digital dependency,' Hendra told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. He added that the local data centres could end up functioning only as 'edge computing' or 'hybrid cloud generators', roles in which they would no longer serve as the main site for data processing. This might cause prospective industry players to rethink their entry into Indonesia's market, hindering investment, he said, noting that global tech firms that had planned to invest billions of dollars in data centres in the country might divert their investment to the US. Domestic data centre operators, internet service providers and state-owned power monopolist Perusahaan Listrik Negara could also miss out on significant revenue potential driven by demand for data storage and processing, which consumes large amounts of electricity. 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In a press release published on Wednesday, Elsam described the digital trade deal as 'unfair', arguing that the agreement favored interests of US-based data storage companies over the protection of personal data. It also highlighted the potential threat of mass surveillance of Indonesian citizens by US authorities, as well as risks from cross-border data flows, given that the Indonesian government has yet to establish a personal data protection body to oversee such practices. 'The absence of this institution, alongside fragmented cross-sectoral regulations, has led to weak oversight of the protection of personal data transferred overseas. This includes an increased risk of data leaks, misuse and violations of privacy rights,' reads the press release. Pratama Persadha, who chairs the cybersecurity watchdog Communication and Information System Security Research Centre, said the agreement could help accelerate the establishment of an independent institution overseeing data protection. 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There's squads, large sets of people, at these companies who determine these policies and write them down and encode them into these systems.' Sacks credited a conservative strategist who has fought DEI initiatives at colleges and workplaces for helping to draft the order. "When they asked me how to define 'woke,' I said there's only one person to call: Chris Rufo. And now it's law: the federal government will not be buying WokeAI,' Sacks wrote on X. Rufo responded that, in addition to helping define the phrase, he also helped "identify DEI ideologies within the operating constitutions of these systems.' – AP
The Star
21 hours ago
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OpenAI prepares to launch GPT-5 in August, The Verge reports
FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken, March 11, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo (Reuters) -Artificial intelligence pioneer OpenAI plans to launch its GPT-5 model as early as August, The Verge reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the plans. The new model, which was expected to launch this summer, will be positioned as an AI system that incorporates distinct models and can perform different functions as opposed to just a single AI model. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Microsoft-backed startup's GPT-5 will incorporate its o3 model along with other technologies, CEO Sam Altman had said in February, in a bid to simplify its offerings. The startup ultimately aims to merge the o-series and GPT-series models as it looks to create AI systems that can utilize all available tools and handle a variety of tasks. "While GPT-5 looks likely to debut in early August, OpenAI's planned release dates often shift to respond to development challenges, server capacity issues, or even rival AI model announcements and leaks," according to the report. (Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
