A support document published by Microsoft confirms the company will kill off the Fetch files feature in OneDrive. According to the note, the company will remove the tool after July 31, 2020. However, it's not all bad news for OneDrive for PC users as we've recently discussed alternatives for fetching files through TeamViewer.
Before getting to that, it's worth looking at what Microsoft says about the demise of the Fetch files tool:
“After July 31, 2020, you will no longer be able to fetch files from your PC,” the document explains. “However, you can sync files and folders to OneDrive and then access those files from your web browser or your phone. To automatically sync the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders on your PC, you can turn on OneDrive PC folder backup.”
This will be a shame for many OneDrive users, who valued the Fetch files feature. By using this tool, users could access any files on one PC from another. This was provided through the OneDrive website, which allowed you to remotely browse PC files and drives.
Our Alternatives to Fetch Files
While it is being removed, we have recently published a tutorial that details some alternatives for the Fetch file feature. Specifically, users can leverage TeamViewer to accomplish the same goal.
TeamViewer is a third-party cross-platform remote control desktop software. The service allows users to share desktops, online meetings, web conferencing and file transfer between computers. It is a free, secure, and easy to use alternative to OneDrive Fetch files.
Alternatively, you can fetch files from a PC by taking the scenic route. This involves syncing files directly to OneDrive and then accessing them on a web browser. Of course, syncing files is more time consuming, which is why TeamViewer is arguably a better option.
It is worth checking out our tutorial How to Use OneDrive or TeamViewer to Fetch Files from a Remote PC for a step-by-step guide for using the alternatives to Fetch files.
