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Anthony2897842784bl
Participating Frequently
April 10, 2024
Answered

Premiere Pro downloading all my One Drive videos

  • April 10, 2024
  • 14 replies
  • 2619 views

Qiite often, when I begin a Premire Pro project, it will automatically trigger  ALL my One Drive video files to automatically download off the cloud. Not just the ones I am importing, but all of them. ANd I don't have to be importing a file for it to happen, it just seems to happen. 

I haven't been able to find a solution anywhere.

    Correct answer Bruce Bullis

    PPro's querying of the files in a given media directory, will in many cases provoke cloud sync utilities to download the actual file. 

    14 replies

    C
    Chandler32717681qisn
    Participant
    February 13, 2025

    Having this problem right now with Google Drive. I was working with a bunch of clips in Drive a month ago that were local to my system. Now most of those files have gone back into the cloud, I guess because they were inactive. Now when I open that project my entire Google Drive starts downloading

    Averdahl
    Community Expert
    AverdahlCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 13, 2025
    • Make sure to not have any assets in any folder/folders that Google Drive (any cloud service) uses.
    • Make sure to not save/create a new project that lands in any folder/folders that Google Drive (any cloud service) uses.

     

    In OneDrive/Google Drive you often have links to files that are stored in the cloud but not locally on your computer. They will appear as files though they are not, until they are downloaded. If you use them in a project, they will indeed be downloaded since Pr needs them and only works with assest that are stored locally.

     

    Thumb of rule is to never ever include files in folders that OneDrive/Google Drive, or any cloud service, controls in a project. Don´t save project files in any of those folders. Yes, upload project files you want to backup them. If one need files that are stored in the cloud, download them first and place them in a local folder outside reach for OneDrove/Google Drive, or any cloud service. That will work.

     

    All cloud services want to control and backup/sync user folders such as Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, etc, etc and unfortunately Adobe apps, including Premiere Pro, defaults to those folders out of the box and that causes issues like this and sometimes files/assets are lost, precious project files as well. Avoid those folders, always.

     

    quote

    Having this problem right now with Google Drive. I was working with a bunch of clips in Drive a month ago that were local to my system. Now most of those files have gone back into the cloud, I guess because they were inactive. Now when I open that project my entire Google Drive starts downloading


    By @Chandler32717681qisn

     

      R Neil Haugen
      R Neil Haugen
      Legend
      September 1, 2024

      This is where using something actually and totally designed for video file online workflows is a far better process.

       

      LucidLink is by far the better transfer handling service. It creates a virtual drive on your computer, rather than a standard "linked" folder.

       

      Your OS and Premiere see the online files as local storage. My partner on his Mac in Cape Town uploads a folder of media and calls me. I go to the virtual drive, and the folder appears. Media files start appearing.

       

      I can go into Premiere and import any file of the folder. Drag to a sequence and start playback.

       

      And the files aren't even finished uploading from Cape Town to London S3 servers yet. But I'm using them in Premiere on my PC. Without downloading a single file.

      Everyone's mileage always varies ...
      Bruce Bullis
      Bruce BullisCorrect answer
      Legend
      September 1, 2024

      PPro's querying of the files in a given media directory, will in many cases provoke cloud sync utilities to download the actual file. 

        J
        Jen Shipley
        Participating Frequently
        September 1, 2024

        I have the same problem only it's automatically downloading everything I have in iCloud, which is much much larger than my hard drive right now. And I can't look at anything in that folder without it downloading the entire dang thing. I don't understand this.

          Bruce Bullis
          Bruce Bullis
          Legend
          August 2, 2024

          > Why can't Premiere simply show the files that are in the folder?

          The best approach to avoiding such behavior is to not use a file syncing service like OneDrive, on folders containing media in active use.

          I'm not sure what Nero Video is doing, but those OneDrive downloads are provoked by PPro calling OS system APIs; we have no control over the interactions between OneDrive and the OS. 

          A
          AFasterPC.com
          Participant
          August 2, 2024

          I have offloaded multiple video and audio files from my computer to OneDrive. Today, I opened Adobe Premiere for the first time ever and clicked on the folder where I store videos. Instead of showing the files that are in the folder, Premiere started searching the folder, and files started automatically downloading which I didn't want. Why can't Premiere simply show the files that are in the folder? Nero Video can access the same folder without launching downloads of multiple files that I don't need on my drive anymore and don't have enough room on my drive to store.

            Stan Jones
            Community Expert
            Stan JonesCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            April 12, 2024

            I don't see this discussed, so I'll ask: What are your OneDrive sync settings? If you pause syncing, does this change the behavior?

             

            I don't understand why this would happen only with PR no matter the sync settings, but, for example, there are settings for downloading all files or downloading a file the first time it is opened. Mostly curious: I stayed logged out of OneDrive, so I would not see syncing even if I had files there.

             

            Stan

             

              A
              Anthony2897842784blAuthor
              Participating Frequently
              April 11, 2024

              Nothing. Have goine back and checked. Wonder if there was a PPro update around that time? Anyway, whatever is causing it, it;s only with PPro and it's a pain. Have been using it with One Drive for years. May have to try something else.

                Bruce Bullis
                Bruce Bullis
                Legend
                April 11, 2024

                > can I stop PPro from scanning them?

                 

                No; as mentioned, there's no mechanism to prevent PPro from trying.


                What changed about your OneDrive settings, in October 2023?

                A
                Anthony2897842784blAuthor
                Participating Frequently
                April 11, 2024

                And it only started happening in October 2023. Was totally fine before.

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