What is the Guidance re: Windows 11 / Pro Tools Install Folders?

[taylor4814]

Pro Tools Studio 2022.12
Windows 11 Home
Version 22H2
OS build 22621.963

I'm searching but I'm not finding any guidance on Windows 11 (22H2) setup re: Microsoft account login vs. local account login, as regards Pro Tools...

I wouldn't knowingly have installed Pro Tools into a cloud-synchronized folder, but I didn't fully appreciate that Windows 11 (22H2) integrates OneDrive in such a way that it seemingly takes over the local Documents folder...

Now it seems that no matter what I do, including re-installs, setting Pro Tools preferences for file paths, I can't keep Pro Tools activity out of the OneDrive folder paths...
Just now, despite everything seemingly installed and file path preferences set to Local path (and folder set to NOT back up):

C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Pro Tools

…when I went to download PT Cloud Collaboration Projects, it put them here:

C:\Users\myusername\OneDrive\Documents\Pro Tools\Project Cache

[taylor4814]

Trashing preferences did not initially seem to help, but after again re-setting the Project Media Cache root file path in Preferences (which was already set) and "Remove local cache" of a cloud collaboration project, it now seems to be saving Projects as preferred, to:

C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Pro Tools\Project Cache

[albee1952]

Random recommendations(my opinions)
1-DON'T use cloud collaboration or cloud-based iLok(use a physical iLok whenever possible)
2-Create sessions, NOT projects(projects live in the cloud while sessions live on your local drives)
3-On the opening window(where you create or open existing sessions), check the box to allow you(the user) to specify where sessions are saved to(NOT the default folder)
4-search the web for instructions on removing OneDrive(though if you adhere to #3, OneDrive should not be a factor).

[taylor4814]

Thanks... that's why I'm surprised to so far not have seen instruction from Avid (am I missing it somewhere?) on Windows 22H2 setup re: choosing Microsoft account login or not... because it makes the OneDrive Documents folder *THE* documents folder for the PC...

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by taylor4814

Thanks... that's why I'm surprised to so far not have seen instruction from Avid (am I missing it somewhere?) on Windows 22H2 setup re: choosing Microsoft account login or not... because it makes the OneDrive Documents folder *THE* documents folder for the PC...

Not necessarily true. I use a MS account login and don't have Documents synced to the cloud. On Windows install there should have been an option to store docs locally. If answered wrong or the option wasn't given, you can turn it off in OneDrive --> Settings --> Manage Backup. Turn off Documents and anything else you don't want to sync automatically. I find having the OneDrive folders locally handy when moving files from machine to machine. You can have both local and OneDrive docs folders and manually move files to OneDrive that you want to share. On the main studio box OneDrive is off until I need to use it. There is a OneDrive option to not load at startup.

[taylor4814]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Not necessarily true. I use a MS account login and don't have Documents synced to the cloud. On Windows install there should have been an option to store docs locally. If answered wrong or the option wasn't given, you can turn it off in OneDrive --> Settings --> Manage Backup. Turn off Documents and anything else you don't want to sync automatically. I find having the OneDrive folders locally handy when moving files from machine to machine. You can have both local and OneDrive docs folders and manually move files to OneDrive that you want to share. On the main studio box OneDrive is off until I need to use it. There is a OneDrive option to not load at startup.

Right — that is where I've ended up, with the OneDrive --> Settings --> Manage Backup settings turned off (Stop backup) for the Documents folder. I must have missed the account options in the initial Windows setup, and have thus far not wanted to do a complete re-install. I *do* generally use OneDrive for general file management; I'll try the startup option too...

If I had chosen local storage option in initial Windows login account setup, can OneDrive still function independently as in earlier Windows versions (with its own Documents folder, mirrored from the cloud)?

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by taylor4814

If I had chosen local storage option in initial Windows login account setup, can OneDrive still function independently as in earlier Windows versions (with its own Documents folder, mirrored from the cloud)?

Yes and even if you took the wrong option on install. You should have two Documents folders. One in your user folder (yourusername\Documents) and one in the OneDrive folder (yourusername\OneDrive\Documents). In the File Explorer you can set the location of the default user Documents folder (right-click, Properties and then click the Location tab).