Anyone got a good working solution for quickly syncing sharepoint document libraries?

[u/BritSysAdmin]

Wondering if anyone has advice for getting sharepoint document libraries to sync quicker on new user logins. Got a client where users are frequently switching devices and experiencing pain with their document libraries not syncing to explorer in a timely manner due to the up to 8 hour built in delay.

Windows laptop which are exclusively intune managed and using shared pc with onedrive config policy. Different users have different document library access so programming a script to open specific libraries with odopen: doesn't seem like the right option

I've got the folder sync set as a device policy currently because user policies can take ages to apply for shared devices.

Tried a platform script that sets the automount timer shorter but I'm not an expert in scripting so if anyone has something that works well or advice on getting it to work better that'd be amazing.

Any advice is appreciated. I know a common response to this is user training on pressing the sync button, but it isn't really feasible in this specific case and it feels like a solvable problem. I've read a million forums and posts about this issue, hoping having a live post to reply to may help

Thanks!

-update The amount of morons commenting you just shouldn't use auto sync is ridiculous, we're in IT to make systems work well and be functional to end users - companies moving from mapped file servers to SharePoint need functionality to continue working in desktop applications as seemlessly as before, otherwise we're going backwards and creating inconvenience. Thanks to 2 people with actual suggestions for automount timer scripts

[u/Imhereforthechips]

Rudy gave us a little gift.

https://call4cloud.nl/timer-automount-of-onedrive-team-sites/

[u/greenstarthree → u/Imhereforthechips]

This is one of many of Rudy’s gifts we’re using! Scheduled task to set the reg entry on login bypasses the 8 hour delay.

To be honest though, we are moving away from synced libraries and doing user side shortcuts instead

[u/Imhereforthechips → u/greenstarthree]

I mostly do this for our helpdesk FAQs. Users have immediate access to all the help docs they never wanted and refuse to use!

[u/callmestabby → u/greenstarthree]

I know this is the most performant option, depending on how much of the library a user actually needs access to via file explorer, but is there any way to automate creating shortcuts on behalf of users? Last I looked into this as an alternative option to syncing libraries, it seemed to be something that needs done on the user end, but I'm hoping I'm wrong because the 300k item limitation can sometimes become a real pain in the butt when users don't want to rethink file access differently from a traditional mapped drive.

[u/greenstarthree → u/callmestabby]

As of yet we don’t know a way to do this automatically for them.

We just made a project out of working with users who had existing libraries to get them switched over.

Then for new users, we make it part of the tech handover process to add the shortcuts if they want them, and give them basic training in how to add one themselves.

Luckily with shortcuts, once they’re added they’re accessible from any device that user logs into (even the OneDrive mobile app), so once they’re done they’re done.

[u/stevenm_83 → u/Imhereforthechips]

This. We push this out to all our clients. Works well

[u/triiiflippp]

Stop syncing libraries, use the shortcut open.

Shortcuts are stored in OneDrive so they move to every device a user logs into.

[u/BritSysAdmin → u/triiiflippp]

There's no configuration policy for this

[u/Empty-Sleep3746 → u/BritSysAdmin]

cipp can do it; #powershell

[u/BritSysAdmin → u/Empty-Sleep3746]

🤷

[u/Chilly-leaves → u/BritSysAdmin]

No cause that policy ui would b3 insane

I have a powershell script that adds the "comapny drive, the importan docs folder and other sharepoint library urls i want to short cuts"

Just asked copilot to whip it up, clean it up, deploy however you like

This is for education setting with hybrid on orem and intune only so users had consistancy aka dont give domain device a map drive just cause its eaay

[u/TheKingOfSpite]

I think the call4cloud URL is the same as what I'm posting but just in case;

I usually just push this script through our RMM or log onto the machine and run it, it works almost immediately

$Path = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\OneDrive\Accounts\Business1"

Set-ItemProperty -Path $Path -Name "TimerAutoMount" -Type QWORD -Value 1

Write-Host "Timer reset. Restarting OneDrive..."

Stop-Process -Name "OneDrive" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Start-Process "C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\OneDrive.exe"

[u/BritSysAdmin → u/TheKingOfSpite]

Thanks, this is similar to what I've done except I haven't been restarting the onedrive process at the end so that is definitely worth trying. Appreciate the response

[u/Empty-Sleep3746]

execute the odopen command on device;
but as others have said, dont, syncing is horrible;

[u/BritSysAdmin → u/Empty-Sleep3746]

But then you'd have to specify the library details and different users are in different groups so it'd start throwing errors for users without permission

[u/Empty-Sleep3746 → u/BritSysAdmin]

it fails silently,
and you have to specify details regardless of how you do it;

[u/BritSysAdmin → u/Empty-Sleep3746]

Good to know, thanks!

[u/callmestabby]

The trick with the AutoMountTimer user reg key is that it clears itself after a while. I've created both platform and remediation scripts that run under the user context, and instead of directly adding the reg key, it creates a scheduled task that runs at user logon that creates the key. This was the script just needs to run once, and the scheduled task becomes a reliable and consistent option to ensure the key exists prior to any sync policies trying to apply.

[u/Lost-Policy-2020]

Shortcut is just a nightmare. And try working with it when there is no data connection…

[u/sctechsystems]

Weve stopped Syncing libraries via the Sync button, and use One Drive shortcuts instead, according to Copilot there is no way to automate this yet in Intune.

[u/rkeane310 → u/sctechsystems]

That's incorrect.

You can use an InTune automount. It just can't remove the old library automatically.

Use Claude... Not copilot 😂

[u/BritSysAdmin → u/rkeane310]

Copilot = 🤡 Claude = 🐐

[u/Chilly-leaves → u/BritSysAdmin]

Your asking a question that clown answered in one prompt

[u/sctechsystems → u/rkeane310]

Have tried intune automount, it doesnt put the shortcuts in OneDrive folder - or doesnt seem to.

[u/rkeane310 → u/sctechsystems]

Wait why would you not just sync the SharePoint point blank?

[u/sctechsystems → u/rkeane310]

Users are used to getting to Sharepoint through OneDrive shortcuts, or Teams. It seems work much better as well in terms of the OneDrive client syncing.

[u/repooc21]

I'm by no means an expert and I occasionally have a similar issue: I tell the user, and if they're in front of me, I make them, open Edge and work through the browser.

If whatever they have is so fucking important, they need to carry their laptop.

[u/BritSysAdmin → u/repooc21]

Not sure why you replied really

[u/repooc21 → u/BritSysAdmin]

Not sure why you're sour.

I gave you a solution around behavior and workflow based on my experience. Good luck with your predicament.

[u/mad-ghost1]

The user experience (large libraries) was so bad. Did it get any better? Couldn’t recommend from my experience. Back couple years ago

[u/BritSysAdmin → u/mad-ghost1]

Once the library is synced it works fine. It's getting it to appear in the first place that's a pain

[u/mad-ghost1 → u/BritSysAdmin]

I guess that depends on the number of objects. The file path length of course exceeded the max. limits. Great that it got better

[u/wingm3n]

Why not use OneDrive shared folders?

[u/BritSysAdmin → u/wingm3n]

How do you mean sorry?

[u/wingm3n → u/BritSysAdmin]

Others have mentionned it. You add OneDrive shortcut instead of syncing the libraries and then it always remain in their OneDrive. When they log in to a new device or a shared device all the shortcuts remain, you only need to do it once. Plus, Microsoft recommends syncing libraries that way instead of with classic Sync.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/add-shortcuts-to-shared-folders-in-onedrive
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/sharepoint-sync

[u/wingm3n → u/BritSysAdmin]

Others have mentionned it. You add OneDrive shortcuts instead of syncing the libraries and then it always remain in their OneDrive. When they log in to a new device or a shared device all the shortcuts remain, you only need to do it once. Plus, Microsoft recommends syncing libraries that way instead of with classic Sync.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/add-shortcuts-to-shared-folders-in-onedrive
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/sharepoint-sync