Desktop in OneDrive

[aadoek]

in recent Library and Software Carpentry workshops I noticed that the Setup instructions of this and other lessons present a problem to Microsoft OneDrive users. The instruction is to install software and/or files on the Desktop. Microsoft seems to have placed the Desktop in OneDrive. Things in OneDrive are not fully under the user's control. So at some points the participants are asked to do things that OneDrive doesn't allow.

[tobyhodges]

Thank you for reporting this issue, @aadoek 🙌 This is a perfect fit for our wiki page on Configuration Problems and Solutions. I would like to provide more information about exactly what happens the first time such an error is encountered, to help people recognise the issue when it arises, but unfortunately I do not have access to a Windows system at the moment.

I wonder if you are able to help me, by posting some more detail here about what the problem looks like e.g. what is the error message? When is it first encountered in the lesson?

[jmjamison]

I use windows on my own machine but don't use OneDrive so I haven't encountered this myself. Usually I see this happen with work-issued laptops - setup without the user having admin privileges. I'm guessing that a user who has control of their own machine wouldn't have that problem.

UCLA is scheduling carpentry workshops for February. We can keep an eye out for related examples then.

[jas58]

I created PR #215 recently when I tested this before teaching last week. I chatted with Sarah Stevens about it, too. @sstevens2