Many users migrating from Windows to Zorin OS 18 run into a frustrating issue: they can’t easily access their OneDrive files from the file manager. If you rely on OneDrive for work, school, or syncing across devices, this can be a real blocker.
Good news! Thanks to a feature built into GNOME 46 (which Zorin OS 18 uses), you can now mount your OneDrive account directly in Nautilus—no extra apps, no sketchy scripts, and no paid plans required.
I tested this myself on Zorin OS 18 and it works flawlessly. Here’s a simplified guide:
How to Enable OneDrive Access in Nautilus (Zorin OS 18)
Open the “Settings” app and go to Online Accounts.
Ignore all the fields in the dialog that appears. Just click “Sign In”.
Your browser will open. Log in with your Microsoft account (the one linked to your OneDrive files).
Confirm that you’re signing in to GNOME and allow the browser to open the authentication link.
Back in the Settings window, toggle the “Files” switch to ON.
Open Nautilus. You’ll now see your OneDrive account listed in the sidebar like a regular folder.
You can now browse, open, copy, and move files directly from Nautilus—just like local files!
Things to Keep in Mind:
There’s no offline sync (files aren’t stored locally).
Image thumbnails won’t load automatically (this is normal for remote mounts).
If you have a slow connection or lots of files, loading might take a bit.
Why This Matters For users coming from Windows, direct OneDrive access is essential. This solution makes the transition to Zorin OS much smoother and more user-friendly.
If you’re migrating and use OneDrive, give this a try! And if you’d like to automate the mount process or share this with others, drop a comment. We can build a script or collaborative guide to help more people benefit from it.
Hi stivenpy. Thanks for your advice. But i'm trying to sync my OneDrive and the only option that appears under Microsoft Online Account is "mail". Do you wonder why?
Edit: I have tried to remove "logon without password" and "two factor authentication" from my MS Account, then to reconfigure on Nautilus. Nothing has changed.
@richardson It looks like you added a normal Microsoft account, not the Microsoft 365 + Onedrive account. They are different options in Online Accounts.
I installed onedrive using the commands in this online article:
In a nutshell:
" First, update your package list by running sudo apt update . Then, install the OneDrive client using the command sudo apt install onedrive . After installation, link your OneDrive account by running the onedrive command"
That created an odd looking folder in Files that's obviously linked to my onedrive.live.com account. Within that folder are two other folders, Bundles & Shared with me. So far I been able to verify that files saved to the Bundle folder ( haven't tried Shared.. yet) sync to onedrive.live.com. Both seem to sync both ways, if done correctly! There's a bit of a convoluted learning curve but I'll keep playing with it. Please let me know if any questions, thoughts or comments.
The post I wrote is for people who don't have an MS365 subscription, but rather a personal Microsoft account (the free account). In my particular case, I synchronize Word, Excel, PowerPoint documents, databases, and images. I don't need to install anything additional; the built-in function in Zorin OS 18 is more than enough to cover my daily needs.
Good news! Thanks to a feature built into GNOME 46 (which Zorin OS 18 uses), you can now mount your OneDrive account directly in Nautilus—no extra apps, no sketchy scripts, and no paid plans required.
How to Enable OneDrive Access in Nautilus (Zorin OS 18)
You can now browse, open, copy, and move files directly from Nautilus—just like local files!
Things to Keep in Mind:
Why This Matters For users coming from Windows, direct OneDrive access is essential. This solution makes the transition to Zorin OS much smoother and more user-friendly.
If you’re migrating and use OneDrive, give this a try! And if you’d like to automate the mount process or share this with others, drop a comment. We can build a script or collaborative guide to help more people benefit from it.