Microsoft this week made a significant announcement for IT admins and system directors through the Microsoft 365 message heart. The tech large has notified that it’ll quickly start prompting “eligible” customers about backing up their Microsoft 365 app recordsdata, primarily Excel, Phrase, and PowerPoint, to OneDrive.

The message additionally provides particulars about when the preview begins and when the transfer hits common availability. From the seems of it, it doesn’t seem like too far-off as the general public preview is ready for “mid-March 2025” which implies Microsoft will seemingly begin prompting such customers subsequent week onwards.

It says:

Eligible customers will likely be prompted within the Message Bar beneath the toolbar in Microsoft Phrase, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint for Home windows desktops to enroll in OneDrive Recognized Folder Transfer (KFM). Customers will be capable to choose the folders to again up in Microsoft OneDrive.

When it will occur:

Public Preview: We’ll start rolling out mid-March 2025 and count on to finish by early April 2025.

Normal Availability (Worldwide): We’ll start rolling out early April 2025 and count on to finish by early Could 2025.

….

No motion required. The characteristic will likely be enabled mechanically for eligible customers. If KFM is blocked in your group, the message won’t be displayed.

If a company has blocked KFM, we’ll honor that and never show the message to the group’s customers.

Microsoft, in its documentation, had already defined some great benefits of OneDrive recognized folder transfer (KFM). It says:

There are two main benefits of transferring or redirecting Home windows recognized folders (Desktop, Paperwork, Footage, Screenshots, and Digital camera Roll) to Microsoft OneDrive for the customers in your area:

• Your customers can proceed utilizing the folders they’re conversant in. They do not have to alter their every day work habits to save lots of recordsdata to OneDrive.
• Saving recordsdata to OneDrive backs up your customers’ knowledge within the cloud and provides them entry to their recordsdata from any gadget.

For these causes, we suggest transferring (redirecting) recognized folders to OneDrive for those who’re an enterprise or giant group.

Nevertheless, within the new M365 message, the corporate has added some extra factors as to how KFM may also help customers. At first, Microsoft has identified Copilot assist. Other than that, it has additionally talked about straightforward collaboration, quick access remotely, in addition to extra safety and safety from knowledge loss. It says:

When customers are enrolled in KFM, the recordsdata of their enrolled folder profit from some great benefits of cloud recordsdata:

• Copilot assist: Information are Copilot-enabled, making it easy and intuitive to entry and leverage Copilot.
• Straightforward collaboration: Cloud recordsdata allow sharing, commenting, and simple collaboration, with AutoSave guaranteeing modifications are steadily and constantly saved.
• Entry from anyplace: Cloud recordsdata could be accessed from Home windows, Mac, the online, iOS, and Android with synchronized modifications.
• Elevated safety and compliance: Enterprises can improve safety and compliance, as a result of all cloud recordsdata are topic to default classification, labeling, and safety (CLP) insurance policies and auto-labeling.
• Backup: Safety from knowledge loss resulting from gadget failure.
• Entry to cloud-specific options like AutoSave and Model Historical past
• After enrolling, customers can entry their recordsdata within the recognized folders in File Explorer or OneDrive.

In case you have entry, yow will discover the message on the M365 message heart beneath message ID “MC1024398”.