# Online-only and offline files

Keep files available offline on your computer, or make them online-only to free up disk space, with Drime Desktop on Windows.

Updated: 2026-10-21  
Source: https://drime.cloud/support/desktop/online-only-and-offline-files

Each file in your Drime folder is either online-only or available offline.

![Drime Desktop Preferences, Sync: default sync preference (Online or Available offline), Warn before deletions and Selective sync](https://drime.cloud/media/01M5AZVC8H4081ZENRZ8KAV4H1/4320929b9bf2-windows-desktop-prefs-sync.png)

| State | On your computer | Opening it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Online-only** | Visible, but stored on drime.cloud. Takes no disk space. | Downloads it, so you need an internet connection. |
| **Available offline** | Kept on your computer. | Works without internet. |

Thumbnails of online-only photos and videos are shown without downloading the files.

## Keep a file or folder offline, or free up space

In File Explorer, right-click a file or folder in the Drime folder:

- “Always keep on this device” downloads it and keeps it available offline;
- “Free up space” makes it online-only again.

These two entries are Windows' own options for cloud files.

## Manage it from Drime Desktop

1. Open the Drime window from the notification area, then the account menu \> **Preferences** \> **Storage**.

2. Open **Manage hard drive space**.

   Files are listed by type and size.

3. Choose **Make available offline** or **Make online-only**.

**Files available offline** or **Space freed** confirms it. If some files could not be handled, Drime shows how many, for example **2 failed**.

The same **Storage** page also has **File management**, to clear rescued files, old versions and the Drime trash: see [Free up space from Drime Desktop](https://drime.cloud/support/desktop/free-up-space).

## Choose the default for new files

In **Preferences** \> **Sync**, **Default sync preference** decides what happens to new files added to your Drime folder:

- **Online**: files are stored on drime.cloud, but still appear on your device. This is the default.
- **Available offline**: files are stored on this computer and use hard drive space.

Files and folders you already have keep their current setting.

## If it does not work

| Message | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| **Couldn’t make files available offline** | The download failed. Check your connection and try again. |
| **Couldn’t free up space** | Some files could not become online-only. Try again; if it persists, [send your desktop logs to support](https://drime.cloud/support/desktop/send-logs). |
| **The sync engine isn't running. Wait a few seconds and try again** | Drime is starting or restarting its sync. Wait a moment, then try again. |

If files do not download at all, see [My files don't download to my computer](https://drime.cloud/support/troubleshooting/desktop-files-not-downloading).