topic Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive in Camera Software

How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

PCHC — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:01:20 GMT

Good Afternoon! I've bought a new laptop with windows 11 having always downloaded photos from my old 80D & R7 ( all RAW image downloads) straight to Canon DPP, via the utility. Never had an issue on my old windows 10 laptop but on the new one, Microsoft One drive has decided to constantly flag up lack of space & eventually to shut it up, I toggled off the synch photo button.

Photos are fine in DPP but are now appearing in the correct date folder, in the photos app on Windows Explorer with both RAW & JPEGs, all marked with an error, red circle & white cross. They will show you the photo, if you actually click on them, but are otherwise greyed out.

As I can't afford to start the expensive process of adding to One drive storage, I think the work round is to bypass One drive & set up a local storage destination. I think I understand how to do that via File explorer but have no idea how to set up Canon DPP to synch with this new folder. The internet isn't clear what I should alter on the folder tree on the left. Any help for this technophobe pensioner would be very much appreciated, thank you.

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

johnrmoyer — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:09:44 GMT

I also am a pensioner. But, I worked as a computer programmer before retiring about 10 years ago.

When clicking the "save" button in DPP, it should be possible to choose a location in the local file system. I do not use Windows Explorer or OneDrive. I use a command prompt in a terminal window to copy files from the card reader to the local file system.

In a web browser, one may use a URL like file:///C:/Users to view JPG images on the local file system, but not CR2 nor CR3 files.

It seems to me that Microsoft makes things difficult by trying to hide the details.

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

Waddizzle — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:20:54 GMT

I stopped using DPP4 shortly after it was first released. I was running Win10. I do not recall ever trying to use OneDrive with it. I didn’t trust putting entire photos collection in the cloud.

I always used local storage. In fact, I do not recall DPP4 being compatible with network storage. It must see your OneDrive as local storage.

Which reminds me. DPP didn’t work well when it could see my entire collection of photos. It would take forever to open. It would run slowly.

Are you experiencing any delays and slow startup when you allow DOP to see hundreds or thousands of files?

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

shadowsports — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:26:14 GMT

Greetings,

The behavior you are describing is caused by OneDrive. To remove the syn errors from your files (red circle with X):

Open OneDrive. Click the cloud icon in your taskbar system tray.

Click the gear icon, then select Settings.

Look for the Sync and backup tab, then click manage backup.

Toggle off the switch next to the Pictures folder. Click save and close the dialog.

This will remove the errors from your files and keep your photos from syncing to the cloud. What is in the cloud already will not be removed. **Now my typical backup spiel. Important data should be backed up to two sources. All hardware fails. I'm not going to go into detail because that's another discussion. One drive is a good product, but a photographer can easily exceed the 5GB of storage included with a free account. This is how Microsoft and others try and trap you into a subscription. If this business model works for you, go ahead and subscribe.

If you create a folder on any system disk, DPP will read from it gladly. Once it's in the navigation pane, anything you add or remove to that folder can be viewed, opened, edited, etc. Since editing is non-destructive to RAW files, I always set up a separate folder for exports when I convert and save. I'm sure you have your own workflow 🙂

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

PCHC — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:42:12 GMT

Thank you very much for your input~I agree that MS makes many things more difficult than they should be! I envy you, your computer prowess! It looks as though RAW CR3 files are going to be an issue if I go down my planned route & you use a card reader whereas I download via Canon Utility. I found the old Windows so much easier than 10 or 11!

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

PCHC — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:44:43 GMT

Thank you for your reply. It can be quite slow on my old Windows 10 laptop as there are so many photos stored. Less so on the new laptop, where photo numbers are limited. I suppose I've used it for so many years now, I don't notice how slow it can be.

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

PCHC — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 17:06:10 GMT

Thank you very much for getting back~do appreciate your time. I've turned sync off as regard pictures etc, already on One drive but the folder error remains. I'm left with some photos stored locally, some in the cloud & the latest photo file, on its own but with the file & all photos showing the cross as errors. I'm really keen not to have to spend a lot of money on more One drive storage as it's not a cheap option! I do back up using an external hard drive also..just in case. If I download using the photo app, rather than Canon Utility, then it doesn't show in DPP, which is where I edit & turn RAW to JPEGs. My old windows 10 laptop always seems to work seamlessly but Windows 11, is a complete nightmare to understand for this oldie! I just want the photo app & DPP to sync with each other but bypassing One drive in the process. It is beginning to put me off taking many photos, given the issues, which is sad as it gives me so much pleasure photographing wildlife.

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

jrhoffman75 — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 01:46:14 GMT

DPP is just a file browser. There are no photos “in” DPP. If you know the folder path that MS Photos app downloads the images to you can follow that same path in DPP.

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

shadowsports — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 05:58:13 GMT

Hi @PCHC,

The reason why your files are still showing with a red circle and X is because they exist in your OneDrive folder on your local PC, not in your photos folder.

Copy them to: C:\Users\YourUserProfile\Pictures

Now test opening one. If it opens successfully, it's safe to delete them from the OneDrive folder.

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

PCHC — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:28:01 GMT

Thank you very much Rick, really appreciated. That's worked well & DPP is now synced with the C drive. When I go to delete the original folder from One Drive though, it comes up with a warning " Deleting an online-only folder permanently removes it from your PC, without sending it to the delete bin". Do I presume it won't delete from the C drive, before I hit the delete button please?

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

PCHC — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:29:59 GMT

Thank you very much for your input~very kind. Someone has suggested I sync C drive & DPP & that seems to work well.

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

normadel — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 20:04:35 GMT

If you have a large photo collection, storing it on your C: drive is a mistake. You should, as you yourself suggested, have an EXTERNAL storage drive, visible in Windows Explorer. Creating folders on it to organize files is not difficult, and you can simply tell DPP about it, or drag & drop to move things. I'm puzzled why you would be using the command line at all to move your files.

Re: How to synch Canon DPP with photo files on Windows 11, without using Onedrive

PCHC — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 21:07:07 GMT

Thank you for taking the time to reply~much appreciated. I do have an external drive for back up as well but prefer to use the photos stored on the laptop, if I wish to download photos occasionally, onto FB for example. I needed to get the photos that were showing errors sorted as they were unusable. I didn't expect DPP to sync with the C drive photos so readily. Online info said you needed to change the storage pathway for DPP, & it was this I didn't know how to alter. It wasn't needed as it turned out.