Microsoft quietly announced yesterday that it will be removing the file Fetch feature from OneDrive, its cloud storage solution, after July 31, 2020.
First reported by BornCity, the company made a short notice on Microsoft’s support page.
“After July 31, 2020, you will no longer be able to fetch files from your PC. However, you can sync files and folders to OneDrive and then access those files from your web browser or your phone. To automatically sync the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders on your PC, you can turn on OneDrive PC folder backup.”
The lesser-known feature allowed a user to remotely access all the files from a PC with the OneDrive client installed, essentially turning it into a makeshift fileserver. Microsoft originally intended Fetch file to let users grab files that aren’t synced to OneDrive and to stream videos when boredom strikes. Files on the host machine can be accessed through any browser.
Despite its good intentions, Fetch file was drowned out amidst the abundant remote desktop solutions. With the announcement of its retirement, Fetch file joins the graveyard along with features like Homegroup. It also had some weird restrictions, like lacking support for Windows 8.1 and Macs, which further reduced its ubiquity.