Starting mid-March 2025, Microsoft will begin displaying prompts in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Windows, encouraging users to back up their files to OneDrive through the Known Folder Move (KFM) feature.

According to a new Microsoft 365 Message Center announcement, these prompts will initially roll out in public preview until early April 2025, with worldwide general availability expected by early May 2025.

“If your organization still has users who are not enrolled in KFM, the message (‘BACK UP THIS DOCUMENT: Share and work with others in this and other files using OneDrive’) will encourage them to do it while using familiar desktop apps,” Microsoft explained. Users who select the “Open OneDrive” button can choose which folders to back up.

The prompts will not appear for users in organizations that have blocked OneDrive KFM. Microsoft advises administrators to notify users about this change and notes that organizations wishing to avoid these alerts can block KFM to prevent the rollout from reaching their endpoints.

This initiative is part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to increase OneDrive adoption among its customers. Recently, the company began testing ad-supported versions of Office desktop apps with limited features, including the restriction that documents can only be saved to OneDrive. When questioned about this testing, a Microsoft spokesperson told BleepingComputer that the company “has been conducting some limited testing” but currently has no plans to launch an ad-supported version of Microsoft Office.