The Download-OD4BAccount.ps1 script just got another major update – and this one takes it to a whole new level.

Following the September refresh that added full pagination and improved reliability for large OneDrive libraries, this new release focuses on smarter downloads, better handling of OneDrive “shortcuts,” and a cleaner, dependency-free approach to working with the Microsoft Graph API.

And once again – a big thank-you to Gary Chamryk and others in the community for their real-world feedback, testing, and suggestions that made this update possible.

Why Another Update?

After the last version went live, several users (including Gary) noticed edge cases where certain file types or OneDrive “shortcut” folders didn’t export correctly.

Digging into the logs revealed that the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK’s @microsoft.graph.downloadUrl property can occasionally fail or behave inconsistently when handling shortcuts to remote drives or shared folders.

That’s where this new iteration comes in – with a cleaner, more reliable download engine built entirely on direct /content requests via the Graph API.
The script now uses:
Invoke-MgGraphRequest -OutputFilePath

to stream file content directly from Graph to disk – no longer relying on @microsoft.graph.downloadUrl.
This eliminates transient URL expiration issues and improves consistency across large multi-user exports.

Full OneDrive Shortcut (remoteItem) Support

OneDrive “shortcuts” (also known as remoteItems) are now fully supported.
The script automatically follows the referenced driveId and itemId, so both files and folders linked from other OneDrives or SharePoint document libraries are downloaded seamlessly.

Paths That Match the Real OneDrive View

Exported folder structures now reflect the actual visible OneDrive hierarchy, including shortcut names.
That means what you see in your OneDrive web UI is exactly what you’ll get on disk — no more confusing “shortcut_12345” placeholders.

Multi-Threaded Downloads, Inside Worker Runspaces

The existing multi-threaded model remains, but now imports the Microsoft Graph authentication module inside each worker runspace.
This ensures every parallel job runs independently with full Graph context, even in long-running sessions or constrained environments.

Original CSV Reports Intact

Reporting hasn’t changed – the familiar CSV export for file listings and results is preserved, ensuring backward compatibility for scripts or processes that rely on it.

Quick Start

The syntax remains simple and consistent:

.\Download-OD4BAccount.ps1 -Username [email protected] `
                           -Destination "D:\OD4B" `
                           -ThreadCount 3 -Verbose

he script still requires Microsoft Graph PowerShell and admin consent for:

• Organization.Read.All
• User.Read.All
• Directory.Read.All
• Files.Read.All

When to Use This Version

• Offboarding or Archival – Export full OneDrive content (including shared shortcuts) for departing users.
• Legal or Compliance Holds – Capture exact user views of OneDrive, including remote shared content.
• Tenant-to-Tenant Migrations – Seamlessly move data structures between organizations without breaking links.

Community-Driven Evolution

This update wouldn’t exist without direct input from the field.
Gary Chamryk and others in the community helped identify the gaps, test fixes, and validate the new approach.

The best part of open tooling is that it keeps evolving with real-world usage — and this release is proof of that.

Get the Latest Version

🔗 Download the updated script: Download-OD4BAccount.ps1
(available on the same GitHub repository as before)

If you’re already using the script, I strongly recommend upgrading – especially if you’re exporting libraries that include OneDrive shortcuts or shared content.

As always, feedback and PRs are welcome. These scripts only get better because of the community behind them.