OneDrive Tutorial: A Comprehensive Guide to Using OneDrive Effectively

OneDrive is a cloud storage service that allows you to store and access your files from anywhere, on any device.

To get started with OneDrive, you'll need to create an account. You can do this by going to the OneDrive website and following the sign-up process.

OneDrive offers a free tier with 5 GB of storage space, which is a great starting point for most users.

You can also upgrade to a paid plan for more storage space, starting at 100 GB for $1.99 per month.

To get started with OneDrive, you need a Microsoft account. If your company uses Microsoft 365 or you have an Outlook.com account, then you already have a Microsoft account. You can sign up for a free Microsoft account if you don't have one. With a free Microsoft account, you get 5GB of OneDrive storage. You can upgrade to 100GB storage or more by subscribing to a Microsoft 365 plan. Business customers can subscribe to a 1TB OneDrive for Business plan for $5 per user per month.

OneDrive offers secure cloud storage that allows you to access files from anywhere with an internet connection.

You can automatically save a backup copy of your files, which is a huge relief if you accidentally delete something important.

With OneDrive, you can easily switch between different devices, making it perfect for students, faculty, and staff who use multiple computers and mobile devices.

OneDrive provides 250GB of storage space, which is plenty for storing sensitive data, including HIPAA data, as the University has a Business Associate Agreement with Microsoft to allow use for Protected Health Information.

You can share files with anyone, anywhere, making collaboration a breeze.

Here are the key benefits of using OneDrive with Microsoft 365:

You can also access your files on the go using the mobile apps, which makes it easy to stay productive even when you're not at your desk.

With OneDrive, you can sync files between your computer and the cloud, securing access to files from anywhere. This means if you make a change to a file in one place, the change is reflected anywhere you use OneDrive.

You can store up to 5TB of data in Microsoft OneDrive, and each Microsoft Team also receives 5 TB of shared storage. This is a good solution for archiving files, and sensitive data including HIPAA data can be stored in OneDrive.

OneDrive appears in the navigation pane on the left when you open File Explorer, and you can interact with it like any regular storage drive. You can put your files or folders in it by dragging and dropping them from another location, or by saving a document, image, or other file type to it from an application.

To enter your account type, simply select the first option, 'One drive Personal or business'. For most users, this will be the correct choice.

You can select this option by entering '1' on your keyboard and hitting enter.

Syncing is a game-changer for anyone who wants to access their files from anywhere. With OneDrive, you can sync files between your computer and the cloud, securing access to files from anywhere – your computer, your mobile device, and even through the OneDrive website.

If you make a change to a file in one place, the change is reflected anywhere you use OneDrive. This means you can work on a file on your computer, save it, and then access it on your phone or tablet without any issues.

You can access OneDrive files and folders in File Explorer, and interact with them just like any regular storage drive connected to your PC. When you put a file or folder into your OneDrive, it is synced to the cloud. If you delete a file or folder in your OneDrive, it’s deleted from the cloud as well.

The sync status of files in your OneDrive is denoted with small icons beside their names. A cloud icon indicates that the file is only in the cloud, while a green checkmark on a white circle means the file is in the cloud and also saved on your PC’s storage drive.

Here are the different sync status icons you might see:

You can also view a log of recent syncing actions done to files and folders in your OneDrive. Click the OneDrive icon on the notification area of the taskbar to open this log.

Sharing files in OneDrive is a straightforward process. You can initiate sharing in OneDrive in several ways, including from the Microsoft application, online document editing, and the OneDrive online documents file list.

To share a file from the Microsoft application, click the File button from the top bar, select Share from the left-hand bar, and choose the top option, "Share with People." You can also share a file from online document editing by clicking the Share button on the top right of the screen.

When creating or editing a document online, click the Share button on the top right of the screen to share it with others. This is a convenient option for sharing files without having to leave the online document editing interface.

In the OneDrive online documents file list, you can share a file by clicking the checkmark next to an existing file or folder and selecting the Share button in the screen's top menu. Alternatively, you can right-click an existing file or folder and select Share.

To share a file with specific people, you can enter their email addresses in the first field of the Share panel. If they're in your Outlook contacts, you can start typing their name and select from the suggestions that pop up.

You can also choose to share a file with all co-workers by clicking the gear icon just to the right of the "Copy link" button at the bottom of the panel. This will share the file with everyone in your organization.

Here are the different access permission options for sharing files in OneDrive:

When sharing a file, you can also enter a brief message for the recipients to read. After making your selections, click Send to send the invitation email.

To access advanced settings in OneDrive, you'll need to head to the Sync and backup category in Windows 11 22H2. From there, click the drop-down link for Advanced settings.

One important setting to consider is Files On-Demand, which can be enabled by default. This feature removes your OneDrive files from local storage on your computer, saving space on your drive, but it also means you need to be online to access your files.

You can also customize this setting on a case-by-case basis, allowing you to store certain files online only while others are stored both online and locally. To do this, right-click a folder or file stored only in the cloud and select Always keep on this device to permanently keep the file on your PC. Alternatively, right-click on a folder or file stored locally and select Free up space to remove the file from your PC and store it online only.

Here are some key things to keep in mind when working with Files On-Demand:

Mounting OneDrive on startup is a convenient way to access your files from your Linux desktop without having to manually mount it every time.

You can create a folder in your home directory where you will mount OneDrive, which I'll name "OneDrive" for this example.

In the terminal, you can run the command "rclone mount one drive: ~/OneDrive" to mount OneDrive in the given location.

This command will continue to run in the terminal, and when you stop the process with Ctrl + C, OneDrive will be unmounted.

To mount OneDrive on startup, you'll need to use the Startup Application Preferences tool in Ubuntu.

Open "Startup Applications" and click on "Add".

In the command field, enter the following: rclone mount one drive: ~/OneDrive

To set up a Personal Vault, you'll need a subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family.

You can store up to three files in the OneDrive Vault without a subscription, but to fully utilize the vault, a subscription is required.

To get started, right-click the OneDrive System Tray icon and select View online.

Sign in to OneDrive, then double-click the Personal Vault folder under My Files.

You'll be asked to authenticate this access via your security key or authenticator app.

To customize the Personal Vault settings, open OneDrive Settings and click Account.

Choose the duration during which time the vault will remain open after you've unlocked it – 20 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 4 hours.

You can unlock the vault by clicking the OneDrive System Tray icon, selecting the Gear icon, and then choosing Unlock Personal Vault.