What is OneDrive?
OneDrive is a cloud storage service, similar to Syncplicity or Dropbox. There are actually two slightly different things that Microsoft calls OneDrive, though they’re both for storing files. The two OneDrive services:
- OneDrive – anyone can sign up for this for free and use it. If you use Microsoft account and use services such as Outlook.com or XBox Live, you may have a personal OneDrive. The University does not manage your personal OneDrive.
- OneDrive for Business – this is part of the Office 365 services that the University provides. You sign in with your staff or student email address.
OneDrive is both the name of the service, and also the application that can be installed onto your computer to synchronize files and directories between computers, or your mobile device to access files.
We’ll refer to OneDrive for Business as OneDrive, unless we need to talk about both the personal and business services.
How do I use OneDrive?
- For mobile devices: Download the OneDrive application from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store
- For MacOS and Windows: You can download and install the OneDrive application from here. Note, most versions of Windows 10 include OneDrive already.
If you need your files when you’re not near a computer, you can either go directly to https://otagouni-my.sharepoint.com, or go to https://www.office.com and select “OneDrive”
So what can I do with OneDrive?
- The main thing that you can do with it is store your own files.
- You can share your files in a number of ways – see Sharing Files
How much space do I have in OneDrive?
Each user starts with 1TB, and we can expand that upon request, initially as far as 5TB. If you have individual storage requirements beyond that, please contact AskOtago.
What can / can’t I store in OneDrive?
- See the OneDrive Limitations page
- You must not store system back-ups or departmental / organizational data – see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/onedrive-for-business-service-description#supported-uses
- We are not permitted to grant a license for OneDrive to a role-based account.
How do I move from Syncplicity to OneDrive
The University is moving from Syncplicity to OneDrive which offers better integration with the other products within the Office 365 suite of applications.
If you have a Syncplicity account, follow this link which explains how to migrate your data from Syncplicity into OneDrive
How do I share files and folders from within OneDrive
Like Syncplicity or Dropbox, OneDrive allows the user to share files and folders with other users, internal to the organisation or external. You can find more information with regard to sharing from OneDrive here: Sharing with OneDrive
