Microsoft OneDrive is an online storage platform for your files to be synced and accessible across all your devices and online. University of Central Florida has provided anyone with an @ucf.edu email address access to Microsoft OneDrive.

 

UCF's OneDrive provides you with up to 5TB of storage for your data. This storage is intended for your individual work usage and can be shared with other individuals. University of Central Florida also provides Microsoft Teams for staff usage. UCF IT recommends using Microsoft Teams over OneDrive for long-term sharing and storing files between departments and teams within UCF.

 

This is UCF IT's OneDrive Quick Start Guide. Below you will find a brief introduction to the features that make Microsoft's OneDrive such a great tool for use in the office, classroom, or at home. Use OneDrive to collaborate, access your data from anywhere, keep your data backed up, and more.

 

Note: There is a downloadable PDF of this article here.

Sign Into OneDrive on Computer

If you have Office 365 or a Windows 10 device, OneDrive will already be on available your computer. Search OneDrive on your computer's search menu (located in the bottom left corner).

Once you have OneDrive open, you will need to click Sign in. In the email field put in @ucf.edu to be redirected to the UCF Federated Identity login page and sign in as you normally would with your NID and Password.

NOTE: On MacOS, OneDrive may need to be installed manually from Microsoft's website.

OneDrive Folder

After signing in, on the Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder you will now notice an expandable menu titled OneDrive. Everything stored within this folder will automatically sync and backup to OneDrive.

File Syncing

OneDrive is a great tool to make sure your data is safe, always updated, and accessible anywhere you have an Internet connection. You can access them on your UCF Device, personal computer, tablet, and even your cell phone. File syncing allows the files to exist locally on a device and online at the same time with the most up-to-date version.

 

OneDrive Status

Within the OneDrive folder, you will see different statuses for each file. Each status icon indicates what state that file or folder is currently in.

A file with either green symbol is representative of the file stored on that device and can be opened with or without an Internet connection.

Work from Anywhere

Need to finish work on a plane without Internet? With OneDrive, you can still access specific files offline. While still connected to the Internet, right-click any file or folder that is on OneDrive and select “Always keep on this device” so it will always be available. The file's status will now show as a solid green check mark as shown above. Any files edited while offline will automatically update the online copy after reconnecting to the Internet.

Collaboration

You can view and edit files, as well as collaborate with your coworkers, researchers, and external users in real-time. OneDrive allows sharing files and folders easily from your desktop or a web browser. Everyone who has access to these files will always have the most up to date version.

Sharing with Individuals

Sharing with OneDrive is easy. Right click on a OneDrive file or folder and click “Share”. You can share with anyone by entering their email address within the next text box.

Please note that any external users or individuals outside of the university will only be able to use a link to view/edit the file. They will need to sign in to a Microsoft account and be connected to the Internet when accessing shared files.

Sharing with any UCF Employee

To enable anyone with an @ucf.edu email to view your file, right-click and share a OneDrive file the same way you would with an individual. Then, click “People you specify can edit". Select "People in University of Central Florida with the link."

NOTE: When sharing this way prevent other from editing the file by unchecking the box shown below.

 

Sign In to OneDrive Online

When you're using a shared device in a classroom or conference room, you can sign in to OneDrive via a web browser by navigating to "OneDrive.com". Select "Sign In" and enter your @ucf.edu email address. You will be sent to the UCF Federated Identity login page. Sign in here with your standard NID and NID password. You now have access to all files stored on OneDrive.

All the files and folders saved in the OneDrive folder on your computer will also appear here. On the left-hand panel you can look at recently opened files, files that someone is currently sharing with you, your OneDrive recycle bin, as well as any Microsoft Teams shared libraries you have access to.

Another way to get Online

When using your UCF provided device, OneDrive Online can also be accessed by clicking the OneDrive cloud from the toolbar and clicking "View Online". OneDrive will then open on your default Web Browser.

Viewing a Shared File or Folder

From OneDrive Online you can view your shared folders and sync them with your device. Click the "Shared" on the navigation panel on the right-side of the screen. Next select the shared folder you would like to view.

NOTE: If you are having trouble finding the folder that you are looking for, select "Date shared" to view most recently shared files.

Syncing a Shared Folder to OneDrive on your Computer

From inside the shared folder menu select "Sync" from the top menu. This will always allow access to the shared folder from your device inside your OneDrive folder.

NOTE: You can only sync a shared folder not an individual shared file.

Restoring Files from OneDrive Online

Version History

OneDrive automatically saves your documents while you work on them, making past versions easy to recover if necessary. To see older versions of a file, right-click on "OneDrive Online" version of document and select "Version History".

Restoring Versions

Clicking on "Version History" will bring up all automatically saved versions. In order to restore a file to an older version, right-click the version you want to restore and select "Restore."

Recovering Files

Deleted files stay in the OneDrive Recycle Bin for up to 90 days before they are automatically deleted. If a file is mistakenly deleted, you can retrieve it by going to the OneDrive Online, clicking on “Recycle Bin”, selecting the file, and click “Restore.”

Download OneDrive Mobile

With the OneDrive mobile application start work on your computer and continue work on your mobile device. Download "Microsoft OneDrive" from your phone's app store. Once the download is complete, open the app and tap "Sign In". Enter your @ucf.edu email address. You will be directed to sign in to the UCF Federated Identity with your NID and NID password.

Screenshot taken on Android Device 1

 

Tap this icon to create a new file, upload from your mobile device, take a photo, or scan a document.

Tap the three dots to share the file, move the file's location, delete, rename, or make it available offline.

     

Tap the "Shared" tab to view files and folder that are being shared with you.

Tap the "Libraries" tab to see what shared file libraries, such as Microsoft Teams you have access to. Note: On iOS this is labeled as "Sites".

For additional assistance regarding OneDrive for Business, review this article, search our Knowledge Base for "OneDrive" or contact the UCF IT Support Center.