OneDrive FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How do I start using OneDrive?
• How do I access OneDrive from my desktop?
• How do I access OneDrive from my web browser?
• How do I share a file or folder with my colleagues?
• How do I stop sharing a file or folder with my colleagues?
• How do I remove a file?
• How do I recover a file that I recently removed?
• How do I sync folders to my OneDrive desktop app?
• How do I un-sync folders from my OneDrive desktop app?
• What's the difference between OneDrive folder and Teams' shared folder?
• When can I start using OneDrive?
• Can I use OneDrive to put my Documents and Desktop folder and files so I can access them easily from any device?
• How do I do some of the basic operations that I did in Box in OneDrive?

UMass IT made a very comprehensive guide on starting OneDrive. Also, if you do not find a solution here, please look around there:

https://umass.service-now.com/sp/?sys_kb_id=a79d710513e05410c56efbb2e144b072&id=kb_article_view&sysparm_rank=1&sysparm_tsqueryId=16ac8b4edb49e4101ce2531dd396191a  

Accessing OneDrive from Desktop:

• Double-click the OneDrive app in your system tray
  • You need OneDrive to be installed on your computer. If not, please contact UWW Tech Support
    
  • If opening the app says that you need to sign in, click on the Sign In button. It will ask for your NetID@umass.edu (NOT @uww.umass.edu) and password. Once signed in, you will be able to access your OneDrive folders in File Explorer.
    

• Your OneDrive folder will open. This is where you can place your files and sync them.
  Once completely synced, you can access those files from other devices with your OneDrive account.
  
  
  
• As you can notice from the screenshot above, you can also access your OneDrive items from the left sidebar of File Explorer. It's very convenient while working between online and local files together in File Explorer.

Accessing OneDrive from Web:

• Log in to www.onedrive.com with your NetID@umass.edu and password
• Once logged in, you should be able to access your files
  
  
  
• You can upload files or folders here
  

Sharing Files On OneDrive Web:

• Log in to www.onedrive.com with your NetID@umass.edu and password
• Select the files or folders you would like to share
• Click the Share button then add the emails of the people you would like to share
  
  • Make sure your link settings are set to "Shared with Specific Person"
    

• Once shared, you should see that your file or folder shows "Shared" under Sharing
  

Stop Sharing Files On OneDrive Web:

• Log in to www.onedrive.com with your NetID@umass.edu and password
• Find the file or folder that is shared and click on the part that says "Shared"
  
• Click on "Stop Sharing"
  
  
  
• Now, your file or folder should be not be shared at all
  • You can make sure you have stopped sharing by checking under "Sharing". It should show "Private"
    

Deleting Files On OneDrive Web:

• Select the files and click Delete
  
  

Restoring Files On OneDrive Web:

• If you deleted any files from your OneDrive, you can find them in your Recycle Bin on OneDrive Web.
  
• Select the files you would like to restore and click Restore
  
  
  

Syncing Files to Your OneDrive App on Desktop:

• If you have a shared or owned OneDrive folder, or a Teams' folder, you need to sync them in order to use directly from OneDrive desktop app. Once synced, you can access the folders directly through File Explorer.
• Log in to www.onedrive.com 
• Find the folder you want to sync and open it
  • Teams' Shared Library:
    You can find it on the left side of the website under "Shared Libraries." Click into your Team and select the folder you would like to sync. Once it's syncing, you should see it as a new location on the left sidebar of File Explorer under "University of Massachusetts".
    
  • OneDrive Folder:
    A OneDrive folder is any regular folder located in your "My files" or shared folders from your "Shared." Select the folder and sync it. Once it's syncing, you should see it inside your default OneDrive location of your File Explorer under "OneDrive -University of Massachusetts". 
       
• Click on the Sync button
  
• Your browser will prompt you to open Microsoft OneDrive, click Open
  
• You should see it now in your File Explorer's sidebar
  

Un-Syncing Files From Your OneDrive App on Desktop:

• Open your OneDrive app's settings, you can do this by right-clicking the OneDrive icon in system tray then click on Settings
  
• Under the Account tab, click Stop sync to stop syncing from that location completely or Choose folders to stop syncing a specific folder in the location
  

Difference Between Teams' Shared Folder And OneDrive Folder:

• A normal OneDrive folder is directly linked to your personal Exchange account, meaning that folder is a private folder and would require specific sharing permissions to allow others to access it.
• A Teams' shared folder is linked to a Team, meaning the folder belongs to the Team and can be viewed, shared, and edited by the Team's members. Whenever you add a person to that Team they will have access to all of the files in that Team's folder.
• When to use a OneDrive folder:
  • Store or backup files that only you will see
  • Have strict sharing settings
  • Need to share many different folders with many different people
  • One-off shares of files or folders with others across campus
• When to use a Teams' folder: 
  
  • Have files that you always collaborate with in a Team
  • Already have a Team created or want to use MS teams to collaborate on a set of files
  • Easily share files among multiple people without worrying about settings
  • Need to share one main folder with a certain group of people

When can I start using OneDrive?

You can start using OneDrive as soon as you would like. For files and folders that are currently in Box, you should continue to use Box until the cutover date (TBD, sometime in June). If you see a BoxData folder in OneDrive, it is best not to touch that until the cutover date. Currently you can optionally choose to put new folders in OneDrive to see how it works, as long as they are not in your BoxData Folder.

Can I use OneDrive to put my Documents and Desktop folder and files so I can access them easily from any device?

Currently you cannot redirect the Documents and Desktop folders themselves to OneDrive, although we are looking into the feasibility of that. For now though you could create a shortcut to your OneDrive folder by right-clicking on OneDrive and clicking copy, and then right clicking on your desktop or documents folder and clicking "Paste Shortcut".  Ensure you only paste a shortcut and not the entire folder. Do this on each device, and you will have easier access to your OneDrive files on any device.

Keep in mind that your documents folder is already accessibly on any device, as it lives on our file server. If you cannot access it from your remote device, ensure you are connected to VPN first.