Overview
OneDrive for Business is a cloud, file storage app that is part of Microsoft 365. OneDrive includes anywhere access, quickly view all your files, collaborate and share with others, content is automatically backed up and can be accessed offline in the desktop app and the OneDrive mobile app. SVSU staff and registered students are eligible to use OneDrive.
The new OneDrive Home will show you all your recent files, who is the owner and recent activity all in one place. Quickly locate files shared, and favorite a file or folder to get back to your content quickly, (sample image below). Files will be seen no matter where it was shared, Teams, Microsoft 365 group. You can filter by file type, see all Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF files. You will still be able to access your own content from My Files in the left navigation menu. Sharing and Permissions have been updated as of July 11, 2023, see what's changed.
More updates are coming to OneDrive
View the OneDrive blog for more details. Newly released, when creating a folder you can choose a color, find Files by people you are working with, access files shared in meetings, a simplified sharing experience (less clicks), and coming soon the ability to open non-Microsoft files and sync the changes back to OneDrive.
Your access to OneDrive is enabled and disabled automatically based on your role at the University. Please view our
OneDrive Policy at SVSU.
The new OneDrive for Web Home experience is available for work and school accounts. Quickly find shared files in People and Meetings views in OneDrive.
OneDrive Menu
- OneDrive Home: See all recent your files and activity, filter or favorite a file.
- My Files: Access all files and folders.
- Shared: You will find all files filtered by what you have shared and those that have been shared with you.
- Favorites: Allows you to see all the files you have added as a favorite.
- Recycle bin: Allows you to see all files/folders deleted from your OneDrive, you can restore content up to 93 days from the day of deletion.
- Browse files by
- Quick Access:: Provides quick access to all SharePoint sites.
Article Sections
What is OneDrive for Business?
With OneDrive for Business you can:
- Save your work files and folders to OneDrive so they're always with you, even on your smart device.
- Get work done together with virtually anyone, anytime (without having to contact ITS to set up the security permissions for others).
- Maintain multiple versions of your documents automatically and recover an earlier version.
- Synchronize your OneDrive files to your computer or device so you'll be able to access your documents even if there's no available Internet connection.
- Store up to 1 TB of information, includes files on OneDrive, your email, and media stored in Microsoft Stream.
Tip: OneDrive for work and school accounts are not the same as a personal OneDrive account.
A personal OneDrive account is different from your work or school OneDrive for Business as it syncs with your SVSU account, view a comparison of both OneDrive cloud apps.
Only Store Non-Sensitive Data on OneDrive. Users that store documents and files with personal information must store them on network shared drives, not on local "hard drives" or portable data storage media, or cloud destinations such as, but not limited to, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Apple iCloud. Please view our
Internet and Network Resources Acceptable Use Policy under General Regulations.
You should only store data that DOES NOT CONTAIN FERPA, HIPAA, or PPI data in your SVSU, OneDrive account.
How do I access OneDrive?
Content stored in OneDrive is accessible from anywhere, with any device (e.g. computer, tablet, smart phone). Access OneDrive on the web with a supported browser, latest version on:
- Windows 11: The new Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome.
- Windows 10: The new Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome.
- MacOS: The new Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari (version 16 or newer), or Google Chrome.
OneDrive on the web
OneDrive can be accessed through your web browser in a few different ways:
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svsu.edu
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Visit our main page svsu.edu and follow either method below, you account may be authenticated with Multi-factor if you have not logged in, (there is a 8 hour token).
- Click Quicklinks, then OneDrive
- Click mySVSU, under Quicklinks select OneDrive.
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| Outlook on the web |
While logged into Outlook, click the app launcher (waffle menu), then choose OneDrive.
*Helpful tip: Right click the OneDrive app, click open in a new tab. This allows you to have both your email and OneDrive open at the same time. |
Website links for direct access to your SVSU OneDrive (bookmark the direct links below):
OneDrive desktop app
If you need to access some or all of your files, when you are offline, you can sync files between OneDrive and your computer (PC or Mac). you must install the OneDrive for Business Sync desktop app. Once installed on your computer:
- Open the File Explorer/Mac Finder.
- Navigate to OneDrive – Saginaw Valley State University.
OneDrive Mobile app
- Download and install the OneDrive mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
- Log in using your SVSU credentials.
How can I access my Files or Teams meeting Recordings?
The new OneDrive Home shows all your files and those that have been shared with you. All files no matter how they were shared are accessible in your OneDrive. This includes your recorded Teams meetings. You can access all files in the "For You" section located at the top of your OneDrive home page. or you can locate it in the Recent section and filter your search by file type, search by name in the top-middle search bar, and more. Microsoft has simplified the ease of access to all files across Microsoft 365.
OneDrive Home
This is your default landing page when you open your OneDrive.
My Files
In the left menu, My files will show you a folder and file structure as it always has. You can access all your files and folders. You can find non-Teams channel meetings in the Recordings folder on your OneDrive.
How do I share documents or folders with others?
Documents or folders can be shared across all devices by sharing a link, or inviting individuals, directly, to access the files.
What are the benefits of sharing?
- Reduces the size of your inbox.
- Ensures users are looking at the most current version of a document.
- You can see who made changes by looking at the version history
- Collaborate with others up to 10+ persons at a time
Sharing specific documents or folders
The documents or folders on your OneDrive are not accessible to anyone until you share them. The default sharing method is "Anyone with this link" which means the link to your file or folder can be accessed by anyone, however a 30 day expiration date is applied. You can change how your content is shared, there are some sharing options available that give people viewing or editing permissions inside or outside of SVSU.
Note: When sharing with people with an SVSU email address they have access indefinitely until you remove the sharing permissions.
OneDrive Sharing Permissions
Tip:
As of July 11, 2023 the sharing experience has been changed in OneDrive. You will see a small pop up window, select the gear icon to choose your sharing method, see sample image and the sharing options below.
Share content from OneDrive on the web, from within a Microsoft Office 365 application, or from Outlook.
The link settings available for sharing are defined below:
Anyone with the link: Use with caution, it can be forwarded to anyone outside of SVSU and gives access to anyone who receives this link. You can control the permissions such as turn off editing, block downloading, and set a password. All links expire in 30 days (it cannot be extended) however, you can choose an earlier date.
People in Saginaw Valley State University: People within SVSU can access the file or folder, whether they receive it from you or it was forwarded from someone else.
People with existing access: Can be used by people who already have access to the file or folder. Alternatively, they can access the shared file or folder from the Shared section from the left menu navigation.
Specific people: Only the people you specify have access. If forwarded to someone else they will not be able to view the shared file or folder.
Note: You can stop/revoke access by sharing a file or folder at any time. Revoking access or change permissions, you must be the owner of the item.
Microsoft Support Documentation
How do I download files or folders from OneDrive?
You can quickly download files or folder in your OneDrive or SharePoint to your computer with a couple clicks.
Article: Download files and folders from OneDrive or SharePoint - Microsoft Support
OneDrive sync client (desktop app): How do I save files to and edit files?
SVSU public computers have DeepFreeze installed. Each time the computer is restarted, contents on that computer are erased. Anyone that installs the OneDrive sync client these machines will either need to set up the install OneDrive each time they use the computer, or they will need to use the OneDrive web app.
After installing and setting up the OneDrive sync client, you will be able to save directly to your OneDrive. Saving will work the same as saving to a network drive or the C drive.
OneDrive on the web: How do I save to and edit files?
Using the sync feature when using OneDrive in a computer lab, or on another person's computer is different because the OneDrive desktop app is not installed you will need to use OneDrive on the web. You can use the download function to work on the file locally, then when your done, upload it back to OneDrive on the web.
Can I restore a file to an earlier version of a file?
You can return to previous versions of a file, open, or delete a version. The current limit of saved versions for a single document in OneDrive is 500 versions. Simply hover the ellipses, next to the file you want to view/restore then select "Version history".
Article: Restore a previous version of a file in OneDrive - Microsoft Support
How do I recover a deleted file?
If you accidentally delete a file or folder in your OneDrive for Business, you can recover from the Recycle Bin, items will store for 93 days.
Article: Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive - Microsoft Support
Why do I receive a file upload error?
Several error messages can occur when trying to upload to OneDrive website or when you are saving to the OneDrive sync client. You can fix the upload error simply by renaming the file.
- Avoid using invalid characters in your file name such as:
- ~ " # % & * : < > ? / \ { | } .
- Avoid using these names (see below), they are not allowed as file names or folder names:
- AUX, PRN, NUL, CON, COM0, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT0, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, LPT6, LPT7, LPT8, LPT9
Article: Fix problems uploading files on the OneDrive website - Microsoft Support
How can I fix a sync problem with my OneDrive?
When you see a red "X" over your OneDrive icon, or a filename or folder this means that your file not syncing or running correctly. There are some common fixes related to why your file or folder won't sync. A frequent one that we see is when a file name or path length is too long.
Tip: The entire path must contain fewer than 255 characters including the folders and file names. SVSU ITS recommends renaming the file(s) or folder(s) to a shorter name.
Fix OneDrive sync problems - Microsoft Support Articles
How do I change which folders are syncing to my computer?
You can adjust which folders are being synced at any time. You can specify which folders to sync from OneDrive on the web to your computer.
Unchecking a folder does not delete the contents, it simply stops the syncing to your computer and removes the folder, and it is still available in OneDrive on the web. You can Choose which files or folders that you want to sync to your computer.
If you want to turn off the folders syncing to your computer or uninstall OneDrive -- you can. You will not lose content stored online.
How do I create a shortcut to a shared folder on my OneDrive?
Save time and add a shortcut to content that has been shared with you.
- In OneDrive on the web, click Shared > Shared with Me
- Look for the shared file or folder, select it then in the top menu click Add shortcut to My files.
- The shared folder will now appear in My Files on your OneDrive.
Article: Add a shortcut to My files from a Shared Folder on your OneDrive - Microsoft Support
How do I access a shared folder through OneDrive sync client on my computer?
- Log into OneDrive on the web
- Click Shared with Me
- Open the folder that has been shared with you.
- You should see the Sync button in the command bar. Click Sync, OneDrive sync client installs.
NOTE: If you don't see "Sync" the person that shared the folder with you did not give you editing rights.
- The window "Sync your OneDrive files to this PC" opens, click OK.
- The newly synced shared folder, labeled “Saginaw Valley State University,” will display in the Quick Access pane within File Explorer (Windows Users).
Find Shared Folders Faster on OneDrive on the web. Open the folder that was shared with you and click
Add shortcut to My Files (top menu).
How do I use OneDrive Files on Demand to save space on my computer?
OneDrive Files On-Demand is a feature of the desktop app that allows you access files that you need and use less storage space on your computer.
Documentation - Microsoft Support
What limitations are there for uploading large files or multiple files to my OneDrive?
It is recommended to use the OneDrive sync client to upload large or multiple files rather than the OneDrive online interface.
- When syncing files or folders to the OneDrive desktop sync app only sync what you need.
- Don’t sync everything to your computer.
- Make sure that a file/folder you want to sync is not larger than 15GB, if it is, the file or folder would need to be compressed or zipped.
Access all your files in OneDrive. Use
Files on Demand without taking up space on your computer for Windows 10 version 1809 and later.
What is OneDrive for Business vs OneDrive Personal?
OneDrive for Business and OneDrive Personal are separate cloud storage applications.
- Supported on Windows 10, Windows 11, and MacOS devices.
- Create Microsoft 365 files (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) within a browser which is known as Office Online apps.
- Synchronize and access files from anywhere, your university computer, other computers on campus, your personal computer, tablet or mobile device.
Please see the table matrix below on the comparison of both storage applications.
OneDrive for Business
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OneDrive (Personal account)
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Available for all registered students and staff
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Free with a Microsoft account
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| Includes 1 TB of space, this includes files stored on your OneDrive, email and media stored in Microsoft Stream. |
5GB of free storage, if you need more there is a cost. |
| Synchronizes with your SVSU account. |
OneDrive Personal cannot sync to your SVSU account.
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If you need assistance with using OneDrive for Business, please reach out to SVSU ITS. Note: ITS is closed when the Zahnow library is closed.
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