How to Use OneDrive

Disclaimer: OneDrive for active BGSU students, faculty, and staff offers 1 Terabyte of free storage, while the public OneDrive only offers 15 Gigabytes of free storage.

Introduction: OneDrive is a file storage tool that allows the user to access and share files anywhere. Active BGSU students, faculty, and staff are able to store up to 1 Terabyte of storage that can be accessed through Microsoft Office, the local folder on your Windows computer, and mobile devices.

Materials needed: A computer or mobile device with internet access is required to use OneDrive. Optional: Microsoft Office

Log into your BGSU email by clicking on the ‘Email’ link at the top right of the page.

1. Once you are logged into your BGSU email account you will need to click on the App Pane button at the top left of your email window.

2. The app pane will open and you will be able to access your OneDrive app. Click on the OneDrive icon.

First time users will not have any saved files yet, so the OneDrive will be empty and will look similar to this image.

Files will only appear in your OneDrive once you have 1) saved them to OneDrive by uploading them from the OneDrive app, 2) when you save them to OneDrive from within a Microsoft Office app, or 3) when they are shared to your OneDrive.

Click on the ‘New’ button and choose ‘Word document’ from the menu.

1. A Word document will open in the same window and you will be able to create a new document and then share and/or save it.

2. Your documents will be saved to either your OneDrive, downloaded to your computer, or shared depending on what you choose.

Choosing the ‘Save As’ button will open a dialog box where you will have the option to enter a name for the document and save it.

Choosing the ‘Share’ button will open a dialog box where you will be prompted to enter a name or email address of the person or persons you wish to share the file with. You will also need to choose if you want to allow the recipient to be able to edit the file or just view it. Once this is complete, click the ‘Share’ button.

Note: When you return to your OneDrive, you will now see the files that you have created. Now that you have files on your OneDrive you can create folders to keep them organized and easier to find.

1. To create a new folder, click on the ‘New’ button, and then choose ‘Folder’.

2. Name the folder and then click the ‘Create’ button.

You can now start moving your files into your newly created folders.

1. To move (or copy) files into folders, choose the files you wish to move by clicking on the white circle to the left of the file name. The circle will change to blue with a check mark indicating that the file is selected.
Select as many files as you would like to move into the folder (as you are able to move as many as you would like), then click the ‘Copy to’ or the ‘Move to’ button at the top of the screen.

2. The ‘Move items to’ menu or ‘Copy items to’ menu (depending on which you would like to do) will open up and you will be able to select the folder that you wish to move (or copy) your files or folder to by clicking on the folder. Then choose the ‘Move’ (or ‘Copy') button at the top of the menu.

Note: If you chose to move the items, they will no longer be visible in the main file area and will only be viewable when you click on the folder that you chose to move them to. If you chose to copy the files, they will be visible in both the main file area AND the folder that you copied them to.

1. You can open a folder to view its contents by clicking the white circle to the left of the folder name to select it and then click on ‘Open’ at the top of page.

2. You will now be able to view all of the files that are stored in the folder that you opened.

1. To share a folder, simply select it as in the previous steps and then click on ‘Share’ at the top of the page.

2. In the dialog box type in the name or email address of the person or persons that you wish to share with, choose if you would like them to be able to edit the folder or only view it, and then click the ‘Share’ button.

1. If you would like to create a link that the recipient can use to access a file or folder, select the file (or folder) as before, and then choose the ‘Get a Link’ button at the top of the page.
2. In the dialog box, click the ‘Copy’ button to copy it and then ‘Close’ the box. You can paste the link into an email and send it to the intended recipient, or paste it into a Word document.

1. In order to delete a file or folder, simply select it and then click on ‘Delete’ at the top of the page.

2. A dialog box will open for you to confirm that you really want to delete the item.

1. You can rename a file or folder by selecting the item that you wish to rename and then click on ‘Rename’ at the top of the page.

2. A dialog box will open, allowing you to rename the item and then ‘Save’ it.

1. You can upload files or folders from your computer to your OneDrive by clicking on ‘Upload’ at the top of the page.
(You will only see 'Upload' if you do not have any files or folders selected.)

2. In the dialog box that opens, choose the items that you wish to upload and then click the ‘Open’ button.

3. You will now see the uploaded file in the main file area.

If you have the OneDrive app on your mobile device you will be able to sync the files on your OneDrive to your mobile device.

Click on ‘Sync’ at the top of the page and in the dialog box choose ‘Sync now’ to start the syncing process.

Download the OneDrive app here: https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/download/

If you need to find a file or folder you can use the search feature to find it easily.
Simply click in the ‘Search’ box at the top left of the page and type in your search word.

The search results will display directly below the search box where you will be able to click on the item to choose it.

You are now ready to use OneDrive to store and share your files!