Microsoft OneDrive is a free file storage and file sharing service available to any Microsoft account user. Microsoft OneDrive provides one terabyte of storage for free. You automatically have access if you create a free Microsoft email account, or you can create a free Microsoft account using any email address such as Gmail or Yahoo!.

OneDrive files and folders can either be accessed via a web browser or via a desktop application. They can also be accessed via a mobile app on a mobile device. This module will focus on desktop use, but keep in mind that similar functionality is available on the web and mobile apps.

Creating Folders in OneDrive

After you download the OneDrive desktop application, you may have already been asked to sign in. Once you are signed in, you can see OneDrive as a folder in your Windows File Explorer.

In the File Explorer, you can create OneDrive folders just like you would any other folder on your computer. To create a new folder, you can either:

• click the New folder button on the ribbon, or
• right click somewhere in the OneDrive folder pane and select New>Folder.

Uploading and Storing Files in OneDrive

To save a file in OneDrive, open the file and click File>Save As. Then select the OneDrive folder or subfolder where you want to save it.

Syncing Files to the Cloud

The OneDrive folder in the File Explorer has a column called Status. The icons in this column give you details on the status of syncing the file or folder in the cloud storage.

Icon	Description	Details
	Green checkmark	File or folder is synced to the cloud and available locally
	Solid green circle with white checkmark	File or folder is synced to the cloud and has been marked as “Always keep on this device”
	Red circle with white X	File or folder cannot be synced to the cloud
	Two blue arrows	Sync pending
	Blue cloud	File or folder is only available online These files don’t take up space on your computer, and can’t be opened when you are offline.
	Blue cloud with person	File or folder has been shared with other people
	Padlock	File or folder has settings which prevent it from syncing

When you have installed the OneDrive desktop application, you will also have a OneDrive icon on your system tray (bottom right corner of Windows). The icons in the system tray also give you more details about the overall status of your OneDrive account.

Icon	Description	Details
	Blue cloud or white cloud	A blue cloud is for your work or school account. A white cloud is for your personal account. Both clouds may appear if you are signed into multiple accounts on your computer.
	Two blue arrows	Sync pending
	Pause icon	OneDrive paused; files not syncing To resume syncing, click on the icon and select Resume Syncing.
	Red circle with white bar	OneDrive account blocked
	Yellow exclamation mark	OneDrive account needs attention Click on the icon to see more details.

Sharing Files in OneDrive

To share a file from the OneDrive folder in the File Explorer, right click on the file and select Share. You may see multiple options to share. If so, select the one with the OneDrive blue cloud icon next to it. Note that you can share both files and folders using this method. If you share a folder, you are sharing access to all files currently in that folder and that may be added to that folder in the future.

Once you click on Share with the blue cloud icon, you will see options to enter email addresses along with a message to send it through that dialog box, or you can copy the link to share another way (such as by email or chat). Select the options you want on your link by clicking Anyone with the link can edit.

• Allow editing. You can uncheck this box if you do not want anyone with the link to be able to edit the file.
• Set expiration date. If you set an expiration date, then the link will only work until the date you set.
• Set password. If you set a password, the user will be prompted to enter a password before they can access the file. You will need to send the password separately to anyone you’d like to grant access.

In your email, you can also share OneDrive files as a link rather than attachment. A dialog box will appear when you select a OneDrive file as the file you would like to attach to the email. Then you can select either Share link or Attach as copy.