9 must-know Microsoft OneDrive tips: Get more from Windows cloud storage

Cloud or on-line storage is sensible for a lot of causes: Provided you could have an web connection, you possibly can entry your information from anyplace, whatever the finish gadget.

Synchronization ensures that content material is all the time updated wherever you might be. Photos, screenshots, and different recordsdata will be backed up mechanically, recordsdata will be shared, browser settings and passwords will be synchronized, in addition to — no less than with Microsoft OneDrive — system and app settings.

Unlike Dropbox or Google Drive, OneDrive is deeply built-in into the working system and even runs on the pc with Windows 11.

Here we current the Microsoft cloud intimately, present suggestions, and clarify the variations in performance between the assorted Microsoft subscriptions.

Further studying: Microsoft OneDrive review

Set up OneDrive, even with an area Windows account

Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft

You can use OneDrive cloud storage within the browser or by way of the Windows app. It is pre-installed in Windows 11; or accessible to install for Windows 10. The model within the Microsoft Store is outdated.

If you log in to Windows 11 along with your Microsoft account anyway, OneDrive is able to go immediately. But you too can use OneDrive with an area Windows account. To do that, both log in along with your Microsoft account in the browser, or begin the OneDrive app and log in.

With this login possibility, you possibly can select whether or not the account hyperlink needs to be restricted to apps or not. The choice doesn’t change your Windows login; an area account stays native.

When establishing the app, you possibly can change the storage location for the native copy of the cloud content material, together with to a unique exhausting drive or partition. You also can specify which folders the Windows backup software ought to save.

Our suggestion: If you wouldn’t have a subscription for added space for storing, deactivate all folders right here first or click on on “I will do it later.” Also reject the improve choices that seem in the intervening time.

Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft

If you additionally need to set up OneDrive in your smartphone, it’s advisable to change on the “Activate camera backup” possibility within the cellular app. This mechanically saves all recordings within the cloud and synchronizes them to your PC. The default setting is to again up images and screenshots; WhatsApp photographs and movies will be added.

Three suggestions for getting began:

1. Once you could have arrange OneDrive in your desktop after which take the primary screenshot, the app gives the choice of mechanically backing up all others to the cloud.
2. Secondly, we suggest that you just all the time begin OneDrive out of your PC, as this quickens information synchronization. To do that, open the Task Manager and click on on the “Autostart” tab on the high (Windows 10) or “Autostart apps” on the left (Windows 11). Right-click on OneDrive to activate Autostart.
3. Thirdly, you too can change and customise all OneDrive choices later within the app’s “Settings,” together with logging out of your Microsoft account.

Triple your free storage and use premium features

If you could have had a Hotmail, Live, or Outlook account for a very long time, you continue to have entry to the 15GB of cloud storage that was initially supplied freed from cost. All different customers solely have 5GB freed from cost. However, this can be prolonged to 15GB by way of suggestions to mates and acquaintances. Long-term customers even get 25GB because of the “loyalty bonus.”

This is the way it works: Log in along with your account in the browser and click on on the cogwheel image (“Settings”) within the high right-hand nook.

You can ship invitation hyperlinks by way of “Options > Referral bonus > Earn more.” Each accepted invitation provides you an additional 500MB, as much as a most of 10GB in complete.

The particular person features of OneDrive additionally depend upon whether or not you might be logged in to Microsoft at no cost or have a paid subscription. The choices listed below are the “basic” model for $20 per yr or Microsoft 365 with all Office features and 1TB of space for storing.

According to Microsoft, some features solely exist within the paid subscriptions. But this isn’t true right here. For instance, “folder backup on the PC” of photographs, paperwork, desktop, and others is certainly attainable by way of the Windows Backup app.

As already talked about, the cellular app additionally uploads smartphone images to the cloud. Even looking for recordsdata by date and key phrases is just not restricted as Microsoft claims, so long as you add the native backup within the Windows indexing choices.

Editing paperwork on the go in your smartphone requires extra steps: You first must obtain the recordsdata to your cellular gadget, edit them there, after which add them once more. Password-protected file shares can’t be created immediately in OneDrive, however the extra effort required to create a protected zip archive with 7-Zip is minimal.

Microsoft’s notes on model historical past counsel that adjustments to OneDrive recordsdata can solely be reset with paid subscriptions. However, you possibly can all the time name up and obtain any model of paperwork within the browser and undo adjustments.

Finally, the private vault, i.e. the world that gives particular safety for delicate content material by way of fingerprint, facial recognition, SMS code, or one other second issue, is proscribed to 3 recordsdata at no cost use.

However, as it’s the sheer quantity and never the quantity of information that issues, 7-Zip also can assist right here: Right-clicking within the OneDrive folder on all of the recordsdata to be protected creates an archive that you would be able to then transfer to the vault. If you don’t use the premium features each day, the workarounds will certainly assist.

Differences in storage and features

First of all, OneDrive refers to Microsoft’s cloud storage. Anyone who units up a free on-line account receives 5GB of space for storing within the cloud. This free storage will be tripled to a complete of 15GB by referring mates and acquaintances.

Microsoft additionally gives paid subscriptions: Microsoft 365 Basic with 100GB of storage prices $20 per yr, Microsoft 365 Single with 1TB prices $70, and Microsoft 365 Family with as much as six accounts and one 1TB of storage per consumer, prices $100.

Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft

Beyond the storage sizes and Office features of Microsoft 365, the variants additionally differ significantly with regards to OneDrive features. These embody the vault space, which is specifically protected by two-factor authorization, ransomware detection, sharing and restoring recordsdata, working with cellular apps, model historical past, and way more.

See Microsoft’s summary the person features of the subscriptions — particulars can be found by way of the “Expand all” hyperlink. So a lot for the speculation, as a result of you possibly can truly use features at no cost that Microsoft truly solely offers for the paid subscriptions.

Edit cloud recordsdata on the Windows PC offline too

Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft

For area causes, Microsoft doesn’t retailer all cloud content material on the PC exhausting drive by default. But which information is saved solely within the cloud and which information does Windows additionally retailer domestically?

The Explorer exhibits all recordsdata within the OneDrive folder, however the variations solely develop into clear on nearer inspection: a blue cloud subsequent to recordsdata or folders stands for “online only,” a inexperienced tick on a white background for “also available locally,” the tick within the inexperienced circle for “always keep on this device.”

Microsoft describes the variations intimately together with the wide range of icons here.

You can change the standing of particular person recordsdata and directories in Explorer by way of the context menu “OneDrive > …”. If your exhausting drive is giant sufficient, you possibly can retailer all cloud content material domestically in parallel. This provides you entry to all recordsdata in your PC, even with out an web connection, and interim adjustments are mechanically synchronized to the cloud later.

To make a whole native copy, right-click on the OneDrive icon within the taskbar in your PC and proceed with “Settings > Synchronize and back up > Advanced settings.” Scroll down and click on on the “Download all files > Continue” button underneath “Files on demand.” Depending on the quantity of information, the obtain could take a while.

Recycle bin, OneDrive for Business, photograph modifying, and extra

As talked about in the beginning, you should utilize OneDrive in your PC by way of the browser or — the really helpful possibility — the app. This is as a result of the Windows software gives the standard file administration of the file explorer, together with drag and drop and, if set, offline entry to recordsdata.

When deleting recordsdata, the app additionally informs you that the method will take away the recordsdata from all linked units, in contrast to the browser. Furthermore, the content material can be moved to the Windows recycle bin when deleted by way of the app and solely to the web recycle bin when deleted within the browser.

Finally, additional suggestions and instruments:

• In addition to the (non-public) OneDrive app described within the article, you possibly can simply use “OneDrive for Business” in parallel on the identical PC. In the primary app, you log in along with your non-public account (free or Microsoft 365), within the enterprise app along with your faculty, college, or firm account.
• Secondly, you possibly can edit images saved on OneDrive immediately within the browser and add filters.
• Thirdly, the OneDrive drive seems in Windows Explorer, however there isn’t a drive letter. If that is essential for additional processing of the info with different instruments, Raidrive will add a letter.

IDG

IDG

IDG

This article, which initially appeared on PC Welt, was translated from German to English.