Using OneDrive for Business to save and share files in the cloud

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Using OneDrive for Business to save and

share files in the cloud

Creating and working with files on OneDrive for Business

NOTE: OneDrive for Business works on most browsers, however we recommend using Internet

Explorer for full functionality.

Signing in

To create and work with files on OneDrive for Business, you first need to sign in to Office 365. To sign in:

1. Open a browser and go to portal.office.com

2. On the Office 365 sign-in page, type your username in the form [email protected] (e.g. [email protected]) in the first box.

3. Click in the Password box to start redirection to the University's login page then enter your normal University password and click Sign in.

4. Once signed in into Office 365, you can access OneDrive either by clicking the OneDrive tile on the Office 365 homepage or in the app launcher located in the top left.

Creating a new file or folder in OneDrive for Business

By default, any file or folder that you create on OneDrive for Business is private to you (invisible to everyone else). After you create a file, you can make it available to selected individuals.

CAUTION: Your OneDrive for Business contains a folder named Shared with Everyone which, as the

name suggests, enables you to make a file public to everyone in the University. You should be very careful not to unintentionally add or create files in this folder. For this reason, we recommend that you delete it straight away.

For more information about sharing files, see <Sharing files on OneDrive for Business> later in this guide.

NOTE: You must be using a Microsoft Office 2013 or above client application to create a new file

from OneDrive for Business.

To create a new file:

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Excel survey) that you want to create.

2. Having created a new document, click on the default name in the top bar (this will be

Document1 or similar) and overtype with a name of your choosing.

The document is already saved and updates are also saved automatically.

3. You can now edit your document online in the web app. To use the desktop Office application instead, click OPEN IN WORD / EXCEL / etc.

Uploading an existing file to OneDrive for Business

There are two ways to upload an existing file to OneDrive for Business:

Using the Upload button

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2. Select the file you want to upload on your system and click Open – depending on its size it takes a few seconds to upload (look for the confirmation message in the top right).

Using drag and drop

1. Find the file you want to upload in Windows Explorer and drag it to OneDrive for Business.

2. Drop it in the current folder or over any existing sub-folder.

TIP: It is possible to move entire folders using drag and drop, but this functionality only works in

Google Chrome at present.

Working offline

Although Microsoft provides a tool to sync OneDrive for Business folders to your computer for working offline, we recommend that you do not use it for the time being as the current version has a number of usability issues. For this reason, ignore the Sync button at the top of the screen.

If your connection to the internet is interrupted while working on a file in the desktop app, it will automatically update any changes once you are back online.

However, if you plan to work offline for a substantial period of time (e.g. over a train journey), we recommend that you download the relevant files from OneDrive to your local device and re-upload them once you are back online.

To download a file:

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2. Click Save when prompted (in which case the file will be downloaded to your Local

Downloads folder), or click on the down arrow to select Save as and navigate to a different

folder.

TIP: You can also click on the ellipse menu next to the filename to access the Download option.

Editing a file

When you click a file in your OneDrive for Business library, the contents of the file are displayed in your browser. If you want to edit the file, you can choose to edit it online or in the desktop Office application. If you edit a file online, other people can edit the file at the same time.

To edit a file:

1. Click the name of the file you want to edit – this will open the file in a new tab in the relevant application.

2. On the Web app screen, click on Edit [Type] at the top and select either Edit in [App name] to open the file in the desktop application, or Edit in [App name] Online to open it in the Web app.

For example, if you are viewing a Word document in your browser, click Edit Document and select either Edit in Word (opens Word on your desktop) or Edit in Word Online.

TIP: You can also click on the ellipse menu next to the filename to access the Edit in [App name] and Edit in [App name] Online options. If the latter you will still need to do the steps above!

Deleting a file

To delete a file:

1. Click to the left of the file you want to delete to select it and click the Delete button in the top menu.

Alternatively you can click on the ellipse menu next to the filename or right-click on the filename to access the Delete option.

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Accessing OneDrive from Office 2013 on your desktop

You can save, open, and share files in OneDrive for Business directly from any Office desktop application (including Word 2013, Excel 2013 and PowerPoint 2013). For sharing, you can set permissions (view or edit) directly from the Office applications.

Saving documents from an Office application

To save a document to OneDrive for Business using Word 2013, Excel 2013 or PowerPoint 2013: 1. Click on the File tab and select Save As.

2. Select OneDrive - University of Bristol (this is your University OneDrive for Business account).

3. Either select a folder under Recent Folders (or Current Folder if this option is available), or use the Browse button to choose a different folder.

4. In the Save As dialog box, enter a file name, and then tap or click Save.

NOTE: If you are not already signed in to Office 365, you may be prompted to do so.

Opening a file from an Office application

To open a file saved in OneDrive for business from Word 2013, Excel 2013 or PowerPoint 2013: 1. Click on the File tab, and select Open.

2. Select OneDrive - University of Bristol and navigate to the file you want to open – alternatively, select the file in the Recent Documents list if you see it there.

Sharing files and folders on OneDrive for Business

After you create or upload a file, you may want to share it. By default, any file or folder that you create on OneDrive for Business is invisible to everyone unless you create it in the Shared with

Everyone folder (not recommended).

Sharing a file

As well as sharing individual files with UoB members, OneDrive for Business allows you to share them with non-UoB members even if they don’t have a Microsoft account.

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1. Click to the left of the file you want to share to select it and click the Share button at the top.

Alternatively you can click on the ellipse menu next to the filename or right-click on it to access the Share option.

2. In the Share dialog box, enter the names or email addresses of the people that you want to share with, specify permissions (view or edit), and then type a personal message (optional).

CAUTION: At the time of writing you can only search for people by initials and surname (e.g.

AJ Smith), surname (e.g. Smith) or username (e.g. as1234).

3. If you don’t want to send an email invitation deselect the Send an email invitation check box.

You can always send a link to the file by email later, by going back to the Share dialogue box, clicking Get a link on the left and selecting the relevant restriction option for accessing the link from the dropdown (e.g. Restricted link – Only specific people can open this link to restrict access to the people you have invited). Then copy the link and paste it in an email. 4. Click Share.

Sharing a file with a non-UoB member

To share a file with a non-UoB member:

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3. In the dropdown, select View link – no sign-in required or Edit link – no sign-in required and click Copy.

4. Paste the link in an email and send it to the relevant people.

Stopping sharing a file with someone

To stop sharing a file with someone:

1. Open the Share dialogue box as described previously if necessary, and click on Shared with

2. Click on the down arrow below the relevant user and select Stop Sharing. 3. Click Close.

Sharing a folder

When you share a folder, you automatically share all items that you place in that folder. Sharing a folder saves you the trouble of sharing the files one at a time.

CAUTION: After you share a folder, every item that you add to it is automatically shared with the

people that you’re sharing the folder with. If you don’t want to expose a particular file, be careful about which shared folder you add it to.

Using OneDrive for Business to save and share files in the cloud