The Connection, Inc Blog

Microsoft OneDrive is a cloud file hosting service that uses synchronization to allow users real-time access to saved information. OneDrive, is most associated with Office 365, to which it offers one terabyte of cloud storage (there is a free tier for consumers as well). Since OneDrive is often used to save Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and OneNote documents, having access to this information from your navigation pane inside of Windows 10 makes it simpler for users to get to files inside of OneDrive. Today, we’ll take a look at how to set the feature up to sync with OneDrive.

If your business uses Office 365, your users get access to OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage. Your employees can upload, sync, and share documents to collaborate with colleagues. This can be a good thing, but you may want to control how employees are sharing company documents. 

Microsoft has a well-developed reputation for creating software that enables users to achieve their work objectives, especially in the business setting. Here, we’re diving into a few capabilities of one such software title, OneDrive, to review some of the features that a user might want to take advantage of.

If you are unfamiliar with Microsoft OneDrive, you should know that it is a cloud storage platform that is known for its utility to a business of any size. The need for organization doesn’t discriminate between large and small operations.

In light of this, let’s begin by reviewing how OneDrive can make file organization even more convenient.

Files On-Demand

This capability allows your users to link their computers’ File Explorer to OneDrive. This gives them the ability to work with files stored in OneDrive without having to download them. This both saves room in the device’s onboard storage, and allows offline work if the right settings are enabled.

Outlook Integration

One of the biggest drawbacks to collaborating on Office documents by sharing them through email is that doing so creates a duplicate file to send over. Therefore, different copies will contain different edits, adding to overall confusion. OneDrive removes that confusion by sharing access to a document when shared through Microsoft Outlook, giving the recipient permission to edit the original file. As a result, true collaboration is actually achieved.

Known Folder Move

While we aren’t suggesting that this should replace a comprehensive data backup, OneDrive does feature a very simple backup-adjacent feature. Known Folder Move will synchronize certain folders to OneDrive automatically, giving users a second copy of their contents. You have the option to enable this when first setting up OneDrive, as well as any time afterwards.

Have you used OneDrive before? Did you know about these features? Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to reach out to us with any of your IT-related questions!