Chykalophia Docs

A beginner's guide to OneDrive — Microsoft's cloud storage service — including how to save, access, and manage your files from anywhere.

OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage service — think of it as a hard drive that lives on the internet. Files you save to OneDrive are accessible from any computer, phone, or tablet where you're signed in to your work account.

Quick summary

Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium each include 1 TB (terabyte) of OneDrive storage per user. Save files to OneDrive and they sync automatically across your devices. Reach them by signing in to Microsoft 365 and picking OneDrive from the app launcher, or through the OneDrive app. Files you store in OneDrive live in Microsoft's cloud — even if your computer breaks, your files are safe.

A note on names

When you use OneDrive with a work account, Microsoft calls it OneDrive for work or school. You may still see the older name, OneDrive for Business, in places.

Accessing OneDrive

Sign in to Microsoft 365 with your work email and password — go to microsoft365.com, which now opens at m365.cloud.microsoft. Then select the app launcher at the top of the page and choose OneDrive. (Typing onedrive.com takes you to a marketing page, not to your work files.)

Uploading files

Open OneDrive in your browser from the app launcher, as above.

Select Add new at the top of the page, then Files upload or Folder upload. In browsers other than Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome you'll see an Upload button instead.

Choose the file(s) from your computer and click Open. The files upload to OneDrive.

If you have the desktop sync app installed, you can drag and drop files directly into your OneDrive folder in your file explorer — they upload automatically.

Organizing your files

OneDrive uses folders to organize files, just like a regular computer. To create a folder:

Select Add new → Folder in OneDrive. (Older views show a New button instead.)

Give the folder a name and click Create.

Drag files into the folder to organize them, or upload directly into it.

Finding your files

Use the Search bar at the top of OneDrive to look for a file by name.

OneDrive also keeps track of files you've opened lately, which makes it quick to get back to work in progress.

Files on demand (Windows)

The Windows sync app has a feature called Files On-Demand. All your files show up in File Explorer as online-only files, but they don't take up space on your hard drive — a file only downloads when you open it. File Explorer shows a status icon next to each file so you can tell which ones are online-only. You can also right-click a file or folder and choose Always keep on this device or Free up space.

OneDrive vs SharePoint

OneDrive is for your personal work files — documents only you need, drafts, and personal projects. SharePoint is for team files — documents everyone in the business needs access to, like templates, policies, or shared project folders.

Think of OneDrive as your desk drawer, and SharePoint as the office filing cabinet.

Storage allowance

Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium each give a user 1 TB of OneDrive storage. That's a lot of documents. Microsoft also applies a pooled storage limit across your whole tenant, so a single user's 1 TB isn't the only number that matters. See Storage & quotas in Microsoft 365 for details on how to check your usage.

Microsoft is explicit that OneDrive is meant for an individual's own work files, not for system backups or department-wide or company-wide data. Those belong in SharePoint.

Common questions

Are my OneDrive files backed up?

Files you store in OneDrive live in Microsoft's cloud rather than only on your machine, so if your laptop is stolen or breaks, your files are still there. OneDrive also keeps version history, so you can recover an earlier version of a file. That is not the same as a full backup of your business — talk to us if you need one.

What happens to my files if I lose internet access?

If you use the desktop sync app, files that have been synced to your computer are still accessible offline. Changes you make offline will sync automatically when you reconnect to the internet. Files that are online-only (the cloud icon) won't be available until you're back online.

See the full guide: Sharing files in OneDrive.

Can I use OneDrive to collaborate on documents at the same time as a colleague?

Yes — OneDrive integrates with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. If you share a document, multiple people can edit it at the same time and see each other's changes in real time.

Need a hand?

If you're stuck, email support@chykalophia.com and we'll help. Include your website address and a screenshot if you can.

OneDrive basics