How to Manage, Sync, and Share Files in Microsoft OneDrive

You can house your files in the cloud at a variety of online storage sites, including Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, and iCloud, but only Microsoft OneDrive is built directly into Windows 10. With OneDrive, you can store your documents, photos, and other files online and sync them across multiple computers and devices. You can also easily share any file on OneDrive with other people.

To use OneDrive, you'll need a Microsoft Account, which you can set up through the Microsoft account web page. You'll also need the right type of storage plan for your needs. A basic free plan offers you 5GB of OneDrive space. For $1.99 a month, you can score 100GB of real estate. A subscription to Office 365 Personal ($6.99/month or $70/year) grants you a hefty 1TB of OneDrive space, while Office 365 Home ($9.99/month or $99.99/year) doles out 1TB each for up to six users.

• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Set Up OneDrive

  OneDrive is automatically available and ready to use in Windows 10. In fact, when you go through the Windows 10 setup, you're asked if you want to use OneDrive. If you missed that opportunity, you should still see an icon for OneDrive in the System Tray. If the icon does not appear, you'll need to trigger it manually from the OneDrive exe file.

  To do this, open File Explorer. Make sure that hidden items are enabled (click the View menu and check the box for Hidden items). Then, drill down to the following location:

  C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\

  In that folder, double-click the OneDrive.exe file, and the icon will then appear in the System Tray. Right-click that icon and select Settings. Click the Settings tab and make sure the box to "Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows" is checked.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Sign Into OneDrive

  At the Settings screen, click the Account tab and then select the button to Add an account. At the Set up One Drive screen, enter the email address for your Microsoft Account and click Sign in. Choose your type of OneDrive account – Personal or Work or School. Enter your password and click Sign in. Confirm the location that Microsoft has set for your OneDrive folder.

  You can change the location if you wish. Otherwise, accept the default and click Next. Review the tutorial screens that explain how to set up OneDrive. Then click the button to Open my OneDrive folder.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Add Files to OneDrive

  Your next task is to select the folders and files you wish to add and sync to your OneDrive storage. From File Explorer, move any folders and files you wish to synchronize into your OneDrive location. For example, if you use a folder called Word Documents for your Microsoft Word files, move that entire folder into OneDrive (so, that would be C:\Users\[username]\OneDrive\Word Documents).

  Do the same step for any other folders you wish to include as part of your OneDrive synchronization. At this point, you can also create any new folders that you want to sync in OneDrive.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Sync Files in OneDrive

  Another way to select folders and files to sync in OneDrive is through the program's settings. Right-click the System Tray icon for OneDrive and select Settings. Click the Account tab and then select Choose folders. Here you'll see the files and folders that you moved into your OneDrive folder. If you wish to sync everything stored in your OneDrive folder, click the checkbox for Make all files available.

  Otherwise, check the individual folders you wish to sync and uncheck any folders you don't want synced. Unchecked folders will remain on OneDrive but will be removed from your current PC and no longer synced online or across other OneDrive devices. Click OK when done.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Back Up With OneDrive

  After OneDrive is up and running, you can also use it to back up important folders. From the OneDrive program window, click the Backup tab. Click the button to Manage backup. You can opt to back up your desktop, your pictures folder, and your documents folder. Check the items you wish to back up and click the button to Start backup.

  You can also opt to automatically save photos and videos to OneDrive whenever you connect a camera, phone, or other picture-taking device. Plus, you can automatically save screenshots to OneDrive. To enable either option, check the box next to it.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  View Local OneDrive Folders and Files

  You can view your local OneDrive folders and files in File Explorer. Right-click on the OneDrive System Tray icon and select Open Folder.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  View OneDrive Files From the Web

  You can also view OneDrive folders and files stored online. Again, right-click on the System Tray icon and select View online. Sign in with your Microsoft Account. Up pops a page displaying the files and folders contained in your online OneDrive space.

  From this page, you can open a folder by clicking on it. Right-click a folder or file to access a pop-up menu with commands such as Download, Delete, Move To, Copy To, and Rename.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Create a Photo Album

  You can build your own photo albums from selected photos stored in OneDrive. At your online OneDrive site, click the entry for Photos in the left pane. Click the heading for Albums and then click the button in the first thumbnail to Create a new album. Name your album. Select the photos you wish to add. Click Add Album, and the album is created.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Share Files From File Explorer

  You can share your OneDrive folders or files with other people either from File Explorer or from your online OneDrive site. In File Explorer, right-click the file you wish to share and select Share a OneDrive link from the pop-up menu. That generates a link you can email or share with someone else, giving that person the ability to read and edit that file.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Share Files From the Web

  To share a file from OneDrive online, right-click the file and select Share. You can then email a link to the shared file to a specific person or people, or copy a link to include in an email or other post.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Set Up Fetching

  Through OneDrive, you can access folders and files on another PC as long as it's running OneDrive, is turned on, and connected to the internet. You need to enable "fetching" on the remote PC with the files you wish to access. To do this on the remote PC, open the OneDrive System Tray icon and select Settings. From the Settings tab in the OneDrive window, click the option to Let me use OneDrive to fetch any of my files on this PC, then click OK.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  Select Files to Fetch

  Sign into your OneDrive web page on the computer you want to perform the fetching. On the left-hand menu, click the entry for PCs, and you'll see a list of all your OneDrive devices. Click the name of the PC with the files you wish to fetch.

  You should now see thumbnails for the key folders on the remote PC, as well as for the C: drive and any network-connected drives. Click the location that contains the file you want to access, then click the file to view it.
• 
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

  How to Quit OneDrive

  Let's say you want to remove a PC from OneDrive for whatever reason. First, make sure all the files you need from OneDrive are syncing to that PC. To do this, open the OneDrive System Tray icon and select Settings. At the Settings screen, click the tab for Account and click the button to Choose folders. Check the box to Sync all files and folders in OneDrive, especially if you unchecked any folders previously. That action will download any files from OneDrive that don't already exist on your PC.

  Give this process some time. To check on the progress, right-click the OneDrive System Tray icon and wait until all files have been synced.

  Next, right-click the System Tray icon and select Settings. At the Settings tab in the Settings screen, uncheck the box to "Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows." Then, click the Account tab and click the link to Unlink this PC. At the prompt, click the button to Unlink account. Your PC will now no longer sync with OneDrive.