How your files are stored (Files on demand)

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Below, we’ll describe what “Files on demand” means, and how your OneDrive files might be stored on your PC.

What is OneDrive Files on Demand?

  • Files on Demand is a built-in feature in OneDrive that allows you to choose how you want your files to be stored.
  • You can save space on your computer by making files available only online.
  • Make sure files are always available on your device, whether you have internet or not.
  • Files on demand also apply to files you’ve synced to your OneDrive from, for example, Teams, or shared libraries.

Below, you can learn more about what the different symbols mean that you can see on your OneDrive files in your explorer:

On the files and folders you see this blue cloud: Image showing files on demand symbol it means that the files are only available online, and do not take up space on your computer. You’ll see these files directly in Windows Explorer, but won’t download until you open them. You also need to be connected to the internet to open these files. For those of you who use a Mac, the symbol looks like this: Image showing files on demand symbol

The files and folders where you see this green checkmark: Image showing files on demand symbol are files that are online files, but when you open them, they are downloaded and become a locally available file. Right-click on the file and select “free up space”. Thus, these files are both online files and files that are available locally on your device. For those of you who use Mac, you will not see a symbol next to your file.

The files and folders where you’ll see this green checkmark: Image showing files on demand symbol are files that you’ve actively chosen to keep on your device at all times. These files are downloaded and take up space on your device, and you can access them at any time, even without an internet connection. For those of you who use a Mac, the symbol looks like this: Image showing files on demand symbol

Other symbols in your OneDrive

Aside from these three symbols, you may also see other symbols on your files or on your OneDrive icon on your taskbar, such as a pause icon, exclamation mark, or warning triangle. Keep an eye out for symbols on your OneDrive cloud. You can click on your OneDrive icon on the taskbar to see what the error is and how it can be resolved. Here’s what the symbols might look like:
Image showing OneDrive symbol Image showing OneDrive symbol Image showing OneDrive symbol Image showing OneDrive symbol

Do you want to keep your files on your computer at all times?

If you want to keep all your OneDrive files on your computer, and thus always have access to them offline, you can right-click on the OneDrive folder in your menu on the left side of your explorer, and then select “Always keep on this device”. This is not something we recommend, as it is often better to select specific documents and folders that want to be kept on the device. That way, it won’t take up unnecessary space on your computer. Here’s how to keep your OneDrive files on your device.

Download your OneDrive files to your device

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In this manual, we’ll tell you how to download all your OneDrive files to your computer, so you can use the files even when you don’t have access to internet.

  1. Open your explorer on your computer
  2. In the menu to the left you will find OneDrive under the blue OneDrive cloud + your name + Umeå University. Right-click on it, and select Always keep on this device. You can also do this on individual folders and files if you only want to keep specific documents on your device.
    Image showing how to download all your files
  3. Done! Once you have done this, you will see that all the content in your OneDrive will have a green check mark next to it (Image showing files on demand symbol), which means that they are now on your device and you do not need to be connected to the internet to open or work with the files.

Find your shared files in OneDrive

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In this manual, we’ll show you how to find the files you share with others through OneDrive, as well as which files are shared to you to your OneDrive.

  1. Go to www.O365.umu.se and log in with your UmU ID.
  2. In the search box, type OneDrive and klick on OneDrive.
    Office portalen sök onedrive välj onedrive
  3. In the left menu, click Shared.
  4. At first you are in the Shared with you – Here you will see files/folders that others share with you.
    Find your shared files in onedrive - shared tab choose shared with you
  5. Select Shared by you – Here you will see files/folders that you share with others.
    Find your shared files in onedrive - shared tab choose shared by you

Syncronize files from OneDrive, Teams or SharePoint to your computer

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You can sync folders, files, and entire libraries from Office 365 to your computer. This means that you can work with the same files you have in Teams, SharePoint or OneDrive. In this manual, we will show you how to sync files from your OneDrive, Team, Team Channel, and a shared SharePoint library. Our recommendation is that you do not sync too many files.

Sync my own files from OneDrive to your computer

  1. Select Start on your computer and find the OneDrive app.
  2. Log in to OneDrive with your account, umuid@ad.umu.se.
  3. When you are logged in, the blue cloud appears down to the right.
  4. You can set which folders you want to sync by clicking on the OneDrive cloud and then the gear at the top right
  5. Gå sedan till Konto och Välj mappar, bocka i de mappar du vill synkronisera och klicka sedan på OK.
  6. Syncing from your OneDrive is now complete. A new tab is created in your Explorer/Finder – “OneDrive – Umeå University”. You can now work with these files from your computer. Note that these are the same files that are on OneDrive for the web. It’s just another way of working from the computer.
    sync files from onedrive to your computer - Explorer view

Sync files from an entire Team to your computer

  1. Select the Team you want to sync files from to your computer.
  2. Select a Team channel and click on Files
    sync files from Team to computer - select files
  3. Click on Document
    sync files from Team to computer - select documents
  4. Now you will be able to access all files associated with the Team. Then click Sync.
    sync files from Team to computer - select sync
  5. The OneDrive app starts. Make sure all folders and files are selected. When you’re done, click Start Sync.
    sync files from Team to computer - OneDrive app opens - select files to sync - click start sync
  6. Synchronization from an entire team is now complete. A new tab (with a “House”) is created in your Explorer/Finder. See selected locations in the image. You can now work with these files from your explorer. Note that these are the same files that are in the team. It’s just another way of working from the computer.
    sync files from entire Team to computer - explorer view

Sync files from a specific channel in a Team

  1. Choose the Team you want to sync files from to your computer.
  2. Click the channel from which you want to sync files to your computer. For example, the Education channel that the picture shows.
    sync files from specific Team channel to computer - choose team channel
  3. Click on Files
    sync files from specific Team channel to computer - select files tab
  4. Click on Sync
    sync files from specific Team channel to computer - click sync
  5. OneDrive app starts. Make sure the correct files are selected (as you can see, these are the same folders as the image in step 4). When your are done, click Start Sync.
    sync files from specific Team channel to computer - OneDrive app opens - control if right folders are included in the sync - click sync
  6. Synchronization from a specific Team Channel is now complete. A new tab (with a “House”) is created in your Explorer/Finder. See selected locations in the image. You can now work with these files from your explorer. Note that these are the same files that are in the Team Channel. It’s just another way of working from the computer.
    sync files from specific team channel to computer - Explorer view

Sync your files from a shared SharePoint library

  1. Go to the shared library. The easiest way to do this is by using your OneDrive via: O365.
  2. Choose the shared library from the list that you want to sync (for example, as shown in the pircture – Team Arbetsgrupp).
  3. Select Go to Site.
    sync files from shareed sharepoint liberar - select team - click go to site
  4. In the menue on the left, click Documents.
    sync files from shareed sharepoint liberar - select documents
  5. Click on Sync
    sync files from shareed sharepoint liberar - click on sync
  6. The OneDrive app starts. Make sure all folders and files are selected. When you’re done, click Start Sync.
    sync files from Team to computer - OneDrive app opens - select files to sync - click start sync
  7. Synchronization from a shared document library is now complete. A new tab (with a “House”) is created in your Explorer/Finder. See selected locations in the image. You can now work with these files from your Computer. Note that these are the same files that are in SharePoint. It’s just another way of working from the explorer.
    sync files from entire Team to computer - explorer view

 

 

Frequently asked questions about OneDrive

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Onedrive FAQ

How do I transfer files to OneDrive?

You can either upload files directly from OneDrive in the portal (m365.umu.se) or in OneDrive in windows explorer on your computer by dragging and dropping the files in the folder OneDrive – Umeå University.

Files in OneDrive

Can I create folders in OneDrive?

Yes, you can create folders in OneDrive. Either directly in windows explorer or in OneDrive on the portal (m365.umu.se).

Can I give a colleague access to a file in my OneDrive?

Yes, you can share files or folders with a colleague. If you share a document, the colleague will have access to the latest version. This means that if you change the document, the colleague will also see it without you having to send the document again.

You can choose whether the colleague should be able to edit the document or just read it. If you choose to edit it, you will also be able to edit the document at the same time.

Share files and folders

Can I see which files I have shared with others?

Yes, in OneDrive on the portal (m365.umu.se) you can see which files you have shared.

See files you shared in OneDrive

Can I see which files others have shared with me?

Yes, in addition to receiving an email when someone has shared a file with you, you can see in OneDrive on the portal (o365.umu.se) which files others have shared with you.

See files shared with you in OneDrive

Can I stop sharing a document?

Yes, in OneDrive  you can stop sharing a document.

Stop sharing files in OneDrive

What happens if I accidentally delete a file in my OneDrive?

If you accidentally delete files in your OneDrive, it is possible to restore them. The files can be restored from the OneDrive trash via the portal (m365.umu.se) for 30 days. In the instruction below you can find information about how to restore your files.

Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive

After 30 days, the files are placed in a secondary trash can for 60 days before disappearing. You can find a link to your secondary trash at the bottom of the page of your OneDrive trash.

Your files are stored in the recycle bin for a total of 90 days. The same applies to files in Teams or shared libraries.

Where are the files physically stored?

The files you store in OneDrive are stored in Microsoft Datacenter. Umeå University has decided that all data will be stored within Europe.

Can I use OneDrive if I use a Mac?

Yes, you can use OneDrive if you use a Mac.