OneDrive - FAQs

Summary

Find answers to frequently asked questions about OneDrive.

Body

Overview

Browse frequently asked questions about Microsoft OneDrive.

 

GENERAL

WHO CAN USE ONEDRIVE?

FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS

OneDrive is available to all current SFU faculty, staff and students with a Microsoft 365 account.

OTHER

There are no current plans to provide access to SFU alumni.

ARE THERE ANY COSTS TO USING ONEDRIVE?
Microsoft OneDrive is free for all current SFU faculty, staff and students.
HOW DO I GET ACCESS TO ONEDRIVE?

1. Access Microsoft OneDrive

  • OneDrive Web: Visit M365 Portal > Select OneDrive icon
  • OneDrive Desktop: Launch the software on your desktop
HOW DO I INSTALL ONEDRIVE ON MY INDIVIDUAL-USE OR UNIVERSITY-MANAGED DEVICE(S)?

INDIVIDUAL-USE

To download Microsoft OneDrive on your individual-use device, visit Microsoft OneDrive's download page for more information.

UNIVERSITY-MANAGED 

If you are an SFU faculty/staff and you hold a university-managed device, OneDrive should be pre-installed on your device. Please submit a service request to the IT Service Desk for any software inquiries or installations.

CAN I USE ROLE OR SPONSORED ACCOUNTS ON ONEDRIVE?
Role or sponsored accounts can use OneDrive to store and share documents.
IS ONEDRIVE AVAILABLE ON LINUX?

At this time, OneDrive is available as a progressive web app on Linux. As an alternative, you'll also be able to access the web version of OneDrive.

DOES ONEDRIVE SUPPORT WEBDAV CONNECTIONS?
OneDrive does not support WebDAV connections.
 

FILE SHARING AND STORAGE

WHAT IS MY STORAGE LIMIT FOR ONEDRIVE?
The storage limit for OneDrive is 1 TB.
WHAT IS THE SIZE LIMIT FOR A SINGLE FILE ON ONEDRIVE?
The size limit for a single file on OneDrive is 250GB.
ARE THERE BACKUPS OF MY FILES ON ONEDRIVE?

Neither Microsoft nor SFU provide indefinite backups to your files stored on OneDrive. You are responsible for backing up your files if you require additional data resiliency.

However, OneDrive does provide robust features such as soft-deletes (Recycling Bin), file versioning, and account restoration to help address potential file corruption, accidental changes, or deletions.

If you have accidentally deleted a file or folder, you may be able to restore them within 93 days. For more details, visit the Microsoft Support page on Restoring deleted files or folders in OneDrive.

CAN I SYNC FILES SHARED BY OTHERS ON MY COMPUTER?

You can only sync shared folders on your computer. If you wish to sync a shared file, ask the file owner to place the file into a folder and share the entire folder with you.

To sync a shared folder via the OneDrive desktop app:

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Portal.
  2. Select the OneDrive icon on the left navigation menu.
  3. On the OneDrive page, select “Shared” on the left navigation menu bar.
  4. Under the “Shared with you” tab, go to the shared folder you wish to sync and select “Add shortcut to My Files”.
  5. Your OneDrive desktop app will automatically sync and the folder should appear on your desktop within a few minutes. 

Note: If you've previously set your OneDrive's desktop app to only sync specific folders, you will need to manually enable syncing for the newly shared folder in the OneDrive settings.

For more details on syncing, visit the Microsoft support page on Add and sync shared folders to OneDrive.

 

TROUBLESHOOTING

WHEN I LAUNCH ONEDRIVE ON A BROWSER, IT SHOWS A BLANK SCREEN. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Your web browser may not be compatible with the application. Update your web browser or switch to a different web browser, such as Chrome or Firefox.
WHY AM I GETTING AN UPLOAD ERROR MESSAGE WHEN I UPLOAD FILES TO ONEDRIVE?

There can be many reasons to why your files cannot be uploaded on to OneDrive, but here is a list of the most common reasons:

  • Your file name contains special characters or unorthodox naming that conflicts with Microsoft's operation system.
  • Your file or folder path is too long (e.g., having too many folders within folders) 
  • Your file is too large to be uploaded.

For more details, visit the Microsoft Support page on Restrictions and limitations in OneDrive.

WHY CAN’T OTHERS EDIT THE FILE I SHARED WITH THEM?
The default setting on shared files are view-only. To modify the editing permission of your file, visit our how-to page on how to change sharing permission for more details.

 

SECURITY

 

HOW SECURE IS ONEDRIVE?

OneDrive at SFU is protected by enterprise-level security from Microsoft. To learn more about Microsoft’s trust and security related information, visit the Microsoft Trust Center.

WHERE IS THE DATA STORED? IS ONEDRIVE FIPPA-COMPLIANT?

All data uploaded to OneDrive at SFU are stored within Canada and are protected under the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

All members of the SFU community are reminded to only share personally identifiable information (PII) as permitted under FIPPA.

CAN I UPLOAD AND/OR SHARE FILES THAT MAY CONTAIN PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII) ON ONEDRIVE?

All members of the SFU community are reminded to only share personally identifiable information (PII) as permitted under FIPPA.

Files that may be personally identifiable should be shared directly to specific people, and they should have a purpose of accessing those files. We do not recommend sharing PII via sharable links that do not restrict access.

If you are unsure which sharing permission to use, please see our recommendations on the usage of sharing permissions.

For more information on how to identify, understand, manage, and use university data appropriately, see the SFU Data Security Standard page.

Details

Details

Article ID: 3818
Created
Wed 6/22/22 5:48 PM
Modified
Mon 11/27/23 11:58 AM

Related Services / Offerings

Related Services / Offerings (1)

Microsoft OneDrive is a file hosting and synchronization service for individual use at the university.