Note:
This guide only applies to UiO-owned and -operated PCs within the concept of 'My UiO-PC'.
Students and others with private computers or different platforms can find assistance in the guides linked on the setup page for OneDrive.
What is OneDrive?
OneDrive is a folder located on the machine you use. When you create files and folders in the OneDrive folder, a copy of them is taken to a corresponding folder in the Microsoft cloud, so that the content can also be accessed on other machines where you use OneDrive - allowing you to access your files from anywhere. Note that the name of the OneDrive folder you have at UiO is OneDrive - University of Oslo.
What can I store in OneDrive?
UiO's Data storage guidelines cover what can be stored and where. See the Storage Services category for a description of what can be stored in OneDrive.
Where can I find my files?
There are several ways you can access your files in Onedrive.
- Search for Onedrive in the start menu and click on the icon that appears.
- Click on the small blue cloud icon in the system tray at the bottom right corner and then select show folders.
- Open file explorer, and you should have a separate library called First name - University of Oslo on the left side.
This is the same if you go to C:\users\YOURUSERNAME\First name - University of Oslo
How do I start OneDrive?
First, you need to open OneDrive and log in, as described in this guide (See OneDrive on Windows). This will automatically back up the Desktop, Document, and Pictures folders on your machine.
Where do my files go?
The following 3 folders are moved to OneDrive:
- C:\Users\username\Desktop
- C:\Users\username\Documents
- C:\Users\username\Pictures
To access the content from the above 3 locations, you need to look in the folder C:\Users\username\OneDrive - University of Oslo. There, you will find:
- Desktop
- Documents
- Pictures
Other folders on the computer are not backed up. Therefore, you should save there, and you can also copy your user profile on the C drive and possibly other folders from other drives to OneDrive - University of Oslo.
How do I back up important files?
- Navigate to the user profile (described above in Where are my files?)
- Open the folder OneDrive - University of Oslo and create a new folder there
- Go back to the user profile and select all the folders except OneDrive and/or OneDrive - University of Oslo
- Copy (shortcut: Ctrl+C) all the files and folders, navigate to the folder created in step 2
- Paste (shortcut: Ctrl+V)
Now the file is on OneDrive in addition to being on the computer.
How do I know if something is backed up?
In the Status column, an icon will indicate if a file is backed up; if a green circle and check mark appear .
OneDrive stops backing up?
If a cloud with a red circle and white X appears in the lower right corner of the screen , it means that OneDrive is not backing up. Click on the icon and you will be prompted to log in and may need to provide two-factor authentication (read more about two-factor authentication)
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