OneDrive Overview

OneDrive provides secure file storage in the Microsoft cloud. It is available to UF students, faculty, and staff via UF Microsoft Campus Agreement and the UFIT GatorCloud https://cloud.it.ufl.edu/. You could think of OneDrive as the evolution of traditional file server storage. The OneDrive app synchronizes files stored in the GatorCloud with your computer and mobile devices. Some of the benefits of using OneDrive are:

  • Enables secure access to your work documents from anywhere without requiring a VPN connection.
  • Enables collaborative editing of files for multiple people at the same time in the same file.
  • Enables you to access your work files from any device where you are signed into OneDrive with your gatorlink@ufl.edu account.
  • Full integration with Microsoft Teams and Office 365 applications
  • 5TB of storage per person.

Setting up OneDrive on a Florida Museum Computer

Windows Device

The integration between OneDrive and Windows allow OMT to automagically sign you in to OneDrive as you sign into Windows. This means there is nothing that you have to set up, you can start using OneDrive right away. You can access OneDrive from the Navigation Pane in a Windows Explorer window, or the cloud icon in the Notification Area in the lower right hand of the screen near the clock in the Taskbar.

Shows the location of One Drive in the navigation pane in file explorer.
OneDrive in Navigation Pane
One Drive cloud icon in the notification area.
OneDrive icon in the notification area
MacOS Device

You will need to start OneDrive and then sign in. You can find OneDrive in the Applications folder in the Finder sidebar, if you do a Spotlight search you need to select the OneDrive that has been installed on the computer. It will potentially have Applications listed next to it, you do not want to select the OneDrive that takes you to the App store.

One Drive spotlight search
OneDrive in spotlight search

You will the see the OneDrive cloud icon appear in the menubar.

One drive icon in the menubar
OneDrive icon in the menubar

OneDrive should start automatically, if not click once on the cloud icon. Once OneDrive has started you will enter your @ufl.edu email address (not your @flmnh.ufl.edu or @floridamuseum.ufl.edu address).

One Drive enter your email
Enter your @ufl.edu email

Then you will be taken to a shibboleth authentication page, enter your Gatorlink username and password. You will need your Multi-Factor Authentication device to authenticate this sign in as usual.

UF Login

Take note of the location of your OneDrive folder on this computer and click next.

One Drive folder location
Make note of your OneDrive folder location

Files in OneDrive are set to OnDemand by default, which saves hard drive space on your computer by only downloading a file when you are working on it. We will cover downloading files to work on them when your computer is offline in a following section.

Shows One Drive On Demand icons
OneDrive On-Demand

If you do not already have the OneDrive app you may want to go ahead and download it to your mobile device(s) now. The mobile app allows for productivity even when you are away from your computer.

One Drive Mobile App

Click open my OneDrive folder and OneDrive will open in finder.

One Drive is ready
Open my OneDrive folder

Saving files for offline access (Always Keep on This Device)

This setting is important for when you are going to be in a situation where you do not have internet access, like traveling or working in the field. You should download any files you want to work on offline, while you still have an internet connection.

Files in OneDrive are set to OnDemand by default, which saves hard drive space on your computer by only downloading a file to the computer when you are working on it. This means that only files and folders that you mark to ‘Always Keep on This Device’ will be available if you do not have internet access.

You can select individual files or whole folders.

  • Right click on the item(s) you would like to save for offline access and select ‘Always keep on this Device’

Shows One Drive always keep on this device in right click menu

  • A solid green circle with a check mark inside it will appear next to the item, once a copy of it is downloaded to the device.
Shows the selected folder set to be downloaded on this device.
The Important Folder item has a solid green circle with a check mark
  • Repeat for each item you would like to have offline access to.

This setting is device dependent, meaning that marking an item ‘Always Keep on This Device’ only works on the device that you mark the item on. For example if you have a laptop and a macbook connected to your OneDrive and mark a folder as ‘Always Keep on This Device’ on the macbook it will not be downloaded to the laptop automatically. You will need to mark the same folder as ‘Always Keep on This Device’ on the laptop to download the folder to it as well.

Accessing OneDrive in the GatorCloud (Web Browser Access)

  • You can also get to your OneDrive using an Internet browser. Go to https://cloud.it.ufl.edu/ and click on OneDrive in the Office 365 section.
  • Select your gatorlink@ufl.edu account
  • Enter your GatorLink username and password in the Shibboleth login page
  • You now have access to your files and can edit them using the web interface of the Office 365 programs.

Office 365 web versions

Sync with Teams (File System Integration)

Connect Teams files to your computer file system. You will be able to access the files via Finder in MacOS and File Explorer in Windows on computers where you are signed into the OneDrive app.

  • Navigate to the file tab of a team that you want to connect.Teams file tab and sync button
  • Click the sync button, it’s next to the upload button.
  • Repeat for each team’s files that you would like to connect.
  • You can find each team in its own folder under University of Florida, located in the Finder Sidebar in MacOS or the Navigation Pane of File Explorer for Windows computers.
  • This feature is device dependent. So only the computer you are on will sync with the Teams files unless you also choose to sync them on another computer.

Show the University of Florida folder that the synced Teams files can be found under in Finder.

Shows the University of Florida folder that the synced Teams files can be found in the Navigation Pane