Microsoft OneDrive is a cloud storage service that allows users to store files and other data in the cloud. It is a part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite.
Microsoft OneDrive is useful for storing and sharing files with others. It also has features like automatic camera upload, which automatically uploads photos from your phone to your OneDrive account. OneDrive can also help you to backup your important files.
We’ve mentioned that OneDrive stores files and data in the cloud, but what is the cloud? It’s easiest to think of the cloud as the internet, so all the files that you put onto Microsoft OneDrive are uploaded to the internet in their own private store. No one should be able to get to your files without your username and password, that is, unless you have specifically shared files with other people.
What features are included with Microsoft OneDrive?
Storage space
OneDrive comes with generous amounts of storage, which is the amount of space where you store your files. In a free account you get 5GB free, which is enough to store:
- 800-1000 photos
- 10 minutes of uncompressed Ultra High Definition video
- 1000 songs in MP3
- 2-3 movies
If you pay a subscription to Microsoft OneDrive you normally get 1TB of data (but can get more), which is enough to store:
- 250,000 photos from a 12MP camera
- 250 films or 500 hours of HD video
- 6.5 million document pages
Editing of basic Microsoft documents
In the online version, OneDrive allows you to edit basic Microsoft documents directly. You can edit:
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Excel
Editing of these documents can all be done via the free online versions or if you have the paid desktop apps, you can open the files up in them and edit through the desktop apps.
Backup for important documents
As the files are stored on the internet, Microsoft OneDrive is an excellent place to backup important files because if something were to happen to your computer, you would still be able to access your files from another computer with an internet connection.
Versioning of files
Microsoft OneDrive also keeps a track of changes that you have made to your files and if you made a mistake in your most recent version, you can go back and restore an older version of the file. This is useful in instances where it is easier to go back to where you first started, than trying to figure out and edit all the things that you changed.
Access of files from anywhere with an internet connection
When you store your files in Microsoft OneDrive you have access to them wherever you are, as long as you have an internet connection. Instead of carrying files around on a USB drive which could easily break or be lost, your files are a login away.
File sharing
Files that you put onto Microsoft OneDrive can easily be shared with other people. This makes it an excellent tool for collaborating with others. You can also set specific permissions on the files as well so that people who you share the file with can only look at (read) the file. Or if you want to give the person you are sharing with ability to edit the file, you can give them read and write access.
Sharing is exceptionally easy and only requires an email address.
Now that you know what Microsoft OneDrive is, take a look at some of our other pages to find out how to sign up for a free Microsoft account, how to access OneDrive or how to use some of the features that are mentioned above.