If you use any Microsoft product, you may come across the name OneDrive. Microsoft recently launched a cloud-based service that allows users to choose to store and share their documents.
Whether you use it as a work tool or for storing personal documents, OneDrive is a convenient choice for accessing files or sharing content with colleagues anytime, anywhere.
Let’s study the difference between Personal OneDrive and OneDrive for Business, and study the different functions of OneDrive.
Personal OneDrive
This is the OneDrive you see when you open Windows 10 on your computer: it has been set up when you log in with your Microsoft account, and the available storage can be found in the file explorer.
In Microsoft computers, it is the default option for saving documents or files and can help save space on the storage drive. Like many cloud storage services, you can get a few GB for free. In fact, the free OneDrive plan can provide up to 5GB of storage space, but you must pay to get more storage space in 200GB increments.
For most Microsoft 365 Home or Personal plans, you can get 1TB of OneDrive space for free, which means that OneDrive can also easily synchronize and share information and documents between Windows devices.
In 2019, Microsoft also added Personal Vault to OneDrive, enabling two-factor authentication for the three special files that really want to protect to provide additional security (365 users get unlimited Personal Vault space).
OneDrive for Business
OneDrive is the overall data management system of Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) and the glue that combines all Microsoft Office services. It enables employees to share documents, track projects, automatically enter data, collaborate online, protect their data, and more.
If you are looking for Microsoft 365 features that suit your business, then it is almost certain that the data in these features is collected through OneDrive.
Since OneDrive involves many Microsoft services, Microsoft updates it approximately every two weeks. Please note that there is a version of OneDrive for Windows and a version for MacOS, which have been updated separately.
For example, a recent update added simpler sensitivity labels that administrators can use to apply additional encryption or practices to sensitive business data.
As you can imagine, security is a key part of Microsoft’s use in OneDrive Business Edition. Now, let’s take a closer look at how OneDrive connects to Microsoft’s ecosystem.
OneDrive to rule them all
Microsoft wants you to use OneDrive to store and synchronize all data between devices. This is why it pushes the OneDrive application to all platforms and provides 1TB of online storage for every computer with an Office 365 subscription.
The Office 365 Home Edition subscription can provide up to five computers with 1TB of OneDrive storage for $100 per year or $10 per month, which is an attractive proposition.
Microsoft knows that you will never be able to fill this gap with documentation alone. But you can basically store anything on OneDrive and integrate it seamlessly with Windows 10 and various applications to ensure automatic backups, synchronization, and easy access to files.
Why would you want to use OneDrive?
So far, cloud storage is just a means of sharing files with others or transferring files from one device to another. However, as the price of storage space becomes cheaper and cheaper, as long as you don’t mind other people managing your data, cloud storage will become an increasingly attractive backup solution.
The main benefit of OneDrive is that it can sync across platforms and integrate with the services and applications you already use, including Windows, Office, Outlook, etc.
Despite its appeal, OneDrive should not be your only backup solution. For example, if one copy is damaged and you cannot access the other copy due to a drive crash, a hacked OneDrive account, or an interrupted Internet connection, what should you do?
To be on the safe side, you should always manage your backups in accordance with the so-called “3, 2, 1” backup plan: There are at least three copies on both types of media, and one copy offsite. Cloud storage can be used as your off-site copy, but you still need a local backup.
Using the OneDrive app in Windows 10
Microsoft also provides the OneDrive application in Windows 10, which has the same functions and roughly the same experience as the web interface, and you can use it to save, delete, manage, and share files.
To share a file with the OneDrive app, just right-click on the file or folder and select Share from the context menu. You can invite others via links or emails, and see who has shared files and folders. You can also view all shared files by clicking the person icon in the left column of the application.
OneDrive integrates with Cortana and Windows Search
Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana has long been available in Windows 10. Not only can she answer questions, but when you select “Search my stuff,” she can search for files-including files stored in OneDrive and not synced with the device.
You can then access these files from the search results. Fortunately, Cortana can also respond to voice control and keyboard input entered in the Windows search bar. You can also use Windows Search to find OneDrive content, just search for what you need and click the “Documents” tab.
Using the Photos app in Windows 10
Do you have a large collection of photos spread across multiple devices? Microsoft also proposed a solution for this. The “Photos” application in Windows 10 uses OneDrive to aggregate images from all devices.
It can remove duplicates or similar images from its favorites, automatically enhance your photos, and create albums based on location, time or people. You can find your OneDrive photos in the “Photos” app by clicking the “Folders” tab at the top and looking for pictures.
You will see the OneDrive icon to inform you that the photo is from OneDrive. There is even a search bar that allows you to search for OneDrive photos.
These default features can be adjusted or turned off by opening “Photos” and selecting “Settings” from the application menu. Once the app has played its magical role, you can easily display the photos and share them with your friends who use any device.
If you install the OneDrive app and use it to sync your photos, then this will work in both Android and iOS.
OneDrive and Office collaboration
OneDrive also supports remote work and collaboration with others. If you have Microsoft 365, you can share and edit files, including Office documents.
Store Word, Excel or PowerPoint (and other files) in OneDrive and share with teammates using the “Share” button on the taskbar. Anyone who opens the link will automatically access the document. In fact, it will immediately launch in the Office Web application in its browser.
Then, even without OneDrive, multiple people can work on the same file. You can also quickly check for updates remotely.
You can choose to send a request link to retrieve documents from a colleague’s OneDrive. In addition, you can strategically place request links in folders and let your colleagues upload documents to the exact location you need, thereby reducing the chance of misplaced documents.
Just select “Request File” to get started. When working with remote teams, OneDrive is very powerful. As a multitasking professional, you can track various projects at the same time and supervise employees’ remote work through OneDrive’s sophisticated tools.
Most importantly, this is a complex solution that provides cloud-based storage on your device. The personal computer capabilities of OneDrive extend these benefits to the home. Store and organize documents in the cloud without cluttering your home PC. OneDrive provides many solutions for businesses and families.
