Housekeeping in OneDrive

All instructions below are based on using OneDrive from a web browser - this keeps the instructions consistent across any device you may be using.

1. Go to https://uoa-my.sharepoint.com.
2. At the Microsoft sign in page (if you're prompted), enter your username@uoa.auckland.ac.nz. (e.g. stur991@uoa.auckland.ac.nz).
3. At the login just use your usual username and password.
4. Enter any two factor code from your mobile phone (if asked).

It is good practice to clear the Recycle bin each month and just before you do any housekeeping – if you accidentally delete anything you have 30 days in which to retrieve it and it will be easier to find it if the Recycle bin is otherwise empty. 

Click on Recycle bin on the left hand menu and then select Empty recycle bin above the list of files. There is a second-stage recycle bin from which you can retrieve files for a short period of time, but the second-stage recycle bin does not count towards your limit.

1. Make sure you're still logged in (or follow the instructions in Step 1 again to login).
2. Select the cog icon in the top right, near your photo.
3. Select OneDrive settings.
4. Select More Settings.
5. Select Storage Metrics (under Features and storage). 

The storage you are using in each top level folder (and it's subfolders) is shown.  

It is a good idea to have two tabs open, one with MyFiles – OneDrive open and the other with Storage Metrics open.

As a general rule of thumb, it is best to target the folders using the most storage. Drill down on the top item to get to the largest folder and see what files it holds.

Look through the files and folders and decide what can be deleted. If the decision is made to delete it, you will need to do so either from My Files within OneDrive online, or from Windows Explorer deleting the local copy which will result in the online copy also being deleted.  

When you have drilled down to a folder, the total size of each file may seem larger than you would expect and in particular that it is larger than if you check the same file in Windows Explorer.  

For these files, it is worth RIGHT clicking and open in a new tab on the Version History link on the right hand side of the folder listing. When you click on Version History it shows you how many versions it is storing including the current version. It is possible to revert to an earlier version at this point.

If you have finished editing a file, it is a good idea to delete the earlier versions in order to free up disk space – especially if it is a large file and there are multiple copies.  

The Delete All Versions link should be read as Delete all previous versions and is a quick way to free up disk space (remembering that the versions will initially be placed in the recycle bin).

It is convenient to use OneDrive for Business to share files. Some files will be shared with external collaborators as a one off, whilst early drafts of other files will be shared with a small number of colleagues in order to solicit feedback.

However, OneDrive for Business should not be seen as the final repository for files which need to be shared.  For one thing, when you leave the University all your OneDrive for Business files will be deleted including the ones which have been shared.

If you move your shared files into Teams, when you leave the University, the files will remain available to your colleagues. You can see which files you have shared from your OneDrive for Business account by:

1. Click on Shared in the left hand menu bar.
2. Select the By you tab at the top. 
3. If you want to stop sharing a file, click on the ...  in the middle of the screen on each file line and select Manage Access.
4. If you want to move the file to Teams, click on Open location, select the ... and select Move to. You can then choose the team on the left, or select More places if it's not shown. Choose the In channels drop down and navigate to where you want the file to go. Select Move here.
   

Whilst it is convenient to have a mix of private files and work files in the same place, OneDrive for Business is provided for University business.  It is better to store private files in an entirely different place, where they are not taking up part of the space allocation and where they will not be lost if you leave the University.  

When you have finished tidying up your files, do remember to empty the recycle bin again in order for the freed up disk space to be reflected in your storage metrics.

Housekeeping should not be a one-off exercise.  Schedule it in as a regular exercise at least once a year.  Remember to delete all old drafts and versions you no longer need.