Introducing OneDrive

With OneDrive, you can sync files between your computer and the cloud, so you can get to your files from anywhere - your computer, your mobile device, and even through the OneDrive website at OneDrive.com. If you add, change, or delete a file or folder in your OneDrive folder, the file or folder is added, changed, or deleted on the OneDrive website and vice versa. You can work with your synced files directly in File Explorer and access your files even when you’re offline. Whenever you’re online, any changes that you or others make will sync automatically.

The easiest is using the OneDrive Sync tool

1. Right click on the OneDrive - the University of Auckland blue cloud icon on the taskbar (not the white icon if it exists)
2. Go to Settings
3. It will show the current usage and quota at the bottom left under the bold Storage heading.
4. Click on Manage Storage to show your files, sorted by the largest folders. You can then go down to where the most is being used. Note that this view doesn't allow you to delete, but it does show you where you will make the most storage savings.

If you don't have the OneDrive Sync tool installed

1. Go to https://uoa-my.sharepoint.com
2. Login with your University details (this will normally be username@uoa.auckland.ac.nz).
3. Down the very bottom left of the page will be Storage, which will show what is used and your cap "the of" part.

OneDrive is already installed on all Mac and Windows computers. On all University Windows computers your Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders also now are stored on OneDrive. This means that they are available everywhere.

Note that even if you are using 3 computers there's not 3 copies of the files - there is a single file with the master stored in the cloud. If you remove a file from OneDrive on one computer, it will remove it from all computers. 

OneDrive

OneDrive is the recommended choice for storing your University work. It integrates with Microsoft 365 including MS Teams and is easier for you to share files and folders with other students and staff if you decide.

Google Drive

From 1 October 2023, there will be a 1GB quota for all current staff and student Google Drives. We recommend using OneDrive instead.

University Home Drive (H:)

Your University Home Drive is a small drive that you have on University storage. It is only accessible to you while you're enrolled or employed at the University. Your files are also backed up nightly. Because your files are kept in the University datacentres you can use this space to store files that legally must remain in NZ or on the University. It is also useful to store files for applications that don't perform well with OneDrive or Google Drive.

There are some large drawbacks though:

• As a student you cannot access any files stored here off-campus or from mobile devices
• It also doesn't allow any files to be shared
• The space you have available is a small fraction of what you have with OneDrive or Google Drive

OneDrive is the ideal place to store your University work and assignments. It allows you to access the files from anywhere - perfect if you need to make quick changes on the fly.

Your OneDrive files are stored in Australia. If your work requires certain information to remain in New Zealand then you should use your Unifiles home drive (H:) instead. If you are using older applications that struggle working with cloud-based files, then again, Unifiles may be a better solution for those specific files. You shouldn't use OneDrive for any files that need to be kept by the University. You also should not use it for personal files - you should use your own personal storage for that.

The University provides both on-premise research drives and institutional Dropbox for staff and graduate students working on University-sponsored research. You should store research in those locations rather than using the Home Drive, Google Drive or OneDrive. Note that there are important rules regarding what can be stored in which location that need to be followed.

Research data storage options are described on the ResearchHub's Research Data options For further advice contact the Centre for eResearch.

Yes, your OneDrive is free. It is only available while you are enrolled as a student or employed as a staff member though.

Yes - The Microsoft OneDrive LTI App offers a range of features that simplify file sharing and collaboration for teachers and students. You can easily attach Office 365 files such as Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets from within the Canvas Rich Content Editor. Additionally, OneDrive LTI allows for the distribution of Office 365 cloud assignments and offers the ability to view and organise personal and course Microsoft Office files. Collaborative projects can be created to enable course members to work together on shared documents in real-time.

You can access and edit OneDrive files directly within Canvas, without the need to switch between multiple platforms or applications. This integration streamlines workflows, saves time, and enhances productivity for teachers and students.

How to guides:

• OneDrive and Canvas instructions for students
• OneDrive and Canvas for teachers