Using Microsoft OneDrive

Overview
Accessing OneDrive on the web
Syncing OneDrive to your computer
Adding files
Sharing files
Managing file versions
Recovering deleted files
Transferring files
Offline access
Access after you depart USC
Additional resources

Overview

In this guide, we provide some instructions on using Microsoft OneDrive. Whether you are using OneDrive for computer backup or file storage, OneDrive makes it easy to access your documents from any device.

At a glance

Who is eligible: USC faculty, staff, students, and affiliates (iVIPs)
Storage limit: 250 GB for USC faculty, staff, and students; 100 GB for affiliates
Approved storage types: Public, internal, and confidential data, including FERPA- and HIPAA-protected data
How to access: Log into OneDrive on the web at https://usc.edu/onedrive or use the OneDrive application on your computer or device

OneDrive vs. SharePoint

OneDrive is perfect for storing your own files that you might occasionally share with others. If, however, you are working on a large number of shared files, consider setting up a SharePoint site for your department or team. This will create a central location for shared files:

Setting up a Microsoft SharePoint document library
Advantages:
- Files will not count against your OneDrive storage limit, since they will be stored in SharePoint instead
- Files are still available to the rest of the department or team if a file creator departs USC

Accessing OneDrive on the web

You can log into OneDrive on the web from any device:

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
If you are prompted to sign in:
1. Type your USC email address and click Next.
2. The Shibboleth page appears. Sign in using your USC NetID and passphrase.
3. The Duo page appears. Complete the verification.
The OneDrive home page loads. In the left menu, click My files to view your OneDrive files.

Syncing OneDrive to your computer

You can also access files saved on OneDrive without needing to open a web browser. As long as OneDrive is installed on your computer and you have an Internet connection, your OneDrive files will be synced to your computer.

OneDrive application for Windows

OneDrive is automatically installed and available on all Dornsife-managed Windows PCs. To access OneDrive, open File Explorer and then navigate to your OneDrive folder.

If OneDrive does not appear, you can also locate it by searching for OneDrive in the Start menu search bar.

OneDrive application for Mac

You can install OneDrive by following our guide, Backing up your computer to Microsoft OneDrive. (If you don't want to back up your computer folders, you can skip "Step 3: Back up important computer folders" in the guide.) Once OneDrive is installed, open Finder and select OneDrive in the left panel, under "Locations."

If OneDrive does not appear, you can also locate it by opening the Applications folder and then double-clicking OneDrive.

Adding files

Add files in OneDrive on the web

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
In the left menu, select My files.
In the left menu, click + New. You can:
- Create a new folder
- Create a new Microsoft file
- Upload existing files or folders from your computer

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
In the left menu, select My files.
In the left menu, click + New. You can:
- Create a new folder
- Create a new Microsoft file
- Upload existing files or folders from your computer

Add files in OneDrive for Windows

Use File Explorer to drag and drop files or folders into the OneDrive folder. To create a new folder, right-click and select New Folder.

Add files in OneDrive for Mac

Use Finder to drag and drop files or folders into the OneDrive folder. To create a new folder, right-click and select New Folder.

Sharing files

You can share OneDrive files and folders with collaborators:

Share files in OneDrive on the web

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to share, and hover over the file name.
Click the More actions icon, and select Share.

To email the file to specific people (USC or non-USC):

Type the recipients' email addresses.
By default, access is view-only. To change the access level, click the View icon and select another access level.
(Optional) Type a message to your recipients.
Click Send. Outlook emails the recipients and notifies you by email the first time that they open the file.

To create a link anyone at USC can use:

Click the Link settings icon at the bottom.
Under "The link works for," select People in University of Southern California.
Under "More settings," select an access level. You can optionally set an expiration date.
Click Apply.
Click Copy link. You can now share this link (for instance, by pasting it into an email or a Slack message). As long as the person has this link and their own @usc.edu account, they can access the file.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to share, and hover over the file name.
Click the More actions icon, and select Share.

To email the file to specific people (USC or non-USC):

Type the recipients' email addresses.
By default, access is view-only. To change the access level, click the View icon and select another access level.
(Optional) Type a message to your recipients.
Click Send. Outlook emails the recipients and notifies you by email the first time that they open the file.

To create a link anyone at USC can use:

Click the Link settings icon at the bottom.
Under "The link works for," select People in University of Southern USC.
Under "More settings," select an access level. You can optionally set an expiration date.
Click Apply.
Click Copy link. You can now share this link (for instance, by pasting it into an email or a Slack message). As long as the person has this link and their own @usc.edu account, they can access the file.

Share files in OneDrive for Windows

Quick guide

Go to File Explorer and open the OneDrive folder.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to share. Right-click on the file:
- Windows 11: Select OneDrive and then select Share.
- Windows 10: Select Share.

To email the file to specific people (USC or non-USC):

Type the recipients' email addresses.
By default, access is view-only. To change the access level, click the View icon and select another access level.
(Optional) Type a message to your recipients.
Click Send. Outlook emails the recipients and notifies you by email the first time that they open the file.

To create a link anyone at USC can use:

Click the Link settings icon at the bottom.
Under "The link works for," select People in University of Southern California.
Under "More settings," select an access level. You can optionally set an expiration date.
Click Apply.
Click Copy link. You can now share this link (for instance, by pasting it into an email or a Slack message). As long as the person has this link and their own @usc.edu account, they can access the file.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to File Explorer and open the OneDrive folder.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to share. Right-click on the file:
- Windows 11: Select OneDrive and then select Share.
- Windows 10: Select Share.

To email the file to specific people (USC or non-USC):

Type the recipients' email addresses.
By default, access is view-only. To change the access level, click the View icon and select another access level.
(Optional) Type a message to your recipients.
Click Send. Outlook emails the recipients and notifies you by email the first time that they open the file.

To create a link anyone at USC can use:

Click the Link settings icon at the bottom.
Under "The link works for," select People in University of Southern California.
Under "More settings," select an access level. You can optionally set an expiration date.
Click Apply.
Click Copy link. You can now share this link (for instance, by pasting it into an email or a Slack message). As long as the person has this link and their own @usc.edu account, they can access the file.

Share files in OneDrive for Mac

Quick guide

Go to Finder and open the OneDrive folder.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to share.
Right-click on the file, and select Share under "Quick Actions."

To email the file to specific people (USC or non-USC):

Type the recipients' email addresses.
By default, access is view-only. To change the access level, click the View icon and select another access level.
(Optional) Type a message to your recipients.
Click Send. Outlook emails the recipients and notifies you by email the first time that they open the file.

To create a link anyone at USC can use:

Click the Link settings icon at the bottom.
Under "The link works for," select People in University of Southern California.
Under "More settings," select an access level. You can optionally set an expiration date.
Click Apply.
Click Copy link. You can now share this link (for instance, by pasting it into an email or a Slack message). As long as the person has this link and their own @usc.edu account, they can access the file.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to Finder and open the OneDrive folder.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to share.
Right-click on the file, and select Share under "Quick Actions."

To email the file to specific people (USC or non-USC):

Type the recipients' email addresses.
By default, access is view-only. To change the access level, click the View icon and select another access level.
(Optional) Type a message to your recipients.
Click Send. Outlook emails the recipients and notifies you by email the first time that they open the file.

To create a link anyone at USC can use:

Click the Link settings icon at the bottom.
Under "The link works for," select People in University of Southern California.
Under "More settings," select an access level. You can optionally set an expiration date.
Click Apply.
Click Copy link. You can now share this link (for instance, by pasting it into an email or a Slack message). As long as the person has this link and their own @usc.edu account, they can access the file.

Remove sharing

If you shared a OneDrive file or folder with someone and later need to remove sharing permissions, you can do so by right-clicking the file name and selecting Manage access.

Managing file versions

At times you may need to revert to an earlier version of a file. For example, you may be editing a Word document and want to compare the wording on the latest version with a version from a week ago. OneDrive can track your past versions as long as you set up the file correctly.

Version control in OneDrive on the web

Set up version control

If you are using OneDrive on the web (that is, you are uploading files to https://usc.edu/onedrive), file version control is based on how you are accessing the file:

Microsoft files that you edit directly in the browser: Microsoft automatically tracks past versions for you.
Files that you edit on your computer and upload in the browser: Each time that you have a new version, you must upload the new version manually to OneDrive with the same name as the existing version on OneDrive. A OneDrive notification will appear: Click Replace to confirm.

View past versions

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Locate the file and hover over its name.
Click the More actions icon, and select Version history.
Hover over the version you want to access. Click the More actions icon and select an option:
- Open File: View the selected version.
- Restore: Make the selected version the most current version.
- Delete Version: Delete the selected version.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Locate the file and hover over its name.
Click the More actions icon, and select Version history.
Hover over the version you want to access. Click the More actions icon and select an option:
- Open File: View the selected version.
- Restore: Make the selected version the most current version.
- Delete Version: Delete the selected version.

Version control in OneDrive for Windows and Mac

Set up version control

If you are using the OneDrive application on your desktop (that is, you are opening and saving files in the OneDrive folder, rather than uploading them in your browser), OneDrive automatically tracks past versions for you. OneDrive tracks past versions of Microsoft files such as Word and Excel as well as non-Microsoft files such as text files and PDFs.

Be aware that if you copy a file, the copied file will not retain the version history of the original file.

View past versions

Quick guide

Open the OneDrive folder on your computer.
Navigate to the file. Right-click on the file name:
- Windows 11: Select OneDrive and then select Version history.
- Windows 10: Select Version history.
- Mac: Select Version History under "Quick Actions."
The list of past versions appears. Hover over the version you want to access, and click the More actions icon:
- Restore: Make the selected version the most current version.
- View Online: View the file in your browser.
  - If it is a Microsoft file:
    1. A new browser window opens, and the file opens in OneDrive on the web in editable mode.
    2. Click the File menu and select Version History.
    3. In the right panel, select a version to view it.
  - If it is a non-Microsoft file:
    1. A new browser window opens, and OneDrive on the web opens the folder containing the file.
    2. Locate the file and hover over its name.
    3. Click the More actions icon, and select Version history.
    4. Hover over the version you want to access. Click the More actions icon, and select Open File.
- Delete: Delete the selected version.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Open the OneDrive folder on your computer.
Navigate to the file. Right-click on the file name:
- Windows 11: Select OneDrive and then select Version history.
- Windows 10: Select Version history.
- Mac: Select Version History under "Quick Actions."
The list of past versions appears. Hover over the version you want to access, and click the More actions icon:
- Restore: Make the selected version the most current version.
- View Online: View the selected version in your browser.
  - If it is a Microsoft file:
    1. A new browser window opens, and the file opens in OneDrive on the web in editable mode.
    2. Click the File menu and select Version History.
    3. In the right panel, select a version to view it.
  - If it is a non-Microsoft file:
    1. A new browser window opens, and OneDrive on the web opens the folder containing the file.
    2. Locate the file and hover over its name.
    3. Click the More actions icon, and select Version history.
    4. Hover over the version you want to access. Click the More actions icon, and select Open File.
- Delete: Delete the selected version.

How many past versions does OneDrive save?

USC does not have a default limit on how many past versions OneDrive keeps, so the answer to this may depend on how much space you have available on your OneDrive as well as any defaults set by Microsoft.

Check how many versions OneDrive keeps track of

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Click the Settings icon in the upper right.
Click OneDrive settings.
Click More Settings.
At the bottom, click Return to the old Site settings page.
Click Site libraries and lists (under "Site Administration").
Click Customize "Documents".
Click Versioning settings.
"Keep the following number of major versions" displays how many versions are saved for each file. If you edit this number, click OK to save.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Click the Settings icon in the upper right.
Click OneDrive settings.
Click More Settings.
At the bottom, click Return to the old Site settings page.
Click Site libraries and lists (under "Site Administration").
Click Customize "Documents".
Click Versioning settings.
"Keep the following number of major versions" displays how many versions are saved for each file. If you edit this number, click OK to save.

Recovering deleted files

When you delete a file in OneDrive, that file is moved to the recycle bin. Files can be manually restored from the recycle bin for up to 93 days before they are automatically deleted. Once a file is automatically deleted, it cannot be recovered.

Note: If, at the time of deletion, your computer displays an alert box stating that "This item will be deleted immediately. You can't undo this action," the file may not appear in OneDrive's recycle bin.

Restore a deleted file from the recycle bin

Restore a deleted file from OneDrive

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
In the left menu, click Recycle bin.
Click a row to select the file, and then click Restore at the top.
(Optional) If you do not see the file, you can click Second-stage recycle bin at the bottom of the page.
The file is restored to its original location in OneDrive.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
In the left menu, click Recycle bin.
Click a row to select the file, and then click Restore at the top.
(Optional) If you do not see the file, you can click Second-stage recycle bin at the bottom of the page.
The file is restored to its original location in OneDrive.

Restore a deleted file from SharePoint

If you deleted a file in a SharePoint location, rather than a file in your own OneDrive, you will need to go to the SharePoint site's recycle bin to recover the file.

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/sharepoint, and open the SharePoint site.
In the left menu, click Recycle bin.
Click a row to select the file, and then click Restore at the top.
(Optional) If you do not see the file, you can click Second-stage recycle bin at the bottom of the page.
The file is restored to its original location in SharePoint.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/sharepoint, and open the SharePoint site.
In the left menu, click Recycle bin.
Click a row to select the file, and then click Restore at the top.
(Optional) If you do not see the file, you can click Second-stage recycle bin at the bottom of the page.
The file is restored to its original location in SharePoint.

Restore an earlier version of OneDrive

OneDrive's "Restore your OneDrive" feature allows you to restore your entire OneDrive to an earlier state within the last 29 days. Since this affects all files and folders in OneDrive, avoid using this feature except in extreme circumstances (for instance, your OneDrive was infected by malware).

Any files that were created after the restore point date you select will be sent to your OneDrive recycle bin.

Restore OneDrive

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Click the Settings icon in the upper right.
In the right panel, click Restore your OneDrive.
Click Select a date and make a selection. If you selected "Custom date and time," you can use the slider and the list of changes to identify the exact point you want to restore OneDrive to.
Click Restore.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Click the Settings icon in the upper right.
In the right panel, click Restore your OneDrive.
Click Select a date and make a selection. If you selected "Custom date and time," you can use the slider and the list of changes to identify the exact point you want to restore OneDrive to.
Click Restore.

Transferring files

Transfer files to a colleague

There isn't a direct way to transfer files from your OneDrive to another person's OneDrive. Instead, you will need to take these steps:

Share the file with the other person from your OneDrive.
Have the other person download the file and add it to their own OneDrive.

Transfer files to SharePoint

You can use OneDrive on the web to transfer files or folders from your OneDrive to a SharePoint site's document library:

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to transfer.
Hover over the file name. Click the More actions icon, and select Move to.
In the left menu, select the SharePoint site under "Quick access." If you do not see the site, click More places to view more sites.
Navigate to the file destination, and click Move here.
The file is moved out of your OneDrive and into the destination folder in the SharePoint site.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/onedrive.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to transfer.
Hover over the file name. Click the More actions icon, and select Move to.
In the left menu, select the SharePoint site under "Quick access." If you do not see the site, click More places to view more sites.
Navigate to the file destination, and click Move here.
The file is moved out of your OneDrive and into the destination folder in the SharePoint site.

Offline access

OneDrive on the web

You must have a working Internet connection to use OneDrive on the web (https://usc.edu/onedrive).

OneDrive application for Windows and Mac

If you have OneDrive installed on your computer, you can still access and edit OneDrive files without an Internet connection. However, while you are offline, changes you make to your files won't sync to OneDrive, and you also won't see changes that others make to your shared files.

Access after you depart USC

Your access to OneDrive is linked with your USC NetID account. When you leave USC employment, your account is automatically disabled by ITS as part of standard operating procedure. You immediately lose access to OneDrive, but any files you shared with others will remain accessible to them for up to one year.

We recommend that, if you are departing USC, you prepare in advance: for example, if you have important University work saved on OneDrive, you can either have a colleague download those files or else transfer the files to your department's SharePoint site.

Additional resources

OneDrive help & learning center (Microsoft resource website)
OneDrive for Business Essential Training (LinkedIn Learning video course)