- October 23, 2020
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Valiant Technology - 3 min
Microsoft OneDrive can be used in many beneficial ways like being able to access your files on the go and syncing your cloud file storage with your local device. Both of these features can be utilized to se up OneDrive as your computer’s back up application and repository. This article will go through the steps to get this set up or your Windows workstation.
Setup OneDrive for the first time
If you do not already have the OneDrive Application on your computer, the first step will be to download and install it. This should already be on your computer if you are running Windows 10. However, we have a video tutorial for installing Office 365 or you can head over to https://www.onedrive.com/download.
There are a couple of ways to open the OneDrive application on your machine. If this is your first time using OneDrive, I recommend opening your start menu, scrolling to O and opening the OneDrive Application from there.
You will be prompted to log in with your Office 365 credentials. Enter your email, password, and authentication from your preferred MFA method.
If you are not prompted to enter this information, you may have logged in before with another Office365 application.
Once you have logged in, the OneDrive program will setup your OneDrive folder. Hit next to start the tutorial and continue on to the end.
OneDrive Desktop Sync and Backup
Once the tutorial is over you will need to setup the Desktop Sync and Backup. To do this, click on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar. It should be on the lower right side of your screen near the clock. You may need to click the white arrow to find it.
Then click “settings” in the drop down menu.
In the settings menu, click on the Backup tab. Then, click Manage Backup.
Select the folders you want to back up. If you’re not sure, start with Desktop, documents, and pictures. This should encompass the majority of your working documents. When you are finished checking off your folders, press “Start Backup”.
OneDrive will now start backing up the data on your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders. If your machine is ever lost or broken beyond repair, you will still be able to access and restore any files you saved to these folders through OneDrive.
Additionally, if you repeat this process on another computer with your account, your backed up files and folders will be synced to that machine. This is especially useful if you have multiple computers as it will keep your Desktops and Documents in sync across each of your machines.
More OneDrive uses
OneDrive is an essential part of Office365 to help adapt your work experience to the demands of the modern workplace. There are many integrations with OneDrive and other Office365 applications as well as third party apps. In the meantime, you can rest well knowing that your Desktop and other computer files are securely backed up in your Office365 cloud file storage.
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