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Office 365 - OneDrive for Business

OneDrive for Business offers CSU users 5 TB of cloud storage using your CSU eID. The instructions below are intended to provide basic steps for accessing OneDrive for Business, which is provided as part of Microsoft's Office 365 service.

Notice: After September 12, 2017, users must use the new OneDrive for Business sync client in order to sync OneDrive for Business to their local PCs. Instructions for installing the new version of the sync client are provided below or refer to Upgrade to New OneDrive Sync Client for more information.


Eligibility Requirements

All active CSU Faculty, Staff, and Students are licensed to use OneDrive for Business. OneDrive for Business is available to users with an active eID regardless of their eligibility for Office ProPlus or Student Advantage. CSU does not maintain an archive of data stored in OneDrive for Business. It is a user's responsibility to transfer whatever files they have stored in OneDrive for Business to a personal drive when they leave the university.

 

Using the Next Generation OneDrive Sync Client

As of April 2016, the OneDrive Next Generation Sync Client is now available for both Windows and Mac platforms. Please refer to Improve your OneDrive sync experience for more information. If you choose to proceed with an upgrade, be sure to test the process before attempting to deploy to users in your area. It is strongly recommended that users back up any folders and files currently being synced with OneDrive for Business before attempting an upgrade to the Next Generation Sync Client.

Features of the new client include:

  • Removal of the 2 GB single file restriction
  • Removal of the restriction limiting users to 20,000 documents within a library
  • Enhanced syncing performance
  • Users can specify which files / folders to sync
 

Installation Instructions for Next Generation Sync Client

Mac OS:

Windows (Windows 7 or newer):

  1. Please backup your files before starting!
  2. Clean up the old sync client/folders if necessary:
    • If already using the OneDrive for Business Sync client, right-click the cloud icon in the system tray and choose "stop syncing library"
    • Exit all OneDrive applications from the system tray (right-click the cloud icons and choose "exit" to stop the OneDrive.exe and Groove.exe apps)
    • Optional - If already syncing using the OneDrive for Business client, rename or delete the existing sync folder "C:\Users\ename\OneDrive - Colorado State University"
    • Navigate to Add/Remove Programs, and if the old OneDrive for Business client exists, uninstall it.
  3. Deploy the new OneDrive Client:
  4. Run the OneDrive App (Start > All Programs > OneDrive)
    • Sign in with ename@colostate.edu credentials
    • Choose the local folder to store the sync files
    • Choose the folder(s) you want to sync from OneDrive
  5. Done! Once set up, it will start whenever the user logs on.

Recovering Deleted Files in OneDrive for Business

CSU does not maintain a backup of files stored in OneDrive for Business. However there is a built-in Recycle Bin that can be used to restore items deleted from OneDrive for Business. The default retention period for items in the Recycle Bin is 90 days.
  1. Log in to the Office 365 portal.
  2. Click on "OneDrive" in the top navigation menu.
  3. Click on the "gear" icon in the upper right corner and choose "Site Contents".
  4. Click on the "Recyle Bin" on the right hand side.
  5. Check the file(s) you'd like to restore, click "Restore Selection", and confirm the option when prompted.

References