Microsoft OneDrive cheat sheet
Know the sync status of your files and folders
In File Explorer, OneDrive denotes the sync status of your files and folders with small icons beside their names.
OneDrive's file status icons.
Shown from left to right in the image above:
- A cloud icon means this item is not actually on your PC’s storage drive. It’s only in the cloud.
- A file or folder that is synced (on your PC’s storage drive and in the cloud) has a green checkmark on a white circle.
- A file or folder that you’ve designated as Always keep on this device (as described in the previous section) has a white checkmark on a green circle. If you have Files On-Demand turned off, all of the files and folders in your OneDrive will have this status icon.
- When a file or folder is in the process of syncing to the cloud, the icon by its name will have two blue arrows animating in a circular motion.
Make files available offline
By default, OneDrive won’t automatically download your files stored in the cloud to your Windows 10 PC. Instead, a file is downloaded when you select it or access it from an app — for example, when you use Microsoft Word to open a document stored in OneDrive. Microsoft calls this feature “Files On-Demand,” and it’s aimed at freeing up space on your PC’s hard drive.
But what if you know you’ll need access to files or folders when you’re not connected to the internet? You can right-click any file or folder and select Always keep on this device from the pop-up menu. A copy of that file or folder (and any files inside the folder) is downloaded to your PC’s storage drive so it’s always available, and it stays in sync with the copy that’s stored in the cloud.
You can also disable Files On-Demand so that all files in OneDrive also reside on your PC’s storage drive. Right-click the OneDrive icon on the notification area of the taskbar, then click Settings from the menu, click the Settings tab, and then under “Files On-Demand” uncheck Save space and download files as you use them.
Uncheck this box if you want all your files to be available offline.
Keep in mind that if you have a lot of files in your OneDrive, it may take a while for them to be downloaded to your PC, especially if any file is large in size.
Make files available On-Demand
To remove a file or folder in OneDrive on your PC’s storage drive but keep it in the cloud: Right-click its name, and from the menu click Free up space. Its status icon then changes to the cloud icon as described above. Doing this frees up the space on your PC’s storage drive that the file or folder took up. (This option isn’t available if you have Files On-Demand turned off.)
Selecting Free up space means files stored in the cloud won't be downloaded until you click on them.
To view a log of recent file and folder syncs, click the OneDrive icon on the notification area of the taskbar. This opens a panel listing the files and folders that have been recently added, deleted, moved, or renamed in OneDrive.
The OneDrive app shows OneDrive files and folders that have recently been changed. (Click image to enlarge it.)
Share files or folders
In File Explorer, right-click the file or folder in OneDrive that you want to share. From the menu that opens, click Share next to the blue cloud icon. The “Send link” panel opens. Here you can copy a link to the file or folder to send out in various ways (email, IM, social media post, etc.), or you can invite specific people to view the file or folder.
The “Send link” pane lets you share files and folders with others.
Share a file or folder via public link
You have multiple options for sharing the link to the file or folder and setting restrictions on it, but the defaults and specific options available differ depending on whether you have an individual OneDrive or Microsoft account or one associated with a small business, enterprise, or school.
If you have an individual account, you will likely see “Anyone with the link can edit” near the top of the “Send link” screen. This means that anyone who has the link to your file or folder can view it, download a copy of it, forward the link to others, and make changes to the file or folder. For example, if it is a Word document, then a person viewing it can edit it with the web app version of Microsoft Word — or, if they have a Microsoft 365 account, they can edit it using the Word desktop app. This also means that when someone other than you edits your file or folder, those changes get synced to the copy in your OneDrive.
If you have a work or school account, you may instead see “Anyone with the link can view” on the “Send link” panel. This means that anyone who has the link to your file or folder can view it, download a copy of it, and forward the link to others, but they can’t make changes to the file or folder in your OneDrive.
To restrict others from editing: On the “Send link” panel, click Anyone with the link can edit. Then, in the “Link settings” panel that appears, uncheck Allow editing.
The “Link settings” panel lets you adjust the permissions for the link to a shared file.
To allow others to edit: On the “Send link” panel, click Anyone with the link can view. Then in the “Link settings” panel, check Allow editing. (If the box is grayed out, your organization has disallowed this setting.)
There are a few other options on the “Link settings” panel, but you can only use them if you’ve subscribed to at least a OneDrive business plan: “Set expiration date” lets you enter a date when you want the link to no longer work. “Set password” lets you enter a password which a person will need to provide in order to access your link.
Some work and school accounts have additional options on this panel, letting you choose to allow access for anyone with the link, only people in your organization with the link, only people with existing access to the file or folder, or only specific people. You may find as you adjust this setting that other options change. For instance, “Allow editing” may be unavailable when “Anyone with the link” is selected but become available when access is restricted to people in your organization.
Other options for enterprise accounts include letting others open a Microsoft Word document in review mode only, meaning they can suggest changes and add comments but can’t change the document directly, and blocking download of the shared file or folder.
After you’ve made your restriction selections, click the Apply button to return to the “Send link” panel. Click the Copy link button at the bottom of the panel. You can then paste this web link to your file or folder into a document, direct message, email, etc. to share with other people.
Share a file or folder with specific people only
If you’re uncomfortable sending out a link that anyone can share with others, you can instead invite specific people to the file or folder. On the “Send link” panel, enter their email addresses in the To: field. (If they’re in your contacts, you can just start typing their name and select from the suggestions that pop up.) Click the pencil icon to the right to switch from Can edit to Can view or vice versa. You can also enter a brief message for the recipients to read.
In the “Send link” panel, you can invite only specific people to have access to a shared file, and control whether they can edit or only view the file.
Click the Send button. An email will be sent to these people that contains a link to your file or folder that only they will be able to open.
Stop sharing
To stop sharing a file or folder: Right-click the shared file or folder and select Share. On the “Send link” panel, click the three-dot icon at the upper-right corner and select Manage access. On the smaller panel that opens, click the X to the right of the link and click Delete link. (With a work or school account, you might need to click the three-dot icon to the right of the link, then the X, then Delete link.)