In the latest edition of our Queue-Tips, we want to offer insights into how to quickly and effectively sync Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint.

Before we jump into the details of the process, we want to start with a quick summary of the differences between the two solutions for those who may have questions. OneDrive is geared towards individuals, enabling them to share files, folders, and photos, principally with friends and family. SharePoint is geared toward business management and sharing, enabling users to share and manage content, knowledge, and applications to empower teamwork, quickly find information, and seamlessly collaborate across an organization. SharePoint has other features as well, but it is primarily used as a shared business document library.

OneDrive is a great way to access files from the cloud on any device. It is easily accessed through File Explorer, enabling files to be backed up and saved directly to the cloud so they will be available on another computer or on any web browser.

To get started:

1. Search for OneDrive through the Windows start menu.

2. Open the app and sign in to your business account.

3. Your OneDrive account will appear automatically on your PC after signing in.

Note: Files on the OneDrive belong to the individual user but can be shared with others if needed.

SharePoint sites provide businesses with a location for multiple users to save and access files. Rather than saving a file to a device or to an individual’s OneDrive then having to send an email attachment or share files individually, it is possible for multiple people to access the same file from the same location.

Shared files in a SharePoint site’s document library can be viewed online, and it is also possible to have a library sync to a PC in the same way as with an individual’s OneDrive. Follow the following four quick steps:

1. Sign in to your Microsoft SharePoint Online.

2. Open the library that you want to sync.

3. Click the Sync button. It will use the OneDrive PC application to sync that library to the device, where it will also be viewable in File Explorer.

4. An extra section with the Company’s name will appear below OneDrive in File Explorer that includes any other shared document libraries that are being synched. This makes it far easier to work on files from a shared library since it is not necessary to find them in a web browser and to navigate SharePoint online.

Using both OneDrive and SharePoint document libraries, you can have personal files and shared files available to you directly from your computer’s file system. They are also backed up to the cloud and available on any other device or web browser.

 

Contact Queue Associates

 

Please contact Queue Associates (a Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner) to learn more about our services surrounding Microsoft business platforms including Microsoft SharePoint and more. You can reach us by completing the form on our CONTACT page, or by calling us at the Queue office phone number for your local region (U.S. and Global locations).