The preferred backup resource for Tarleton office computers is Microsoft OneDrive. All faculty and staff have 5 TB of storage available, and the service allows access to and sharing of files on any system with Internet access.
Table of Contents
OneDrive Features
OneDrive for Tarleton includes these major features:
- 5TB of storage per user, 10-20x as much space in your Tarleton computer.
- Files are accessible from any device. OneDrive apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
- Securely share files with other Tarleton faculty, staff, and students, as well as outside Tarleton partners.
- Instant off-site backup of your files. Includes an automatic backup function.
OneDrive is in every way a superior cloud-based storage system than the T drive:
- 5000x (not a typo) more storage space than what is available in the T drive.
- Easier to set up OneDrive on personal devices.
- The T drive can only be accessed on Windows and Mac as a network drive, with no web or smartphone access.
- Does not require VPN to access when away from campus.
Tarleton faculty and staff are responsible for maintaining backups of important local files. The OneDrive application is pre-installed on Tarleton computers, but is not configured to back up your data automatically. OneDrive should be configured to meet your needs, providing backups of the files in your Documents, Desktop, or other folders that contain your important documents. See instructions on this setup below.
Set Up OneDrive for Windows
Download & Install OneDrive for Windows - Personal PCs Only
All Tarleton PCs have OneDrive already installed. If using this guide on a Tarleton PC, you can skip to the sign-in section below.
Go to Microsoft’s download website and download OneDrive for Windows.
Open the downloaded OneDriveSetup.exe and go through the installer.
Alternatively, you can download and install OneDrive from the Microsoft Store, located in the Start menu.
Sign In To OneDrive with Tarleton Email
For your first time, open OneDrive under the Start menu. If OneDrive is already running, there will be a blue cloud icon in the taskbar near the bottom-right of your screen.
Log in to OneDrive if prompted, using your Tarleton email address, password, and Microsoft Authenticator. Go through the setup steps, clicking Next and accepting the default options.
Configure Backup Settings
In the OneDrive window, click the gear icon, then click Settings.
Click on Sync and Backup.
Click on Manage Backup.
Enable the folders you wish to back up to OneDrive automatically.
- Desktop, Documents, and Pictures are all available to be backed up.
- Be sure to keep your files in one of the enabled folders to ensure they are automatically backed up to OneDrive.
Click Save Changes. The backup will begin and run in the background.
Access Your Files On OneDrive
OneDrive & Windows
You can access your OneDrive files on your PC at any time.
Open a File Explorer window, and then click on OneDrive in the left column.
The OneDrive folder can also be found in This PC/C:/Users/<your username>/OneDrive.
Inside the OneDrive folder will be a Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folder, depending on what you selected to back up. This is where your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures files now live, both on the PC and in the cloud.
You can drag and drop any other file into OneDrive, and it will automatically sync to the cloud. Create and organize folders as you wish.
Double-click a file to open it as usual. Any changes saved to it will automatically be backed up to OneDrive.
Please note that deleting a file in OneDrive or moving it out of a OneDrive folder will also remove it from the OneDrive storage on your other devices.
OneDrive & Web
You can access your OneDrive files on any computer with Internet access.
Open a web browser and go to OneDrive.com.
Sign in with your Tarleton email address, password, and Microsoft Authenticator.
The default Home space will show you recently accessed files saved to your OneDrive, as well as files shared with you through Outlook and Teams.
Click My Files to see a list of your OneDrive files in the same organization as the one set on your Mac.
OneDrive Training Resources from Microsoft
For more information on how OneDrive can be used, please check out these training resources from Microsoft:
Sync Files with OneDrive on Windows
Intro to OneDrive
Share OneDrive Files and Folders
Using OneDrive vs SharePoint
OneDrive Video Training