Mastering Microsoft 365: Sharing from OneDrive

When it became clear we needed to move away from using BuckeyeBox, we chose OneDrive for Business in part because it has extensive sharing capabilities. However, sharing works differently than you are used to with Box, so it may take some time to get used to the new protocols.

How do I see shared files in OneDrive?

Remember, even if you have not yet migrated, the migration of colleagues that you collaborate with will affect you. The first step to understanding sharing is knowing where to look for files you have shared and files that other users have shared with you:

  • Log in to OneDrive for Business.
  • Choose “Shared” from the menu.
  • Tabs at the top of the page are labeled “Shared with you” and “Shared by you.”
  • Select the appropriate tab to see files you have shared or files shared with you.

How do I share with internal users?

Our migration tool maintains shares with internal users. Notify collaborators that you have migrated to OneDrive for Business, and they should be able to see files you own that are shared with them in their “Shared with you” tab. If you share a new file with internal users, they will receive an email invitation to view the file. Each user will see the file under their “Shared with you” tab after accepting the invitation.
 

How do I share with external users?

Users Who Have OneDrive for Business

We have posted extensive instructions about how to share with external users on the Administrative Resource Center (ARC). The sharing experience is very different for users of Microsoft 365 vs. users not using it, but you can share with both types of users. Remember, users in the medical center are considered “external users.”
  • Notify your collaborators after you have migrated to OneDrive for Business, then re-share files.
  • Once they accept your invitation to the file, they will be able to see those files under their “Shared with you” tab.
  • When sharing with medical center users, be sure to share to their Ohio State Wexner Medical Center email addresses. The medical center’s OneDrive for Business platform does not recognize users by their Ohio State email address.
  • If you allow editing of the files this can be done using the Office for the web applications or Office desktop applications.
  • Many universities use Microsoft 365; all of our peers within the Big Ten – with one exception – are using OneDrive for Business as a storage and collaboration solution.
 

Users Who Do NOT Have OneDrive for Business or Have a Personal Account with OneDrive

OneDrive for Business does not require collaborators to have a Microsoft or OneDrive for Business account to collaborate with you on files, but the process differs significantly from sharing in Box.
  • Notify users after you have migrated to OneDrive for Business, and you will be re-sharing files. They will receive a code for each folder/file you have shared with them, and they should save that code to access the folder/file(s) in the future (more on this below).
  • Send an invitation to their preferred email address.
  • Once a collaborator has accepted the invitation, OneDrive for Business will send a verification code to the same email address. Users must select the link and enter the code each time they access the shared files.
  • Users should save or bookmark the link, as they will use it each time they want to access the folder/file(s).
  • If you allow editing of the files this will be done using the Office for the web applications.
 

Resources

Even if your files are not yet being migrated, if you are collaborating on a file owned by someone who works on a university IT team and that user is moving, you will now collaborate on those files in OneDrive for Business. Follow these links if you have questions about the project or about how OneDrive for Business or Teams works, you can review the information.


We will continue to share information in the coming weeks to help you be successful during migration. We will share more detailed instructions and information with individual groups before users move.