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Keeping your OneDrive organised

Guidance for staff and students on organising, sharing and tidying files in University OneDrive so it stays easy to manage over time.

This guide refers to your University OneDrive, unless we specifically reference your 'personal OneDrive'. Check the account name at the top of the OneDrive app or on the OneDrive web page before changing settings.

If you use both accounts on the same device, always check which account you’re viewing before you change settings or delete files.

1. Why it matters

Think of keeping your files organised in OneDrive as digital spring-cleaning. Regular tidying helps you stay in control of your information.

With less clutter, you can find the right file and the right version faster. Clearing unnecessary data helps keep storage space available and prevents duplication across devices and folders.

Keeping your files organised also strengthens secure collaboration by helping you share the correct file with the right people and making it easier to stop sharing when access is no longer needed. By taking a few minutes to tidy your OneDrive, you create a cleaner, safer digital environment for your work, study or research.

2. Where to store University files

Use the right place for the right job:

  • OneDrive: your individual workspace for drafts, working files, and files you own
  • Teams/SharePoint: the home for all team‑owned, project‑owned, or role‑owned files that others need to access now and in the future

Always store shared or long‑term team content in Teams or SharePoint, not in your OneDrive. This ensures clean ownership, simpler sharing, and reliable continuity when people change roles or leave the University.

3. Avoid personal data syncing

Personal data syncing can upload private photos and videos into your University OneDrive. This can use up storage space and increase the risk of accidentally sharing personal content. University OneDrive is intended only for university work on managed devices, and the aim is to avoid mixing in any personal files, such as private photos, videos, or downloads, with work files.

When you sign in to the OneDrive mobile app for the first time, it may prompt you to turn on Camera backup/ Camera upload.

What to know

Camera backup is a one-way upload from your phone to OneDrive. It isn’t a two-way sync between your phone and OneDrive. Turning off Camera backup does not delete photos from your phone.

  • Camera backup can only be active for one OneDrive account at a time. Make sure you are signed in to the correct account (University OneDrive vs personal).
  • You can also choose to back up additional photo folders on your device (which can accidentally pull in lots of personal images).

What to do

First-time sign-in (personal device)

  • When prompted to enable Camera backup, choose 'Not now / Keep off'.
  • Tip: If you need photo backup for personal use, do it in your personal OneDrive, not your University OneDrive.

If you’ve already turned on 'Camera Backup'

Mobile device (OneDrive app)

Step 1: Turn off future uploads

To stop photos and videos from uploading to your University OneDrive, switch off Camera backup on your mobile device.

  1. Open the OneDrive app.
  2. Go to 'Profile/Me', 'Settings', 'Camera Backup'.
  3. Switch it 'OFF'.
  4. If you see options for 'Include screenshots' and 'Include videos', turn those off as well.
Step 2: Remove anything already uploaded
  1. In 'Files', look for folders such as 'Camera Roll', 'Screenshots', or 'WhatsApp Images'.
  2. Move anything you want to keep back to your device or to a personal cloud location.
  3. Delete these folders from OneDrive.

Windows laptop or desktop

Check whether OneDrive is backing up common folders such as Desktop, Documents, and Pictures. Only change these settings if those folders contain personal content you do not want in University OneDrive.

  1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon.
  2. Open 'Settings'.
  3. Choose 'Sync and backup', then 'Manage backup'.
  4. If Desktop, Documents, or Pictures include personal files you do not want in University OneDrive, select Stop backup for the relevant folder.

Note: On university-managed devices, this is part of the standard setup, and settings should only be changed on personal devices.

Mac

Check whether OneDrive is backing up common folders such as Desktop and Documents. Only change these settings if those folders contain personal content you do not want in University OneDrive.

  1. Click the OneDrive icon in the menu bar.
  2. Open 'Settings'.
  3. Select 'Sync and backup' and then 'Manage backup'
  4. If 'Desktop' or 'Documents' include personal files you do not want in University OneDrive, select Stop backup for the relevant folder.

Note: On university-managed devices, this is part of the standard setup, and settings should only be changed on personal devices.

Clean up anything left online

Turning off syncing stops future uploads, but it won’t remove anything that’s already uploaded. To remove any personal content already stored in University OneDrive:

  1. Open OneDrive on the web.
  2. Select 'My files' to remove any remaining personal folders.
  3. Finish by emptying the 'Recycle Bin' to free the space.

4. Review what's stored

As you review, look for videos (MP4, MOV), photos (JPG, PNG), duplicate documents, old lecture notes, and temporary files, and decide whether to delete or archive them.

Find the biggest and oldest items

  1. Open OneDrive online and go to 'My files'.
  2. Use 'Sort', then 'Size' (largest) to surface large items first (often videos and high-resolution images).
  3. Switch to 'Sort', then 'Date modified' (oldest) to reveal content you haven’t used in a long time.

This quick scan gives you a clear view of where storage is being used and which files are likely candidates for clean-up.

Delete or archive

  1. For clutter you no longer need, select multiple items and choose 'Delete' (you can restore mistakes from the 'Recycle Bin').
  2. For material you might still need occasionally, select the items, choose 'Move to', and file them in a clearly named archive folder (e.g. 'Archive 2022-23') so your day-to-day area stays focused and fast.

Monthly routine

  1. Clear obvious clutter: remove duplicates (like "Report (1).docx", "Report (2).docx"), old downloads, and other temporary files.
  2. Move finished work into your 'Archive'.
  3. Use the Recycle Bin properly: deleted items go there first and are only permanently removed after a retention period. This is typically up to around 93 days for work or school accounts and about 30 days for personal accounts, but actual retention can vary depending on your account settings and Microsoft’s policies; see Microsoft’s documentation for the latest details.
  4. After a clean-up, open the 'Recycle Bin' and permanently remove items you no longer need so the storage space is freed.

5. Share links, not attachments

Your OneDrive files are private until you share them. When you share, you can choose who can access the file and whether they can view or edit it.

Sharing a link means everyone works on the same file, which avoids duplicates.

How to share (in a browser or in File Explorer/Finder)

  1. Select the file/folder, then choose 'Share'.
  2. Choose either:
    • 'Copy link' (useful for broad sharing), or
    • 'Specific people' (more controlled)
  3. Set permissions ('Can view' vs 'Can edit') and share.

After sharing, use 'Manage access' to review who has access and stop sharing when collaboration ends.

6. Delete old versions

Earlier versions of files in OneDrive can accumulate, especially for frequently edited, large files (presentations, videos, etc). Most users don’t need to manage version history at all. Version clean‑up is only helpful when a file is very large or has been edited many times and you need to reduce the storage it uses.

Delete specific versions

If versioning is enabled, OneDrive can allow you to:

  • delete a previous version of a file, or
  • delete all previous versions (where available)

How:

  1. Go to the file, then open 'Version history'.
  2. Choose a version, then select 'Delete' (or delete multiple where supported).

Be cautious: deleting versions can prevent you from rolling back changes later.

7. Checklist

Use this as a quick routine to keep your University OneDrive easy to manage.

Monthly (10 minutes)

  • Delete duplicates and outdated drafts
  • Move team files to Teams/SharePoint (if it’s team-owned)
  • Review 'Shared' items and remove access if collaboration has ended
  • Check the 'Recycle bin' and clear items you no longer need
  • For large, frequently edited files, review 'Version history' and delete old versions

If you use OneDrive on a personal device

  • Keep 'Camera backup' OFF for your University OneDrive account
  • Make sure 'Back up device folders' isn’t pulling in personal folders

8. Training Resources

Use the links below for step-by-step help and short training. If you’re not sure where to start, try the University resources first.

University resources

LinkedIn Learning

Sign in with your university log-in details to access LinkedIn Learning training resources:

Your University file storage options

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