UFV data should only be stored in supported locations: either in UFV's OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, or on the network file shares. Whether you need to store personal work, manage departmental files, or collaborate with others, this guide will help you choose the most suitable storage solution. Remember: you don't have to choose just one! You can use a combination of these solutions to meet your needs.
- For training resources and how-to, see: Microsoft 365 Training (from microsoft.com)
- For assistance choosing or using one of UFV's storage solutions, search the client portal or submit a ticket.
It is recommended not to save files to the local C: drive/Desktop, third-party cloud storage, or other personal external storage devices. These may be unrecoverable if an issue arises.
Which file storage location should I choose?
Each location has its strengths:
- OneDrive: ideal for storing personal work that you can access from any device, anywhere.
- SharePoint: ideal for collaborative projects with other colleagues, departments, or external users
- Teams (+SharePoint): ideal if you need a chat-based workspace or video calling along with file collaboration tools
- Network file shares: a network location that you can access from your UFV computer. Unlike the M365 cloud solutions above, the network file shares do not offer real-time file collaboration
See below for more information about which solution is right for your task.
OneDrive
OneDrive is a cloud storage service that allows you to save your personal files securely online. It's perfect for individual project files, assignments, course work, and early drafts that are not ready to be shared yet.
All documents saved in OneDrive remain linked to their original owner. University records, research data, and other collaborative documents should always be moved to a SharePoint site, Teams group, or the network drives when they are ready for sharing.
SharePoint
SharePoint is a cloud storage service that allows you to create a site to store and share information with others. It is a powerful collaborative tool that is ideal for projects and documents that need to be accessed and/or edited by multiple people.
Teams is primarily a chat-based workspace that allows team members to communicate through chat and video calls. When you create a Team, a SharePoint site is automatically created with it to store files shared with that Team. You can work with these files directly through the Teams app.
Network file shares
A network file share is a location on the UFV network that offers both personal UFV storage space, and collaborative folders for multiple people.
Unlike OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams, the network file shares do not offer real-time file collaboration. Only one person at a time can work on a document in a network drive.