As part of the Microsoft licenses that are offered to GCU, you will gain access to OneDrive to save your files. Using OneDrive allows you to share files with your classmates and instructors. It also allows you to edit the documents on the go using your phone or tablet.

Accessing your OneDrive

To access your OneDrive account, you can navigate onedrive.com and sign in with your GCU email (ending in @my.gcu.edu) and password.

You can also access your OneDrive, by selecting the OneDrive app from your GCU Student Portal.

Limitations of OneDrive for GCU Students

There are some limitations that students will notice compared to buying the Microsoft subscription directly from Microsoft. One of those limitations is storage space. Depending on your status with GCU, determines what kind of limitations you may see while using OneDrive. Check out the table below to determine what you might experience.

Status	Storage Space
Active	100 GB
Alumni	25 GB
Withdrawn	25 GB
Terminated	0 GB

If you also go above the space provided in your OneDrive, the OneDrive files will become locked and you will no longer be able to edit or create new files. Make sure to delete your files to free up space in your OneDrive with GCU.

Using OneDrive Online

OneDrive offers a bunch of features that can help students through their classes at GCU. This includes providing an online storage space to share files, allowing you to edit files through the Microsoft Online programs. Check out the appropriate sections below to see how you can use OneDrive.

Opening a file

OneDrive allows you to open and for some files edit the file directly in your browser.

To open an existing file in OneDrive, navigate to OneDrive.com.
From here, you will see a list of files saved in OneDrive. Simply select a file to open it in a new tab.
The file will open a preview of the document. If you have the Microsoft 365 desktop applications and would like to open your file using the desktop app, select the Editing button in the middle of the navigation bar. From the editing drop-down menu, select Open in Desktop.

NOTE If you cannot find your file, see the Microsoft 365 Tips article for recovery steps.

Creating a file

You can also use OneDrive to create files using the Microsoft online programs. To create a new file, click the +New menu and select the type of file from the drop-down menu.

For more information on creating and saving files in OneDrive, view this tutorial from support.office.com.

Uploading Files

Since OneDrive is a cloud storage, you can easily upload to OneDrive to store your files. To upload file(s) to OneDrive, select Add New on the navigation bar. You can then choose to upload individual files or an entire folder.

After selecting an option, the browse dialogue box will appear. Locate and select a file or folder. You can select multiple files by holding down the Ctrl key on Windows or the Command key on macOS.

Click Open and your document(s) will be uploaded to OneDrive.

Downloading Files

Now that you have files saved in your OneDrive, you can easily download the file to save onto your personal computer when you need to upload to your class or back up your files from OneDrive. To download files directly from OneDrive, place a check mark next to the file(s) you wish to download and select Download from the navigation bar at the top of the page. Your file(s) will immediately begin to download onto your computer.

Sharing a Link

There maybe times that you use OneDrive to share a file that is bigger than the Halo | Learn 40 mb file limit or times that you would like to share to classmates when working on group assignments. Follow the steps for the process of getting a sharable link to your OneDrive files.

Select the file you wish to share and click the Share button in the ribbon at the top of the page.
Select the Link Settings button to the right of Copy Link. From here you can manage who to share the link with and what they can do with the document.

NOTE Anyone who is not logged into a GCU email will not be able to access the shared document when set to share with People in Grand Canyon University. To allow people not using a GCU email domain to access the document select the Anyone option in the Sharing settings tab. This option is not as secure as the People in Grand Canyon University option provided.
In the More settings section, you can choose Can edit, Can review, Can view or Can’t download to change the level of access the recipient may need to have.
When all the settings that are set to your preferences select Apply to save those settings.
Click Copy link to copy the link to your clipboard that you can share.

Deleting Files

It’s important to make sure that you manage your files. If you run out of space in your OneDrive, you will not be able to continue to add or create files.

To delete your file, place a check next to the file you would like to delete.
Next, select the Delete button at the top of the list of files.
A confirmation window will appear, select Delete to confirm the deletion of your file.
Your files will now be deleted and can be found in your recycle bin.

NOTE Files in the recycle bin will be stored for up to 90 days after deleting the file. If you are deleting files from your OneDrive to save space, files in the recycle bin will still use up space in your OneDrive. To completely delete the file and free up space, you will need to remove the file from your recycle bin as well.
To permanently delete the file, navigate to your Recycle Bin.
You can either delete individual files from your recycle bin or empty the whole recycle bin. To delete individual files, select the file and then Delete. If you would like to empty your recycle bin completely, select the Empty recycle bin.

Restoring Files

Sometimes we delete files that we didn’t intend to delete. Until you delete the file from your recycle bin, you can always restore the file. Keep in mind that files stored in your recycle bin will stay their for 90 days and after that time, they will no longer be available to restore.

Navigate to your Recycle Bin.
Place a check next to the file that you would like to restore. If you want to select multiple files, place a check mark next to each file.
Next, select Restore to restore the file.

Using OneDrive on the Desktop

Most Windows computers will have OneDrive preinstalled and when you install the Office programs on both Mac and Windows computers you will get the OneDrive program. The desktop version works about the same as the online version, but your files can be accessed from your computer’s file explorer. Check out the accordions below to see how you can use the different features of OneDrive with the desktop app.

Finding a file

When your file is saved to OneDrive, it can be confusing on where to find the file when it’s saved to the OneDrive desktop app. To find the files saved to your OneDrive from the desktop app, follow the steps below.

Open your computer’s file explorer.
Navigate to your Grand Canyon University OneDrive folder.
You will now see all of your files saved to your OneDrive. Opening these files will open them through the program that is set as the default program. If the file is a Microsoft file that is made through Excel, PowerPoint, or Word the file will autosave any changes made.

Saving Files to Computer

While your file is saved on your computer in the OneDrive folder, sometimes you may need to save the file in another location that isn’t synced to OneDrive to free up space on your OneDrive. To download or save the file directly to your computer, open your OneDrive folder.

Next right click on the file and select Copy.

After you copy the file, navigate to the folder you would like to back up the file to. Once in that file, right click and select Paste.

Your file will now be saved to your computer and you can delete the file from OneDrive to free up space.

Uploading Files

Since OneDrive is a cloud storage, you can easily upload to OneDrive to store your files directly from your computer. To upload file(s) to OneDrive, save the file directly to your Grand Canyon University OneDrive folder.

Once the file is saved to the folder, the OneDrive application will automatically upload the file to OneDrive.

NOTE Keep in mind that the file will need time to upload to OneDrive. Depending on the size of the file it may take a few minutes to upload. You can use the section Checking Sync Status to check the status of your file upload.

Sharing a Link

Open the OneDrive folder from your file explorer.
Right click on the file that you would like to get a link for.
Next, select Share from the menu.
Select the Link Settings button to the right of Copy Link. From here you can manage who to share the link with and what they can do with the document.

NOTE Anyone who is not logged into a GCU email will not be able to access the shared document when set to share with People in Grand Canyon University. To allow people not using a GCU email domain to access the document select the Anyone option in the Sharing settings tab. This option is not as secure as the People in Grand Canyon University option provided.
In the More settings section, you can choose Can edit, Can review, Can view or Can’t download to change the level of access the recipient may need to have.
When all the settings that are set to your preferences select Apply to save those settings.
Click Copy link to copy the link to your clipboard that you can share.

Deleting Files

It’s important to make sure that you manage your files. If you run out of space in your OneDrive, you will not be able to continue to add or create files.

To delete your files, navigate to your OneDrive folder.
Right click on the file and then select Delete or Move to Trash.
Your file will now be in your OneDrive recycle bin.

NOTE Files in the recycle bin will be stored for up to 90 days after deleting the file. If you are deleting files from your OneDrive to save space, files in the recycle bin will still use up space in your OneDrive. To completely delete the file and free up space, you will need to remove the file from your recycle bin as well.
To delete the file permanently, click on the OneDrive app.
Next, select the Recycle Bin from OneDrive.
You will then want to empty the recycle bin and trash can. Select the Empty option from the menu that appears.

Restoring Files

Open the OneDrive app and select Recycle Bin.
Select the file you would like to recover. If you want to recover multiple files, select all the files you would like to restore.
Next, select Restore to restore the file.

Checking Sync Status

The files that are saved to the OneDrive desktop folder is saved to your computer and then the OneDrive folder will sync to your OneDrive. Sometimes, problems with the files come up and cause a problem with the syncing process. These steps will walk you through viewing the OneDrive desktop app and checking the sync status. The process varies based off your device, check out the appropriate accordion for the device you are using.

Windows

To check the sync status, click on the OneDrive app from the Taskbar icons in the bottom-right corner.

NOTE If you do not see the icon, click the arrow to view all the system icons and then select the OneDrive location.
After clicking on the OneDrive app, you will see the OneDrive window. This should give you a quick view of your sync status. If you have any problems with the sync, the OneDrive app will tell you about any sync problems and how to resolve it.

Mac

To check the sync status, click the OneDrive app from the menu bar at the top-right corner of your screen.

NOTE If you do not see the OneDrive icon, you will need to open the OneDrive app first.
After clicking on the OneDrive icon, you will see the OneDrive window. This should give you a quick view of your sync status. If you have any problems with the sync, the OneDrive app will tell you about any sync problems and how to resolve it.

FAQs

I don’t have enough free space, what should I do?

When looking at the OneDrive app, you may receive the error, “You don’t have enough free space in your OneDrive. Click to free up space so you can continue adding files.”

This error means that you have reached the storage limit for your account. When you do get this message, all your files cannot be edited, and you cannot create new files in OneDrive. Before you continue editing the files, we do recommend deleting any files from your OneDrive that you may not need any more to free up space. Keep in mind that when you delete a file, you will also need to remove it from the recycle bin as well to completely free up space.

To free up space, click on Free Up Space to be directed to a page in OneDrive that shows your largest files.

You will then be directed to a page that shows the largest files in your OneDrive. Click on the files that you would like to delete.

NOTE If you try to delete a file that was edited less than a year ago, you will not be able to delete the file. You will get the message, “This item might have a hold on it”. If you receive this message, please look at the section I have a file with a hold on it, what should I do below.

Next, select the Delete button at the top of the screen.

NOTE If you need to back up the file to your computer, you can click the Download button before deleting the file.

A confirmation window will appear, select Delete again to delete the file.

After deleting your file, the file will be moved to the recycle bin. Click on the Recycle Bin from the right side of your screen.

You can then select Empty recycle bin from the top-right corner.

I have a file with a hold on it, what should I do?

When trying to free up space, you may receive the error message, “This item might have a hold on it and your storage is full. For more information, please contact your admin.”

Unfortunately, you may run into this error when you try to delete a file that is less than a year old while your storage is completely full. To resolve this issue, GCU Technical Support will need to escalate this issue so that you can gain temporary access to delete your file.

The file or folder and it’s contents cannot fit in the remaining quota, what should I do?

If in the desktop OneDrive app you get the message, “The file or folder and its contents cannot fit in the remaining quota in your “OneDrive - Grand Canyon University”, this means that the files that you are trying to sync are about to exceed the storage space you have available. If you are using OneDrive online, you will get the message, “Error=Value=QuotaExceeded”.

Before adding more files to your OneDrive, we recommend clearing up some space and deleting files from your OneDrive. Remember to delete the files from the OneDrive recycle bin as well.