Microsoft OneDrive is one of the components of the Windows Live online service, which allows you to store your own files and also share them with other users.

Microsoft OneDrive was conceived and is being developed by Microsoft specialists as a virtual network drive built on “cloud technologies” that implements the functions of file storage, file sharing and online document viewing.

The cloud service allows you to store up to 15 gigabytes of various information. Free upgrade eligible users and all Windows 8 users have a higher limit of 25 GB. You can download OneDrive for Windows 7 and 8 for free from the official Microsoft website.

Key features of Microsoft OneDrive:

• Thumbnail or slide preview option
• undocumented cloud access via WebDAV protocol
• possibility of purchasing a standalone version for business tasks
• client versions for most tablet and mobile devices
• managing access rights to any type of folder, from completely public to exclusively personal
• Entire folders can be downloaded in one archive (with limits of 4 GB in size and 65,000 in the number of files).

For Windows 8.1 and higher upgrades, Van Drive's free online storage is pre-installed by default and you can access it with your Microsoft account. Your information on this file hosting will be displayed in standard folder mode.

The VanDrive cloud service was released in 2007 and was then called SkyDrive. In 2014, due to copyright infringement of the BSkyB television company, Microsoft was forced to give its product a new name, and the OneDrive network hosting drive appeared.

Over seven years of active development and release of product updates, it was possible to significantly expand its capabilities and achieve progress in terms of online viewing of text documents, preview of multimedia files, support for various formats and extensions, and adaptation to mobile and tablet devices.

You can download Microsoft OneDrive for free from this page. Quick registration is provided for all new users. The storage interface supports about a hundred languages ​​of the world and is perfectly adapted for the Russian-speaking user.

The OneDrive cloud is a storage that anyone with Windows 8.1 can access. You just need to install this operating system, create a Microsoft account and you can get 5 gigabytes of space in the cloud for free.

In this article I will tell you how you can use the OneDrive cloud, where it can be useful and what advantages this service has.

What is OneDrive cloud

Modern technologies tend to move everything from hard drives to the cloud.

The cloud is a space on the Internet where you can store your files. You can make them accessible to everyone, or you can set a password on them and make them private. Physically, a cloud is a remote computer (or several computers) with a large hard drive that can be accessed via the Internet.

The OneDrive cloud can be used as an additional hard drive and store documents on it. The beauty is that these documents can be accessed from any computer, smartphone and tablet anywhere there is an Internet connection.

OneDrive Customizations

Naturally, lucky owners of Windows 8.1 can access the OneDrive cloud directly from their computer from a special application of the same name, which can be found on the start screen.

You can also access it from the familiar Windows Explorer.

Plus, you can view the cloud directly from your browser on any device. To do this, you need to go and log in with your Microsoft account.

You can download the OneDrive client to your Android or iOS phone or tablet. You can download the necessary software in the stores of your devices.

OneDrive features

To start using the OneDrive cloud on Windows 8.1, you need to create a Microsoft account or log in under it.

After that, open the OneDrive app. In principle, you can already use it now. But let's see what settings there are. Hover your mouse over the lower right corner and open Settings.

In the menu that appears, click “Options” again.

You will see only three options.

• Access all my files fromOneDrive is offline. I recommend enabling this option. Thanks to it, files in the OneDrive folder can be modified even if there is currently no Internet access. They will sync with the cloud as soon as the Internet is available.
• Free up disk space. If you disabled the first option, you can click on this button to delete files saved in OneDrive from your computer. They will only be in the cloud.
• Synchronize files. If this option is enabled, then files saved in OneDrive will be synchronized with the cloud. It needs to be left on.

If you right-click on a file or folder in the OneDrive application, a menu for working with files will appear at the bottom. Here you can copy, move, rename, delete, create a folder and add a file from your computer, and other operations with files.

Designed for safe and secure storage of all kinds of files: documents, music, images, videos and others. If you have the Internet, it may be easy to access them. OneDrive is accessible from a computer, smartphone or tablet and other devices.

Sign in to OneDrive web service

In order to enter the service you must:

Sign in to OneDrive through the app

Right there on the website, for more convenient work with the service, you can download the OneDrive client program and enter the storage through it:

1. On the left panel, at the bottom, click on the inscription “Get OneDrive client”.
   
2. Click the “Download OneDrive” heading for the required OS.
   
3. The client installation file will automatically download. Click on the download panel. We confirm the amendments are made on the computer “Yes”.
   
4. You will see the client downloading to your PC.
   
5. Click on the “Get Started” button.
   
6. Enter the required data. Click “Login”.
   
7. In the “Your OneDrive Folder” window, click “Change” and select the folder location, “OK” and “Next” again.
   
8. Select synchronization. By clicking on the “Finish” button, the OneDrive folder on your computer will open. The contents of this folder will undoubtedly be mechanically synchronized with the virtual service when connected to the Internet.
   
9. You can get to work.

Advice! To manage the OneDrive client from Windows OS, an icon is installed in the warnings section. When you click on this icon, a pop-up menu of the software appears, allowing you to call up the settings.

Now you have learned how to log into OneDrive in Russian. It's simple, all you need is attentiveness and punctuality. By connecting OneDrive (read about disabling it), you simultaneously get the ability to work online with documents in the main office programs, both in a text editor and in a spreadsheet processor. It is possible to create presentations and work in a notepad. Successful work and nice rest!

Benefits of OneDrive

• Quick access to documents, music, photos, archives and other data that are synchronized via the OneDrive service (formerly Sky Drive).
• Easily add files and folders to OneDrive storage. To do this, just copy the data to the folder that the OneDrive application will create.
• Managing synchronized data is no different from how a user manages files stored on his computer.
• A large volume of cloud disk that can be filled with files of any type.
• OneDrive clients are designed not only for Windows, but also for all popular operating systems and mobile platforms.
• Ability to quickly update OneDrive.

The classic OneDrive app is built into Windows 8.1. The OneDrive app is not supported on Windows XP. If you try to install it on a computer running this Windows XP operating system, the message "OneDriveSetup.exe is not a valid Win32 application" will be displayed. For owners of the Windows 8 operating system, 25 GB of free online storage is provided.

Few users know exactly where cloud storage is located, but millions of terabytes of information are stored there. It is already difficult to imagine modern computer technologies without the “cloud”.

More than half of PC users cannot do without a cloud storage service. They use the cloud for their personal archives and for storing business information. Users upload photos and videos to the storage. Some people use it for their work, storing business documents and presentations there. Free access to files from any device is the main advantage of cloud technology.

First you need to create an account

Software giant Microsoft introduced its cloud storage to the public back in 2007. Then it was called SkyDrive. Now the service is being promoted under a new brand – OneDrive.

Over the course of its existence, Microsoft's service has been repeatedly modernized and improved. Currently, we can confidently say that OneDrive has a reputation as one of the best online cloud storage services.

What is required to access OneDrive?

It's easy to start using Microsoft cloud storage. To do this, you only need to fulfill two conditions:

1. A personal computer or other device must have an Internet connection.
2. You need to create an account on the official Microsoft website.
3. Go to the Microsoft website. At the bottom of the page, click the “Register” link.
4. In the browser window that opens, fill out a short form and click on the “Create an account” button.
5. After creating an account, download and install the OneDrive service program.
6. After installation, the first time you start the program you will need to enter your login and password. They will be the same as when registering an account on the Microsoft website.
7. If the installation was successful, a folder named OneDrive will appear in the “My Computer” tab. To go to cloud storage, click on the “cloud” icon.

Instructions for obtaining online storage from Microsoft

15 GB is free, you have to pay for the rest

All users are provided with 15 gigabytes of cloud disk space absolutely free. This size is quite enough to store various kinds of media files and documents. If necessary, you can increase the storage capacity, but to do this you need to subscribe to the service. It's paid. You can deposit the required amount monthly or once a year. The subscription price is quite reasonable. It is available for most users. According to the tariff plan published on the official website, a 100-gigabyte “cloud” will cost $1.99 or 78 Russian rubles per month.

How to get 1 terabyte of cloud storage for use?

After registering for the OneDrive service, you can increase the size of your cloud storage space up to 1 terabyte. There are two ways to increase the cloud size:

500 megabytes for a friend

1. By inviting friends and acquaintances to the service, you can receive 500 megabytes for free for each invitee. If 10 people register using the link you sent to your friends, your Internet storage will be increased by 5 gigabytes.
2. Subscribe to Microsoft Office 365 for Family Use. For just 285 rubles per month, you can use Office 365 on five home computers running Windows or Mac operating systems. In addition, you can install 5 copies of the full-featured Office 365 program for working with documents on your tablet and mobile phone. And most importantly, each family member will receive 1 terabyte of cloud storage from OneDrive for their files.

Great office at an affordable price

Using OneDrive

OneDrive online storage has a number of advantages that make working with the cloud convenient and simple. A high level of functionality, clear navigation and a pleasant, simple design make the service from Microsoft one of the best in the niche of similar software products.

OneDrive window installed on your PC

To save data in cloud storage, just transfer it to the OneDrive folder on your computer. An icon will appear next to each file. If it is blue, then synchronization occurs at this time. As soon as the icon turns green, it means that the file has been transferred to the storage. After this, access to information is possible from any device through a special client or browser.

There are two versions for PC - home and business

The OneDrive service is very convenient when working with Word and Excel files. When opening an office file, the user has a full-featured editor at his disposal. You can edit and save the file right there in the cloud.

To summarize, we can confidently say that the OneDrive cloud storage service is an excellent choice for PC users with the Windows operating system.