Saving Files: OneDrive Files vs. Teams

When deciding whether to save a file to OneDrive or Teams, consider the following guidelines:

OneDrive for Business:
1. Use OneDrive for personal files or drafts that are not shared or may need to be shared temporarily.
2. Examples of when to use OneDrive:
  1. Your individual work, such as files containing private information.
  2. Early drafts of files that you’re not ready to share with a team yet. You can move them to a Team later when you’re ready.
3. Privacy: Your OneDrive files are private unless you explicitly share them with others.
Microsoft Teams:
1. Teams is great for sharing files and long-term collaborations with other users.
2. Use Teams Files for:
  1. Team project files.
  2. Resources that should be owned by the business or group, even if you leave the organization.
3. Privacy: Files in a Teams Files repository are accessible by all members of the Team site unless a Team “owner” explicitly alters the default permissions.

File deletion and recovery:

Files deleted from OneDrive or a Teams Files repository are moved to the associated Recycle bin and kept for up to 90 days.
1. Within 90 days of being deleted, a OneDrive or Team “owner” can restore a file from the Recycle bin.
2. After 90 days of being in the Recycle bin, a file will be permanently deleted.
The OneDrive files for an employee who leaves the university will only be accessible for up to 90 days after their departure, after which they will be permanently deleted.
Files in a Teams Files repository are not affected by the departure of an employee.

In summary:

OneDrive is for personal files and temporary sharing.
Teams is for collaborative, team-based work and long-term file sharing.
Deleted files can be recovered from the Recycle bin within 90 days of their deletion.

Note to supervisors:

Proactively consider the information above and determine where your employees are storing files that may be needed long term or should be accessible by the broader department.
If you have an employee planning to exit your department who has files in their OneDrive that may be needed by your department, ask the departing employee to relocate these files to a Teams location you designate prior to their departure.
If an employee has already left the university and has files in their OneDrive that should be retained, you may request access to these specific files within 90 days of the departure of the employee. Such access requires approval from HR.