If you're using a Windows 10 PC or laptop, a Microsoft Surface tablet, or an Xbox One console, you've no doubt already seen OneDrive. And you must have asked yourself what OneDrive is and what advantages it offers. We will answer exactly these questions for you here.
What is OneDrive?
OneDrive is Microsoft's storage service for hosting files in the "cloud". It is available free of charge to all Microsoft account holders. OneDrive gives users an easy way to save, sync, and share different types of files with other people and devices on the internet. Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Xbox One also use OneDrive to sync system settings, visual customizations, themes, app settings, and even Microsoft Edge's tabs, browsing history, and saved passwords.
You can access the files stored in your OneDrive area directly via a web browser or, under Windows, directly via the operating system. Other ways you can access your OneDrive files are apps for Xbox, macOS, iOS, and Android..
You can easily download OneDrive from the Microsoft website. How much storage space is available on OneDrive?
OneDrive gives everyone with a Microsoft account 5 GB of free storage. But there are also several ways you can add more free space to your OneDrive. For example, if you recommend this service to your friends, you can earn up to 10 GB of free OneDrive storage space.
You can host all file types on OneDrive, as long as they are no larger than 15 GB. This file size limit applies regardless of how you upload your files. If you need additional storage space, OneDrive offers a few storage plans that you can purchase for a monthly fee:
- OneDrive 100 GB : 100 GB for € 2 per month
- OneDrive 365 Personal : 1 TB for € 7 per month including a full license for Office 365
- Office 365 Home : a total of 6 TB (1 TB per user) for € 10 per month including a full license for Office 365, which can be installed and used by up to 6 people at the same time
You can find all available subscriptions here: OneDrive Plans ..
What are the system requirements for OneDrive?
Of course, your device must also meet certain requirements so that you can use OneDrive. For Windows devices, the software is only available from Windows 7. Apple devices require at least Mac OS X 10.12 or higher. Unfortunately, the application cannot be used for Linux. You should also have at least 1 GB of RAM and an Internet connection with a high transfer rate. If you have a modern computer, these requirements are almost always met. Please visit this Microsoft website for full details of system requirements for the program.
What else does OneDrive have to offer?
First of all, getting started with OneDrive does not cost anything - and as long as you can get by with the standard 5 GB of free memory, it will stay that way. This is a good starting point for anyone looking to store more than a few files in the cloud.
OneDrive is ubiquitous in Windows 10. It also means you don't have to do anything special to install OneDrive on your PC if you already have Windows 10. There are also OneDrive apps for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. You can install the OneDrive apps on all of your devices and access and synchronize your files in the cloud from anywhere.
Microsoft also configured OneDrive as the default storage location for your documents in Windows 10. OneDrive can then automatically save backups of your copies in the cloud and sync them with your other devices that have OneDrive set up. If you ever have problems with your hard drive, your documents are always available on OneDrive. You can even set OneDrive to automatically upload files from your Android smartphone or iPhone so you never run the risk of losing them.
If you are not sure whether OneDrive is right for you, we have put together an overview of other cloud providers for you.