This article contains some common questions and recommendations around the use of OneDrive. If you have any further questions or are looking for advice please log a request via Office 365 Project Enquiry and we will respond as quickly as possible
How do I access data stored in my OneDrive - NHS?
You can access your files via the 'Desktop', 'Documents' or 'Pictures' folders on a trust computer as shown below
You can also access them via a web browser at https://nhs.onedrive.com
What data should I store in my OneDrive - NHS?
'OneDrive - NHS' should primarily be used to store personal work-related information.
It should not be used to store patient identifiable information. This data should be stored within a clinical system or in a team drive.
Any information pertaining to your department or team should ideally be located on the departmental network drives, SharePoint, or Teams Sites, unless the information is confidential in nature such as staff appraisals.
If you find that you need to share data that is located in your 'OneDrive - NHS' folders then that is an indication that the file should be saved in a teams or shared area
Also, 'OneDrive - NHS' should not be used to store unrelated work data such as music, movies, or an excessive number of digital images.
Am I able to download files from OneDrive - NHS online?
Although it is possible to download files from OneDrive online via the web, you should only download files on a trust computer or laptop. The file should then be saved to a trust network drive if required or deleted when it is no longer needed.
How do I restore/recover data if I accidentally delete it from my OneDrive - NHS?
You are able to recover files from your OneDrive in the event you accidentally delete them via the OneDrive recycle bin
Please note IT will not be able to recover files on your behalf but can provide assistance if required.
OneDrive will move deleted files into the OneDrive recycle bin and can be recovered for 90 days from when they were deleted, or until the recycle bin is manually emptied.
Beyond 90 days it is not possible to recover files from the recycle bin
To recover a deleted item from the recycle bin do the following:-
Click the OneDrive icon in your notification area (bottom right of your screen) shown below.
- If you do not see the icon you may need to expand the notification area by clicking the up arrow show below
- Click the Recycle Bin icon
- This will open the OneDrive recycle bin in a web browser window (if prompted, login with your NHSMail credentials)
- It will display a list of deleted files in date order of when the files were deleted
- Click the file you wish to restore and they will show a blue tick to indicate they are selected (you can use CTRL+Click and SHIFT+Click to select multiple files if required)
- Click the Restore icon on the top bar
- The file will be restored to its original location
If the file you are trying to recover has only just been deleted it may take a few seconds to appear in the recycle bin. If it is not available try refreshing the recycle bin page
How do I restore an older version of a file in my OneDrive - NHS?
If you have accidentally modified a OneDrive file or want to recover to a previous version you can use the previous versions feature of OneDrive to do so
Up to 100 previous versions are retained of every file and you can revert back to any of these versions using the steps below
A new version is added when you save and close a file within Word/Excel/Powerpoint desktop app or every 30 minutes when editing a document in a web browser
- Click the OneDrive icon in your notification area (bottom right of your screen) shown below.
- If you do not see the icon you may need to expand the notification area by clicking the up arrow show below
- Click the View Online icon to open OneDrive online in a web browser
- Click My Files in the left hand menu to open your OneDrive files browser
- Navigate to the file which you wish to restore to a previous version
- Hover the mouse over the file and click the 3 dots menu as highlighted below
- Click Version History from the popup menu
- You will be shown all versions of the file including the last modified date as shown below
- Click the 3 dots menu of the version you wish to recover to and choose any of the following options
- Open File - This will allow you to view the version of the file to confirm it is version you require, without completing a recovery
- Restore Version - This will restore this version of the file as a new version - Remember this will count towards the 100 available versions of a file
- Delete Version - This will delete the chosen version of a file
- Choose restore version to create anew version based on the selected version.