Storage: files and data
Work smarter to manage your storage
Clear your OneDrive, tidy your inbox, and discover the best places to store your files
Microsoft Teams and SharePoint are purpose-built for structured storage, version control, and secure collaboration.
This short housekeeping guide provides useful tips for keeping your OneDrive tidy and your files secure and accessible to others.
Save your files in SharePoint, Teams or other approved University locations.
Read more: Work smarter to manage your storage | IT Services
Research and storing
Research Data is the information needed ‘to support or validate a research project’s observations, findings or outputs’, or which is required for legal or regulatory compliance (see Oxford’s Research Data Policy for more detail). Secure and accessible locations are available for keeping your research data safe.
IT Services, the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and Bodleian Libraries provide a number of different services for file storage and sharing.
The University defines data to either be Confidential, Internal or Public and different services are appropriate for different classifications. Data may also be live (i.e. you or others wish to edit it where it is) or archive / historical (i.e. you have placed it there to keep but won’t edit that version). There also needs to be consideration as to who needs access to the data, is it restricted to a small number of people, a larger group within the University or does it need to be made available to people outside the University.
See more: Storing files and data in 2025 | IT Services
Back up your important data
If you are not using a centrally managed device (laptop or desktop) regular backups are essential to prevent data loss. Use the University's backup services like the HFS CrashPlan for personal devices and Storage Protect for larger datasets. Using these services ensures that your data is safely backed up and can be restored in case of any issues.
Did you know?
When you leave the University your OneDrive is deleted. If you have shared OneDrive files with colleagues, they could lose access to important files. Make sure shared files are stored in a shared location, such as SharePoint, where they can always be accessed.
Additional information
Microsoft has a limit of 100GB of OneDrive storage space.
8 steps to clean up your OneDrive:
1. Empty the Recycle Bin
2. Check the size of your OneDrive for Business account
3. Remove out of date files
4. Remove version history
5. Move shared documents to SharePoint or Teams
6. Move private files to a personal location
7. Empty the Recycle Bin again
8. Repeat at least once a year