Windows 11 - preparing your device

Organise, check and back up your data

A step-by-step guide

Maintain your desktop by regularly transferring files from your desktop to OneDrive to prepare for the upgrade rollout. 

By following these steps, you’ll keep your desktop tidy and ensure your files are safely stored and easily accessible on OneDrive. This also enhances the security and accessibility of your important documents.

1. Organise Your Files:

Go through your desktop files and organise them into categories. Delete any files that are no longer needed to declutter your desktop. 
 
See YouTube video: The Secret Carbon Footprint of Digital Data    
 
 

2. Shared Files:

It is best practice to store business-critical and other documents that require shared access, both internally and externally, in a relevant channel within an MS team. See Move or Copy files in Microsoft Teams.

If you have previously shared documents from OneDrive, moving them to MS Teams will break the sharing link. To maintain a shared link, see - How to move documents between SharePoint Sites without breaking the sharing links.

3. Create Folders:

To make it easier to find files later, consider creating new folders on OneDrive and using clear and descriptive names. 
 

4. Move Files to OneDrive: 

  • OneDrive Folder: On your computer, you can move files directly into this folder, and they will automatically sync with OneDrive. 
  • Drag and Drop: Simply drag and drop files from your desktop into the corresponding folders in OneDrive. 
  • Copy and Paste: Alternatively, you can copy files from your desktop and paste them into OneDrive folders. 
  • Online upload: In Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, select Upload > Files. Select the files, then Open.  

See Microsoft video: OneDrive - upload files and folders

5. Syncing and Access:

Make sure the files are syncing properly. You can check the status in the OneDrive sync client on your toolbar. Once synced, you can access your files from any device by logging into OneDrive. 
 

Quick links