Sharing Files and Folders in OneDrive

Faculty and staff using their BCIT-issued computers can also set up sharing in Windows File Explorer on a computer connected to their BCIT OneDrive account. To get to the Share interface:

1. Click on the File Explorer icon in your task bar and click on OneDrive – BCIT.
   
2. Navigate to the file or folder you wish to share.
3. Right-click on the item and click the Share menu item with the blue cloud OneDrive logo next to it in the contextual menu.

This is the recommended method for linking to files from the Learning Hub. Only current BCIT faculty, staff, and students will be able to view the files and only once they’ve logged in.

In the Share interface for the file or folder you wish to share:

1. Click the People you specify can view link below the Copy Link heading.
   
2. Click the People in BCIT with the link option in the list and then click the Apply button.
   
   • Note: Turning on “Allow editing” is not recommended when sharing with anyone at BCIT.
3. Once the link has been created, click the Copy button next to it to copy the address into your clipboard.

You can now send the copied address to those you wish to share it with via email or other communication tool, use it to create a link in the Learning Hub, etc.

When to do this

Use this option when the file or folder you want to share will need to be accessed by a group of individuals (especially if that group will shift over time, as in the case of sharing with a class full of students) and when the file or folder being shared could be accidentally exposed to other BCIT users without significant consequence.

In the Share interface for the file or folder you wish to share:

1. Click the People you specify can view link below the Send Link heading.
2. Click the Specific People option in the list, ensure the Allow editing checkbox is checked, and click the Apply button.
   
3. Under the Send link heading, type in the names or email addresses of the BCIT individuals you want to share with one by one, clicking on their name when it appears as an option below.
   
4. [Optional] Add a message that will be sent with the link to the people you’ve identified.
5. Click the Send button.

Those you shared the folder with will now receive an email with a link to your shared file or folder.

When to do this

When you want to collaborate with your BCIT colleagues or fellow students on a file or contents of a folder.

In the Share interface for the file or folder you wish to share:

1. Click the People you specify can view link below the Copy Link heading.
   
2. Click the Specific People option in the list.
3. Type in the email addresses with which you want to share one by one, hitting Enter to confirm each address.
   
   • Note: An alert will appear below the list alerting you that the addresses you’re adding are outside of your organization.
     
4. [Optional] Click to check the Allow editing checkbox.
   • If you don’t do this, the people you’re sharing with will be able to view but not edit your file/folder.
5. Click the Apply button.
6. Once the link has been created, click the Copy button next to it to copy the address into your clipboard.
7. In Outlook, send an email containing the link to the email addresses you added.
   • Note: It is possible to use the Send Link functionality to automatically send your link rather than sending an email with the link yourself. However, many non-BCIT email systems will incorrectly identify this automated email as spam and file it away in a Spam/Junk folder so that the intended recipient never sees it. Sending the email yourself from Outlook usually avoids this problem.

When to do this

When you want to make a file or folder visible to a person outside of BCIT or when you want to collaborate with them.

Limitations

Unlike other sharing scenarios, sharing with people outside of BCIT is time-limited. External shares will need to be re-shared every 180 days. Additionally, the recipient will need to go through a token-generation process in order to access your shared files, and will have to repeat this every 30 days. This process is relatively straightforward and the link you send will guide the recipient through it, but you may wish to include the following link in the email you send to to the external person (highlight and copy the entire link and paste it into your email):

Accessing shared files or folders in BCIT OneDrive – External users

You can see a visual summary of current sharing settings at the bottom of the Share interface for a previously-shared file or folder.

To make changes:

1. Click on the link icon next to Shared with:.
2. Find the link you wish to change in list of the links you have generated.
   • Note: Below each link is a description of what access the link provides and to whom. If it says “People you specify” there will also be a visual summary of the people you previously selected. To see their names/email addresses, click the toggle next to the summary icon/s.
     
   • To remove a person from that link’s list:
     1. Click the X next to their name.
     2. Click the Remove button to confirm that this is what you want to do.
   • To add another person to that link’s list:
     1. Click the three dots after the Copy button.
     2. Type in the name or email address of the person/people you wish to add below the This link works for heading.
     3. Click the Apply button.
   • To delete a link and remove access for all of the people who are using that link:
     1. Click the three dots next to the Copy button.
     2. Click the X next to the Copy button.
     3. Click the Delete link button to confirm that this is what you want to do.

When someone at BCIT shares a file or folder with you, they’ll provide you with a link to it in OneDrive. To access it, open the link in any browser.

To see a list of all of the content that has been shared with you specifically, in any browser:

1. Go to onedrive.bcit.ca and, if necessary, login using your usual BCIT login credentials (students, faculty and staff).
2. Click on Shared.

You can now see a list of all files and folders that have been shared with you and information about when it was shared and by whom.

A student or employee at BCIT has sent you a link to a file or folder that they have shared with you using BCIT’s OneDrive.

Important info

The link that you have been sent is unique to you and utilizes your email address to ensure that only you can access the shared content. If you don’t have access to your email, you will not be able to access the shared file or folder. Please do not share your link with anyone else. If another individual needs access, the BCIT student or employee who gave you access will have to give them access as well.

From the time that the link was generated (which may not be the same time that it was sent to you), it will remain active for 180 days, after which point your BCIT contact will need to generate a new link and re-share it with you. Links older than 180 days will not work.

The first time that you click on the link on a device you will be guided through a process to generate a unique token. This token will expire after 30 days and you will be guided through a repeat of the process. You will also need to repeat the process if you try to access the link on a different device.

Verifying your identity

When you click on the provided link, you will first arrive at a page similar to the one below.

1. Verify that the displayed email address is one to which you have access, then click the Send Code button.
2. Check your email for an email with the subject line “###### is your Microsoft OneDrive verification code” (your email will include the actual number).
   • Note: This email will be from “SharePoint Online” and will include the name of the file or folder you are attempting to access but will not make any mention of BCIT or the person who shared it with you. This is normal.
     
   • Note: If you don’t see this email within a minute or two, check your junk or spam folder as this email can frequently incorrectly end up there.
3. Enter the code you received on the page where you requested it.
4. [Optional] Check the Keep me signed in checkbox if desired.
   • Note: Don’t do this on a shared device as anyone else with access to that device will be able to access the shared file or folder.
5. Click the Verify button.

You should now have access to view the shared file or folder. If your BCIT contact has allowed it, you may be able to make changes. All activity is tracked.

If someone has shared a file or folder with you in OneDrive and you want to always have the most up-to-date version available to you on your computer, you can sync it to your computer. This means that it will be saved to your computer and a background process will check for changes to the master copy in the owner’s OneDrive.

You can set up syncing in two ways.

Creating a shortcut to a shared file or folder

In a browser:

1. Go to onedrive.bcit.ca and, if necessary, login using your usual BCIT login credentials (faculty and staff).
2. Click on Shared in the left menu.
3. Navigate to the file or folder you wish to sync and click the radio button at the start of the line that appears when you hover your mouse over the item.
   
4. Click Add shortcut to My files in the menu across the top.
   

The item will now show up in your My files area, with an indication of where it is being synced from.

After a short delay for the actual initial download of the file to occur (depending on the size of the file or folder being synced), the file will exist on your computer and be synced to the state of the original (as long as your computer has internet access).

Syncing a folder

In a browser:

1. Go to onedrive.bcit.ca and, if necessary, login using your usual BCIT login credentials (faculty and staff).
2. Click on Shared in the left menu.
3. Navigate to the folder you wish to sync and click on it to open it.
4. Click Sync in the menu across the top.
   
   • Note: The first time you do this you may be asked to confirm that you want the site to open the “odopen link” with OneDrive. Ensure the Always allow… checkbox is checked and click the Open Link button to continue.
     

You’ll see a system notification appear telling you that the folder is now syncing in OneDrive. After a short delay for the actual initial download of the folder contents to occur (depending on file size), the file will exist on your computer and be synced to the state of the original (as long as your computer has internet access).