How to migrate from OxFile to OneDrive

OneDrive is a good alternative to OxFile for large file transfer requirements

Important: The OxFile service has been retired

OxFile was decommissioned on 19th June 2023.

 

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Share files from your OneDrive with other users. Disable the Allow editing option.

Features available

  • Send files up to your 100GB quota (hypothetically up to 250GB) using OneDrive. Can also send entire folders
  • Can send link to recipients, and can restrict to named users if required
  • Notifications available when link is used

Features not available

  • Anonymous recipients
  • Delegated owner controls
  • Automatic deletion of files / folders after expiry date

Tips

We recommend creating a Transfers folder for one-off transfers, so it’s easy to clean-up afterwards.

This can be configured in the same way as sending files to Oxford users, specifying external recipients by email address. In some cases a warning may be displayed when you enter the external recipient email address to remind you that you will be sharing content outside of our organisation, however this does not prevent you from proceeding. A file sharing link will be created for you to send to the recipients.

Both Oxford and external recipients can be given access through a single share.

We recommend that you use the "message" option to provide guidance for external recipients on how to access the shared file. Here is some suitable text:

Please use the link above to access a file that has been shared with you by a member of the University of Oxford. When prompted to login, please enter your email address as the username. You will then be sent a verification code to access the file. Further guidance is available at: https://help.web.ox.ac.uk/oxfile-migration-to-onedrive#collapse4881516

Warning 1: File and folder names may be exposed

Even where the sharing link does not contain the name of the shared file or parent folders, these details may be exposed when the sharing link is accessed. In some cases this happens before the recipient email address is checked (see below) so could expose file and folder names to any who obtains the link. If you do not want to share this information then we suggest that you create a new top-level folder in OneDrive, and share a copy of the file with a suitable name from here.

Warning 2: Edit access allows re-sharing

If you give Edit access to a file, then the person you are sharing with can reshare the file to absolutely anyone, including other external recipients. You will be notified of any additional sharing, can easily check who the file has been shared with, and can remove permissions.

Warning 3: Sharing directly and via a link is the same for an external recipient

If you are familiar with the difference between granting direct access to a file vs sharing via a link for internal users, then you should note that sharing with an external user always works as if you granted direct access.

 

If you don't have an Oxford account and someone has sent you a file sharing link then you can access the files as follows:

  1. Open the link. If this is the first time a file in an Oxford OneDrive has been shared with you then you will be asked to enter your email address to confirm your identity. This should be the email address that the sharing link was sent to (and is not and Oxford email address)
  2. You will be taken to an Oxford-branded login screen - this is correct. Ignore the message about "username in abcd1234@ox.ac.uk format"; instead enter your email address on the Sign in screen and confirm
  3. If you are using a non-Microsoft account then follow the prompts to be sent and confirm a verification code.
    If you are using a Microsoft account then you will be prompted to complete your usual sign in process
  4. Confirm the request for permissions required to check your identity. (Microsoft provide more details in their article External or guest sharing in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Lists - Microsoft Support)
  5. The file or folder that was shared with you should now open in your web browser

(This feature is not available in OxFile)

Share a folder from your OneDrive with other users. Enable the Allow editing option. Senders will be able to upload files to the shared folder.

Features available

  • Receive files up to your 100GB quota (hypothetically up to 250GB) using OneDrive. Entire folders can also be received
  • Can share with named recipients both inside and outside of the University's tenancy
  • Notifications available when link is used

Features not available

  • Anonymous senders
  • Delegated owner controls
  • Automatic deletion of files / folders after expiry date
  • Segregated upload: if you allow multiple senders to upload then they will be able to view and edit each other’s uploads. For small numbers of senders this can be avoided by creating separate folders for each sender

Tips

Recommend creating a Transfers folder for one-off transfers, so it’s easy to clean-up afterwards.

This works exactly the same as receiving files from Oxford users, specifying external senders by email address.

Both Oxford and external senders can be given access through a single share.

  1. Login to OneDrive online
  2. Browse to the file or folder you are interested in
  3. Select  > Details to display sharing details in the “Has access” panel on the right
  4. Hover over each of the profile icons to see who you have shared it with

  1. Login to OneDrive online
  2. Select Settings > OneDrive Settings > More Settings > Run sharing report and follow the prompts to choose a folder to save the report in
  3. Wait for an email confirming that the report is ready (this can take 5 to 10 minutes)
  4. Open the report from the folder you selected. The report filename will start with your name and includes information about when the report was generated, for example "Jo Smith_2022-7-5-8-13-47_1.csv"

  1. Login to OneDrive online
  2. Browse to the file or folder you are interested in
  3. Select  > Manage access
  4. Select  More options next to the sharing link you want to expire
  5. Select  Remove link and confirm that you want to delete the link

Files that other people have uploaded to a folder that you shared with them

Browse to your shared folder to see the uploaded files and them as normal.

Files that other people have shared from their OneDrive

Use the link they sent you to access the files or folders.

You can also find these files on OneDrive online under Shared > Shared with you.

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