How to save your files and using OneDrive

When we talk about saving your work, there are a few terms we need to talk about.

• File: an individual document, image, PowerPoint, or spreadsheet workbook that you're working on.
• Folder: helpful for organizing multiple files. You can group multiple files and save them together inside the same folder.
• File Explorer: The program used on Windows based computers to navigate through files and folders (the small yellow folder on your task bar)

How to save your work

• In any Microsoft product (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access) you can save your work by going up to the ribbon and clicking on the File Tab.
• The first time saving a file, you will need to choose Save as, this will let you choose which folder to save your work in.
• It is important to save your files in a meaningful way, when completing work for class half the battle is finding a file after you've completed all of your work.
• You can use File Explorer to create folders ahead of time so you have to a location to save your class work.
  • Create a folder for each class
    • Create a folder for big projects within your class folder

OneDrive

• OneDrive lets you save your work online, so you have access to it anytime you have an internet connection
• OneDrive uses folders, they work the same as a folder on your computer
• Create class folders just like you would on your computer
  • If you use the OneDrive sync client, you can automatically save files to both your computer and OneDrive.
  • OneDrive Orientation
• Remember, OneDrive available through your college Microsoft 365 account is considered OneDrive for Business because your account is managed by the college.

Finding your saved files

• You can use File Explorer to navigate to a specific folder you've created, and open up a file
• You can also use the search bar located in your task bar to type the name of the file you're look for
• When submitting assignments in Blackboard, you can either search for files saved on your computer or files saved in your OneDrive for Business cloud storage.

For additional information we recommend going through the online course Windows Basics: Working with Files or Windows Basics: Finding Files On Your Computer offered through GCFLearnFree.org.  They are a non-profit group offering online courses for free on a variety of topics.