Overview
Microsoft Teams allows users to store, collaborate on, and share files across channels, chats, and personal OneDrive storage. This guide covers viewing, editing, uploading, downloading, organizing, sharing, and recovering files in Microsoft Teams.
Applies to: Faculty Staff
Before You Begin
- Sign in to Microsoft Teams using your Columbia College account (username@ccis.edu).
- Ensure you have the required channel or file permissions to upload, edit, or delete items.
Step-by-Step Guide
Instructions
1 View and Navigate Your Files in OneDrive
OneDrive in Teams consolidates all your accessible files into organized categories for quick access.
●Select OneDrive on the left side of Teams.
●Navigate through the sections: Home (recently accessed/edited files), My files (personal cloud files), Shared (files shared by or with you), Favorites, or Recycle bin.
●Use Browse files by to filter by people, meetings, or media type, or use Quick access to open files from specific channels.
2 Upload Files to OneDrive or a Channel
Upload files to your personal storage or share them directly with team members within a channel.
●To OneDrive: Select OneDrive > Add new > Files upload, select your file(s), and click Open.
●To a Channel: Go to Teams on the left sidebar, choose your channel, select Upload (or drag and drop files directly into the window), and select Open.
3 Open and Edit Office Files
Open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents directly within Teams or in their dedicated desktop and web apps.
●Open in Teams: Click on any file name to open and edit it directly within Teams with standard Office ribbon tools.
●Open in Desktop / Browser: Right-click the file (or select More options …) and choose Open in > Desktop app or Open in browser.
●Set Default Open Preference: Select Settings and more (…) > Settings > Files and links, then choose your default preference under File open preference (Teams, Desktop app, or Browser).
4 Organize, Move, Copy, and Rename Files
Keep your storage structured by moving files between folders or renaming items.
●Move or Copy: Hover over a file, select More options (…) > Move to or Copy to, navigate to the target folder, and click Move here or Copy here.
●Move Multiple Files: Hover over each file and select the circle check mark in the left column, then select Move to or Copy to at the top.
●Rename: Hover over any file or folder, select More options (…) > Rename, enter the new name, and click Save / Update.
5 Download and Share Files with Permissions
Share documents with specific permissions or save local copies to your computer.
●Share from OneDrive: Select OneDrive > My files, hover over the file, click Share, specify recipients and permission levels (Can edit, Can review, Can view, Can't download), and click Send (or Copy link).
●Share in a Channel or Chat: In the compose box, select Actions and apps > Attach file, choose your file, and click Send.
●Download a Copy: Hover over the file in a channel or OneDrive and select More actions (…) > Download.
6 Delete and Recover Deleted Files
Restore accidentally deleted items from OneDrive or SharePoint recycle bins.
●Delete a File: In OneDrive or a Channel Files tab, hover over the file and select More actions (…) > Delete.
●Recover OneDrive File: Go to OneDrive > Recycle bin, right-click the file, and select Restore.
●Recover Channel File: In the channel's Files tab, select More options (…) > Open in SharePoint. From SharePoint, click Recycle bin on the left, check the file, and click Restore.
Important Note on Permissions & Channel Storage
Files uploaded to a Teams channel are stored in that team's underlying SharePoint library and are accessible to all channel members. Download permissions may be restricted depending on the sharing policies configured by the file owner.
Support & Assistance
Get Help
Need additional assistance managing or sharing files in Microsoft Teams?