Migration of Network Folders to OneDrive
For the attention of all NECS staff
From January 2024 onwards, NECS users will see that their personal network drive content will have moved. For most users this network drive location had the drive letter H: assigned and was visible in File Explorer. All content will be or has already been migrated to your NHS secure OneDrive area.
The following screen shot shows a typical user’s file directories and folders in File Explorer.
Please note the following:
- Your OneDrive location displays typically as [Your name] – NHS with the blue OneDrive icon. Simply click in here to see all your migrated files and folders from the H: drive. You can create folders and save files to this drive as usual.
- Standard Windows file storage locations such as Desktop, Documents and Pictures now point to OneDrive, not H:.
- The I: drive remains in place for saving or archiving work related material. The contents are shared with your immediate work colleagues and permissions are managed via the NECS Service Desk.
What action do I need to take?
Please watch this short video on how to sign in to OneDrive on your work machine/laptop for the first time so that files can be migrated from the H drive.
Read through the key questions below to learn more about OneDrive and the migration of the H: drive.
Key Questions
Historically, NECS users had access to at least two network drive locations. Files were accessed via a LAN/Wi-Fi connection at an office location or via VPN if working remotely. The drive letters in most cases were;
- The H: drive – A personal network location for work related file storage. Only the user had access to these files, typically using File Explorer in Windows.
- The I: drive – A shared network drive location for a team or department to save, archive and share their work related files.
The contents of the H: drive will now be saved using the NHS OneDrive location.
Yes. Please continue to use this secure network drive location for saving and archiving work related data in accordance with the NECS IG framework and principles.
Yes, OneDrive is safe to use and is provided along with your NHS.net email account.
Unlike the network drive storage locations, OneDrive does not require users to log on at a work base or via a VPN connection to access it.
“OneDrive is an online storage space for your files that enables you to work from anywhere as long as you are logged into your Office 365 account with your nhs.net email address. With OneDrive you can collaborate with multiple colleagues on documents simultaneously and work easily across your devices.”
Source: support.nhs.net
Care should be taken when using OneDrive that unauthorised access is not obtained by others.
It is best practice to access your NHS OneDrive area on devices provided by NECS.
Fur further information, visit this page and read the appropriate policy documents https://intranet.necsu.nhs.uk/docs/Policies/Forms/AllItems.aspx
To open File Explorer in Windows, click the start menu, type File Explorer and select the app. Or use the keyboard shortcut Windows + E.
Notice that your OneDrive location displays on the left hand side and typically displays as [Your name] – NHS with the blue OneDrive icon. Simply click in here to see all your files and folders which used to be stored on the H: drive. You can create folders and save files to this drive as usual.
A very quick way to see who has access is to note the share icon and check the tool tip text by hovering over the item. OneDrive also displays a share icon next to any shared items. Note the following screenshot showing a folder which has been shared with at least two people.
OneDrive allows you to share files with others. This needs to be done with care; just the same as with sending emails with attachments, direct messaging, saving content online and other sharing methods. In all cases, please follow the NECS IG framework and principles.
TO learn more about sharing files in OneDrive, view this short video Microsoft OneDrive – An Overview on the NECS Learning Site (opens in a new tab): Microsoft OneDrive An Introduction
No, this is not recommended.
If key documents required by a department, group or team are stored and shared in a user’s OneDrive area, problems can arise if that user leaves and their user account is closed.
OneDrive is available for personal work files. For example you could save documents here for your use only. Or you could draft documents here and save them to the network drive or a Teams channel later. You could use the OneDrive sharing feature to collaborate or even coauthor with others until it is ready to be saved in another location.
Sharing capabilities in OneDrive should be used with care. Just like using the To: field in an email, give careful thought to which users you share with.
In conclusion, continue to use the I: drive (shared network area) for saving and particularly archiving work related documents. Microsoft Teams is also available as a collaboration tool with file storage capability.
When sharing files or folders in OneDrive, please do not share them with the entire organisation as this makes the content available to all NHS mail users. Please select a specific subset of people instead.
The following short video shows the steps involved in sharing from OneDrive and how to avoid accidentally sharing to all users within the NHS.
- From Excel or any other Microsoft Office 365 desktop app, select File > Save As
- Select OneDrive – NHS
- Enter a filename
- Click Save
OneDrive uses status markers to show at a glance where the content is stored. With OneDrive you can have content stored online only, or you can make it available offline. This gives you great flexibility. For example, to free up space on your device, select a file or folder as online only and you will see the blue cloud icon.
To see how to set a status for a file or folder in OneDrive, watch the following short video. (The screen recording was in Windows 10 but the steps are the same for Windows 11.)
Learn More About OneDrive
What should I do if I have any problems?
Please read this page carefully before contacting the NECS service desk. The key questions above provide steps and instructions.
Further training tips, videos and more are provided within the training groups on https://learning.necsu.nhs.uk/