Getting started with OneDrive is easy.
All you have to do is create a Microsoft account, and then you'll have access to everything
from OneDrive to Office Online, and much, much more.
To begin, go to onedrive.live.com, then click the link that says Sign up for Free.
If you already have an Outlook account—or any account that lets you use other Microsoft
services (like Xbox Live)—there’s good news: You can skip this step.
Otherwise, click Create a Microsoft Account.
To begin, you'll need to pick a login name.
You can either use your current email address, or sign up for a new one using the link below
the box.
In this example, we're going to use an existing email address.
You'll also need a good, strong password—one that's easy for you to remember, but hard
for other people to guess.
Avoid using really obvious passwords, like your name… predictable patterns… or the
word "password."
The more random your password, the better.
By default, you will start receiving promotional emails from Microsoft once you sign up for
an account.
These emails might contain surveys, advertisements, and other product news.
If you don't want to receive these offers, make sure you uncheck the box here.
When you’re ready, click Next...
OneDrive will prompt you to complete the final steps necessary to create your account, just
follow the directions on the screen.
Now that you’ve gotten your account set up, let's take a closer look at the interface.
On the left is the navigation pane.
This is where you can access things like your files, recent documents, and more.
At the top of the window you’ll also see the navigation bar…
Click the command here… and you can jump to other parts of your Microsoft account,
including email, contacts, and calendar.
Also on the navigation bar is a place when you can manage your account.
Just click the account command in the upper right corner.
From here, you can edit your profile, change your account settings, or log out of OneDrive
all together.
There's one more thing I want to show you before we wrap this up.
If you prefer working in the desktop, you can download the OneDrive Desktop app.
(If you’re using Windows 8.1 or newer, the OneDrive app is already on your computer).
You can find the link to download the OneDrive app here, on the left side of the screen.
Just click the Download button, and OneDrive will prompt you through all the steps to complete
the download.
This tool is completely optional, but it will make certain tasks easier (like syncing and
uploading files from your computer).
And that about does it!
Now that you have a Microsoft account, you can start using it, and all the products and
services that come with it.