Syscloud

OneDrive Backup:
The Complete Guide
for IT Administrators
2018
Are you using OneDrive and not thought about keeping a backup of your
business data?

The truth is, Microsoft Office 365 has advanced security features to
safeguard your data, but not much in terms of a backup solution!

Microsoft is not responsible for data loss due to accidental deletions,

ransomware or malicious activity.

What will you do then?

Backing up your OneDrive data is the only solution.

In this article, we will explain all the possible ways in which you can
back up your OneDrive data.

Version 1.0, updated on November 23, 2018

Google Drive Backup – The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018

Contents

Introduction to OneDrive............................................................................................................ 1
Reasons to Back up OneDrive .................................................................................................... 1
How to Backup Your OneDrive? ................................................................................................. 3
Take Manual Backup .............................................................................................................. 3
OneDrive Backup Using SysCloud .......................................................................................... 5
How to Restore Your Backed up Data to OneDrive? ..................................................................10
Restore Deleted Files Using Native Features ........................................................................10
Restore Files from Recycle Bin ..........................................................................................10
Restore Files from the Second-Stage Recycle Bin.............................................................11
Restore Files Using the “Restore Your OneDrive” Feature .................................................11
Restore Using SysCloud ........................................................................................................14
Using OneDrive as a Backup Solution .......................................................................................15
How to take backup using OneDrive? ....................................................................................15
Taking Manual Backup ......................................................................................................15
How to Automatically Back up Using OneDrive Sync Client? .............................................16
How to Protect Files in Your Windows Phone? .........................................................................21
How to Backup or Secure Your Photos? ................................................................................23
How to Back up a Third-Party Application on Your Phone?...................................................24
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................27

Google Drive Backup – The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018

Introduction to OneDrive
Microsoft launched OneDrive in the year 2007 – for both personal and
business users – to store data in the cloud.

By October 2016, Office 365 – that includes Outlook – had over 120
Million active business users.

But, is your data in OneDrive completely safe?

Microsoft offers its customers high security and almost no scheduled

downtime. That doesn’t mean it is not immune to disruptions!

Reasons to Back up OneDrive

Despite the high-availability, redundant systems that Microsoft has
built, OneDrive is not a hundred percent safe. There is always a chance
of human error that no machine can predict.

Every company should be prepared for unpredictable data loss

incidents. According to recent reports, 70% of small firms shut down
within a year due to data loss incidents.

These are the two main reasons why you should back up your OneDrive.

1.Human Error and Malicious Intent

According to Uptime Institute, 70% of data loss incidents are caused
due to human error.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 1

It’s common for employees to make mistakes, but some mistakes can
have dire consequences. A careless click or accidental deletion can
wipe out all your critical data, putting your business at risk.

Apart from unintentional mistakes, there are possibilities of someone

with a malicious intent purposefully deleting your business data.

2. Malware Attacks
Microsoft is known for its strict and efficient security policies. You need
not worry about malware attacks on your OneDrive.

But, the sync feature provided by OneDrive lets you sync your OneDrive
desktop client with the online provider. In case your desktop is affected
by any malware or virus, this will, in turn, affect your cloud data as they
are synced.

In such situations, keeping a backup of your data is your only solution.

If you are still not convinced, we have something that will change your
mind.

Microsoft does not take any responsibility for your data!

According to the Microsoft Service Agreement, they are not liable for
any data loss that you may incur.

They advise users to take regular backup of their data using third-
party applications and services.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 2

Well, that should explain the importance of backing up your OneDrive.

Read the article where it was first published!

Click Here

How to Backup Your OneDrive?

We have already established that Microsoft is remarkably good at
data availability. This could have been the reason why they overlooked
backup options for their customers. There is no inbuilt feature in
OneDrive that lets you take a backup of your data.

So, can OneDrive be backed up?

OneDrive users have only two options to back up their data; they can
either manually download the data and store it in a hardware or use a
third-party application.

Take Manual Backup

Follow these steps to manually download your OneDrive files to your
desktop:

• Log in to your OneDrive account.

• Select the files that you want to back up.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 3

 • Click on the vertical ellipsis next to the selected file and select
the “Download” option – for downloading a single file – from the
drop-down menu.
• To download more than one file, select all the required files and
click on the “Download” button on the top of the screen as
shown below.

Your files will be downloaded as a .zip file.

Once the download is complete, you can extract the zip files to view it.
The documents stored in shared folders can also be downloaded in
the same way.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 4

Note: This method can be used by both personal and business Office
365 users.

Limitations:
1. You should download your data at frequent intervals to keep
your backup up to date.
2. If a file is lost in between two backup processes, it cannot be
restored.
3. In order to manage your storage space, you will be forced to
delete older files that are of less importance at the moment.
4. This is not a feasible method for a business organization as
every employee is responsible to take regular backup of their
OneDrive data.

Note: This is a convenient method only for personal users and maybe
for small businesses but not for enterprises.

OneDrive Backup Using SysCloud

SysCloud is an easy and reliable OneDrive backup solution. Users can
back up their data in a few easy steps.

Using SysCloud you can:

1. Restore backed up data even if the user’s account is

permanently deleted.
2. Directly restore data back to its previous location in OneDrive
with all sharing permissions and folder structure still intact.
3. Restore data to another user’s account.
4. Permit employees to take backup and restore their own files to
facilitate faster recovery.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 5

 5. Receive regular reports on the status of your backup, restore,
and usage reports.

Steps to back up using SysCloud:

• Log in to SysCloud’s application using your Microsoft/Office 365

admin credentials.
• Navigate to “Backup” in the menu bar and select the “Start
Backup” option
• from the drop-down menu.

• Next, specify the required domain from “Select the Domain”

option and select the account(s) you want to back up.
• Click on the “+ Add” button to add the selected users to the
backup list.

(This space is intentionally left blank)

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 6

• Now, click on the “START BACKUP” option to back up an entire
account or click on “SETTINGS” to customize it further.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 7

 • In the following screen, switch on the “Drive” option.

• Click on “Start Backup”.

• The next screen will give you the status of your backup/restore.
• To see the progress of your backup, click on the “Archive &
Restore” link.

Once the backup starts, our OneDrive backup software will

automatically back up the selected accounts every day.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 8

 Be proactive!

Enable SysCloud Backup application

for an automated backup of your
OneDrive Data.

Get 1 TB Free Backup

----------------Trusted by -------------

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 9

How to Restore Your Backed up Data to OneDrive?
Recently deleted files from OneDrive can be restored using its native
restore features, whereas to restore permanently lost data, the only
option is to use a third-party application that has already kept a backup
of the files.

Restore Deleted Files Using Native Features

OneDrive has two stages in its recycle bin and a bonus restore feature
for those subscribed to Office 365.

To retrieve accidentally-deleted files or folders in OneDrive, follow these

steps.

Restore Files from Recycle Bin

The deleted files in OneDrive will be retained in the recycle bin for 30
days. After that, they will be automatically moved to the second-stage
recycle bin.

• Log in to your OneDrive account.

• Navigate to the “Recycle bin”, on the left pane.
• Select the files that have to be restored and click on the “Restore”
button on the top of the screen.

This will restore the files to its original location.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 10

Restore Files from the Second-Stage Recycle Bin
The files deleted from the recycle bin will go to the second-stage
recycle bin. These files will be retained for another 30 days here.
To restore files from this stage:

• Navigate to the “Recycle bin”.

• Click on the “Second-stage recycle bin” option.

• Select the files that have to be restored and click on the

“Restore” button at the top of the screen.

Restore Files Using the “Restore Your OneDrive” Feature

The files in the second-stage of recycle bin will be automatically deleted
after 30 days. These files can still be restored within a month after its
deletion from the second-stage recycle bin using the – bonus –
“undo” option.

Once the files are deleted from this stage, they are permanently lost.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 11

This feature is useful in situations like a server crash, accidental
deletion, or any malicious activity.

To restore files deleted from the second-stage recycle bin:

• Navigate to the Settings icon at the top right corner of your

OneDrive homepage.
• Select the “Restore your OneDrive” option from the drop-down
menu.

• In the next page, select the desired time period.

(This space is intentionally left blank)

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 12

• Next, select the file that has to be restored and click on the
“Restore” button at the top of the screen.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 13

Once you confirm the restoration, your files will be restored to its
original location.

NOTE: This feature is available only for those subscribed to Office 365.

Restore Using SysCloud

Files backed up by SysCloud can be easily restored with a few clicks.

• Log in to SysCloud’s application using your Microsoft/Office 365

admin credentials.
• Navigate to “Backup” in the menu bar and select the “Archive &
Restore” option from the drop-down menu.
• Now, use the “Advanced search” option to find the required file or
directly select it from the list.

• Click on the “Restore” button to restore the files.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 14

The deleted files will be restored back into its original location.

To know how to back up your Outlook data, check out our in-depth
article:

Outlook Backup Made Simple: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide 2018

Using OneDrive as a Backup Solution

Data stored in your smartphones and other electronic devices are
always vulnerable to malware attacks and theft. In such situations,
OneDrive becomes an online backup solution.

OneDrive allows you to sync your phone and computer to the cloud. You
can also manually backup the important files and documents. This way
your data could be backed up – automatically or manually – in the
cloud.

Therefore, losing your phone or accidentally deleting your files from

your computer/phone should be the least of your worries.

How to take backup using OneDrive?

There are two ways to back up your hardware data to the cloud:
1. Manual Backup
2. OneDrive Sync Client

Taking Manual Backup

• Log in to your Microsoft OneDrive account.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 15

 • Right click on the screen and create a new folder – to keep the
backup.

• Create subfolders as per your need and copy paste the data from
your hardware to the cloud respectively.

Now all your important data will be stored in the Cloud.

NOTE: The folders must be regularly updated to avoid loss of data.

How to Automatically Back up Using OneDrive Sync Client?

Syncing your hardware file to OneDrive will help you protect your files
in case it is deleted or lost. To automatically sync your hardware files
to the cloud, use the OneDrive Sync Client.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 16

NOTE: OneDrive Sync Client will also store and Sync your OneDrive files
on the desktop for accessing files in offline.

• Download and Install OneDrive Sync Client.

• Launch this on your desktop by logging in with your Microsoft
account credentials.

• Click on the cloud icon – white for personal accounts and blue for
business accounts – on the taskbar.
• Select the “More” option and click on “Settings” from the pop-up
menu.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 17

• Next, navigate to the “Auto Save” tab on the page.
• Click on the “Update folders” button to sync your whole desktop
or selected folders to your Drive.
• Enable the Sync option for photos, videos, and screenshots to
OneDrive and clock on “OK”.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 18

Now, the files from your desktop will be automatically synced every
time you start your client.

The Sync Client also acts as a two-way backup application by copying

all your drive files to your desktop. The main aim of this option is to
make drive files available offline.

After signing in with your Microsoft credentials, the sync client will ask
you to select folders that have to be stored in your desktop from
OneDrive.

• In the “Choose folders” page – that appears after signing in for the
first time – check all the boxes so that all your OneDrive files will
be available in your hardware.
• Click “OK”.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 19

In case you did not check the boxes at the time of installing the sync
client, follow these steps:

• Click on the cloud icon – white for personal accounts and blue for
business accounts – on the taskbar.
• Select the “More” option and click on “Settings” from the pop-up
menu.
• Next, navigate to the “Account” tab on the page and click on
“Choose folders” to save drive files on your desktop.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 20

CAUTION: Since it is a sync client, if you delete a file – originally
available on OneDrive – from your desktop, it will be automatically
deleted from your OneDrive cloud. This will happen only if you
physically delete the files and is not affected if your system crashes or
if you uninstall the client.

How to Protect Files in Your Windows Phone?

Windows phones have to be logged in with a Microsoft account
credential. This allows the phone to be in sync with OneDrive, allowing
you to take an automatic cloud backup.

Follow these steps to back up important data and contacts from your
phone to OneDrive.

• Navigate to the “Settings” page and select the “Backup” option.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 21

• Next, click on “apps+settings” option.

• Enable the “App backup” and “Settings backup” option to sync

your phone with OneDrive.

(This space is intentionally left blank)

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 22

How to Backup or Secure Your Photos?
To back up all your photos and videos on your phone to OneDrive, follow
these steps:

• Click on “Settings” → “Backup” → “Photos + Videos”.

(This space is intentionally left blank)

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 23

 • Next, enable the Backup option.

This will automatically back up your photos and videos to your

OneDrive.

NOTE: The steps in this section are written with reference to Windows
Phone 8.1 and the steps may vary slightly with the upgraded phones.

How to Back up a Third-Party Application on Your Phone?

Third-party applications like WhatsApp can also be backed up in
OneDrive.

Before setting up a backup:

1. You must have a Windows phone.

2. Sign in to your OneDrive account from your phone.

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 24

 3. Check if there is enough space on your OneDrive as well an on
your phone.

Steps:
• Open WhatsApp on your phone.
• Click on the ellipsis (…) button.
• Navigate to “Settings”.
• Click on “chats and calls”.
• Select “Backup” → “OneDrive”.
• Select the account.
• Next, choose “manual or automatic backup” option as per your
convenience.

The backed up files will be stored in a separate folder in OneDrive. This

way, you can easily transfer existing data to a new mobile device.

(This space is intentionally left blank)

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 25

 Did you know?

Microsoft does not take responsibility

for data loss due to human error.

Get 1 TB Free Backup

Restoring lost data can be as easy

as pie!
OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 26
Conclusion

The advent of Cloud storage has made it inescapable from giving our
business data to the cloud. As more and more companies prefer
OneDrive over physical storage for cost reduction and IT efficiency, it is
also imperative to protect your data from cloud security threats.

There is no guarantee that your data will be available in the next 5

minutes!

Being PROACTIVE helps.

Having a backup of your OneDrive using third party applications like

SysCloud provides complete protection to your business and its data.

For more information, please contact us at

sales@syscloud.com

Or Visit us at
www.syscloud.com

OneDrive Backup: The Complete Guide for IT Administrators 2018 27