OneDrive limitations

Sharing files with third parties

When using OneDrive links for sharing files with people outside the University of Otago via the Anyone with the link option, the link generated will only be active for seven days, in accordance with the University's security policy. This date can be shortened if required but cannot be extended beyond seven days.

If you require permanent access to a OneDrive file or folder for someone outside the University, use the Specific People option when sharing. This will send the person an email with a link to access the file. When accessing the file, they will need to enter their email address, and will be sent a one-time access code. If they do not receive the access code, ask them to check their Junk/Spam folder.

OneDrive path length limitations

The entire decoded file path, including the file name, cannot contain more than 400 characters for OneDrive. The limit applies to the combination of the folder path and file name after decoding.

For example:

If the file URL in OneDrive is: https://otagouni-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/personal/abcd12p_registry_otago_ac_nz/Documents/Documents/Office365/Migration%20Users.xlsx
the limit applies to: personal/abcd12p_registry_otago_ac_nz/Documents/Documents/Office365/Migration Users.xlsx

Note that the limit doesn’t include the start of the URL or the encoding %20 for spaces.

Illegal characters in file names and paths

The following characters are not able to be used in the file name of a file that is syncing to OneDrive:

” * : < > ? / \ | and spaces at the start/end of a file name.

Using any of these characters will cause the file to fail to sync. If a file is not syncing, you can check for these characters, remove them, and try again.

Invalid file or folder names

The following are not able to be used as the file or folder name of a file/folder that is syncing to OneDrive:

.lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0 – COM9, LPT0 – LPT9, _vti_, desktop.ini, any filename starting with ~$

In addition:

• _vti_ cannot appear anywhere in a file name
• forms isn’t supported when the folder is at the root level for a library
• You cannot create a folder name in OneDrive that begins with a tilde (~)
• Temporary (.TMP) files will not be synced to OneDrive

For the OneDrive client on a Windows or Mac computer

In addition to the above, if files are synced to a Windows or a Mac, the following limitations apply:

• Each segment of the path (a segment is a file name or folder name like Migration Users.xlsx in the example above) can’t be more than 255 characters due to operating system limitations.
• The length of the OneDrive root folder (e.g. C:\Users\abcd12p\OneDrive-University of Otago) plus the relative path of the file (up to 400 characters) cannot be more than 520 characters.

OneDrive-University of Otago is 30 characters.

File upload size

The maximum file upload size for OneDrive is 100GB. For any file larger than a few GB, it is recommended to use the OneDrive client rather than the web application.

Storing .pst files on OneDrive

It is not recommended to use OneDrive to store .pst files that are regularly syncing with a mailbox as it increases the chances that the .pst file will be corrupted. If you wish to store a .pst file on OneDrive, it should be less than 10GB and not connected to a mailbox.