Storing your University files

OneDrive can be opened in a web browser, so you can reach your University files without needing to open the desktop app. This is useful when you are working on a personal device, using a different computer or want to manage files directly through Microsoft 365.

Open OneDrive in the web

1. Go to Microsoft 365.
2. Sign in with your University email address and password. Complete Microsoft MFA if prompted.
3. Select Apps from the navigation menu, or select the app launcher shown as a grid of nine dots.
4. Select OneDrive. If it is not displayed, select More apps, then select OneDrive.
5. Select My files to view your files and folders.

From My files, you can open documents, create folders, upload files and organise content stored in your University OneDrive.

On a University Windows 11 computer, you can access your OneDrive files through File Explorer, where OneDrive may appear as the O Drive.

The O Drive is not a separate storage area. It shows the same files and folders as your University OneDrive online, so changes made in either location will appear in the other.

For help with organising folders, sharing files, restoring previous versions and managing your OneDrive storage, visit the Using OneDrive guide.

The N Drive and K Drive should connect automatically when you sign in to a University Windows computer. Both are available through File Explorer, although the folders shown on the K Drive will depend on the access provided by your course or University service.

N or K Drive on Windows

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Select This PC from the navigation pane.
3. Under Network locations, select:
   • N Drive to open your personal network files.
   • K Drive to open the shared folders you have permission to access.

Your N Drive should connect automatically when you sign in to a University Mac and may appear in Finder using your University username or as your home directory. The K Drive is also available through Finder when you have permission to access its shared folders.

N or K Drive on a University Mac

1. Open Finder.
2. Under Locations in the sidebar, find the drive you need:
   • Select your University username or home directory to open the N Drive.
   • Select the K Drive to open the shared folders you can access.
3. Select the drive to view its files and folders.

On a personal Windows 11 computer, you can map the N Drive or K Drive so it appears under Network locations in File Explorer. Connect to the University VPN first when you are away from campus.

The N Drive uses an address linked to your University account. The K Drive uses the shared address \\sp1\public.

Find your N Drive address

The Find my N Drive tool shows the network drive paths available to your University account. It may display an N Drive path, a K Drive path or both, depending on your access.

1. Open the Find my N Drive tool.
2. Enter your University username.
3. Find the N Drive address listed in the table for Windows.
4. Copy the full address. It may look similar to: \\SU2.uni.ds.port.ac.uk\UP\up874069

Map the N or K Drive in File Explorer

1. Open File Explorer, then select This PC from the navigation pane.
2. Select More options (…) from the command bar, then select Map network drive.

3. From the Drive list, choose:

   • N: for your N Drive.
   • K: for the K Drive.

   If the letter is already in use, select another available drive letter.

4. In the Folder field:
   • For the N Drive, paste the address copied from the Find my N Drive tool.
   • For the K Drive, enter: \\sp1\public
5. Select Reconnect at sign-in.
6. Select Connect using different credentials.
7. Select Finish.
8. When prompted, enter uni\ followed by your University username. For example: uni\up1234567
9. Enter your University password, then select OK.

The connected drive will appear under Network locations in File Explorer. Only select Remember my credentials when using your own trusted computer.

On a personal Mac, you can connect to the N Drive or K Drive through Finder. Connect to the University VPN first when you are away from campus. The N Drive uses an address linked to your University account. The K Drive uses a shared University network address.

Find your N Drive address

The Find my N Drive tool shows the network drive paths available to your University account. It may display an N Drive path, a K Drive path or both, depending on your access.

1. Open the Find my N Drive tool.
2. Enter your University username.
3. Find the N Drive address listed in the table for Windows.
4. Copy the full address. It may look similar to: \\SU2.uni.ds.port.ac.uk\UP\up874069

Connect to the N or K Drive in Finder

1. Open Finder.
2. From the menu bar, select Go, then Connect to Server.
3. In the Server Address field:
   • For the N Drive, paste the address copied from the Find my N Drive tool.
   • For the K Drive, enter: smb://sp1.uni.ds.port.ac.uk/Public
4. To save the address for future use, select the Add (+) button.
5. Select Connect.
6. If a connection message appears, select Connect again.
7. Enter your University username and password when prompted.
8. Select Connect.

The connected drive will open in Finder and should appear under Locations in the sidebar. Only save your password in your keychain when using your own trusted Mac.

You can connect to your N Drive from a Linux computer using the terminal. This process requires administrator permissions and is most suitable for students who are comfortable working with command-line instructions.

Connect to the University VPN first when you are away from campus. The K Drive cannot be connected from Linux using this process.

Find your N Drive address

The Find my N Drive tool shows the network drive paths available to your University account. It may display an N Drive path, a K Drive path or both, depending on your access.

1. Open the Find my N Drive tool.
2. Enter your University username.
3. Find the N Drive address listed in the table for Windows.
4. Copy the full address. It may look similar to: \\SU2.uni.ds.port.ac.uk\UP\up874069

Connect to your N Drive using the terminal

1. Open a terminal.
2. Create a location for the connected drive, replacing $username with your University username. For example: sudo mkdir /mnt/$username
3. Enter the following command, replacing:
   • $server with the N Drive address copied from the Find my N Drive tool.
   • $username with your University username.
   • This should look like: sudo mount -t cifs $server -o username=$username,rw,sec=ntlmssp,vers=3.0 /mnt/$username
4. Enter your University password when prompted.
5. Open the /mnt folder, then open the folder named with your University username to access your N Drive files.

Disconnect your N Drive

When you have finished, enter the following command in the terminal, replacing $username with your University username. For example: sudo umount /mnt/$username

You can check how much storage remains on your N Drive before saving large files or when you are having trouble adding new content. This check is only available from a University Windows computer or University Mac and cannot be completed from a personal computer.

Check on Windows

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Select This PC from the navigation pane.
3. Right-click the N Drive, choose Show more options, then select Properties.
4. On the General tab, review the space used and the space still available.

Check on Mac

1. Open Finder.
2. Under Locations in the sidebar, select your N Drive.
3. Select File, then Get Info.
4. Review the storage information shown.

A University Mac may not display an on-screen warning when your N Drive is full. Check your University email for storage notifications.

Files or folders deleted from the N or K Drive may be available through Previous Versions on a University Windows computer. This depends on whether an earlier snapshot is available for that network location.

For the safest recovery, open the folder that originally contained the deleted item and copy it from an earlier version. Avoid restoring the entire folder or drive, as this could replace newer files.

Recover using Previous Versions

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Select This PC from the left navigation pane.
3. Open the N Drive or K Drive and find the folder that previously contained the deleted item.
4. Select the folder, choose Show more options, then Properties.
5. Open the Previous Versions tab.
6. If available, select a version dated before the file or folder was deleted.
7. Select Open to view that version.
8. Find the missing file or folder.
9. Copy it into the correct location on the current N or K Drive.

If the deleted item was stored directly at the top level of the drive, open Properties for the N or K Drive itself instead.

If no versions are listed, a suitable snapshot may not be available. Contact IT Support for further help.