Sync and Disconnect an External SharePoint site
UConn faculty, staff, and students may sync external SharePoint sites to their computer. Syncing a site places the shared files directly in your File Explorer (Windows) and Finder (macOS) so you do not need to use the website.
When students graduate or when faculty/staff separate from the organization, they will lose access to their SharePoint sites.
ITS recommends that you Add a Shortcut to OneDrive to access UConn SharePoint data, however the Shortcut feature is not available for external sites. You may follow this guide below if you wish to sync an external SharePoint site.
Sync an external SharePoint site to your Computer
Depending on the number of files in your SharePoint site, the initial synchronization with your computer may take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. This synchronization happens in the background, and you may turn off your computer during the process; the synchronization will resume when the computer turns back on.
During this initial synchronization, you will not be able to access file in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS). Please use the website, s.uconn.edu/sharepoint, to access your files until the synchronization has completed.
Visit the SharePoint site that is hosted by the group you are collaborating with.
Click on Documents in the left-hand menu. In the top toolbar, select Sync.
Note: the Document Library may not be named “Documents”, ask your collaborators if you cannot find the documents.
The website will check if you have OneDrive installed on your computer. You will see a couple popups. Allow your browser to open OneDrive.
If you do, the site will begin to sync to your computer. Depending on the number of files, this initial sync may take a few hours.
If you do not have OneDrive installed, click on “install the latest version of OneDrive.”
What does this sync look like on my computer?
Log in to your computer.
Windows: From your desktop, open File Explorer by clicking the icon, using the keyboard shortcut (Windows Key + E), or searching for it in the Start menu.
macOS: Open Finder by clicking on the icon or by pressing Command + Spacebar on your keyboard and searching for Finder.
Click on the institution’s name (in the screenshot below, the institution is University of Connecticut) in the left-hand menu.
You will now see a list of the SharePoint sites from the institution that you have synced to your computer.
Open this folder and access your SharePoint files as if they were on your computer.
Optional: Choose which folders to Sync
You may choose to have certain folders remain cloud-only and not accessible from your File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) windows.
You may choose to not sync certain folders after the initial sync has finished processing.
After you have synchronized your SharePoint to your computer and it has finished synchronizing, you may now alter your OneDrive App settings to not sync certain folders. Once this setting is changed, the folder(s) will disappear from your File Explorer and Finder windows.
On your desktop, click on the OneDrive cloud icon.
If you are using Windows, you will see the icon in the bottom right of your screen, next to the system time.
If you are using macOS, you will see the icon in the top toolbar.
Click on the settings gear and then Settings.
In the popup window, click on Account.
The first item in the list is your OneDrive. It is then followed by your SharePoint sites.
In the picture below, you can see a OneDrive (private files) followed a SharePoint site: “SP Road Show”.Find the desired SharePoint site and click on Choose folders.
Click on a folder to check/uncheck it.
Unchecking an item means you will need to navigate to https://s.uconn.edu/sharepoint in order to see it. The files/folders remain intact yet untouchable from File Explorer (Windows) and Finder (MacOS).
You may expand a list item in order to stop a child folder from syncing. A child folder is a folder within another folder.
The “Files not in a folder” are files that are in your SharePoint but not inside a folder. Consider these to be top-level files no in a folder (you don’t have to open a folder to view them).
To sync all of your files and folders, check the Make all files available box.
Click OK to save your changes.
Disconnect a Sync’d site
Click on the OneDrive cloud icon on your desktop to open the OneDrive App.
If you’re using Windows, check the bottom right corner in your taskbar for the blue cloud icon.
If you’re using macOS, check the top of your screen in your menu bar for the cloud icon.
Click on the settings gear and then Settings.
Click on the Account tab if you are not brought there automatically.
Click on Stop sync to remove this SharePoint site from your computer.