File Access
Two ways to reach the same files
Whether you open a document through File Explorer or through the SharePoint web page, you're opening the same file in the same place. Changes made one way show up the other way. Use whichever fits the moment — and know that the web interface is the direction we're headed.
Side by Side
Which should I use?
Familiar & fast
Windows File Explorer
The folder window you've used for years. Your department's SharePoint library and your OneDrive appear in the left-hand pane, already set up on your work computer by IT.
Best for: everyday opening and saving, dragging files between folders, working the way you always have.
Keep in mind: it works on your set-up work computer. It's a window into the cloud — the files live in SharePoint, not on the PC.
File Explorer guidePreferred — works anywhere
The SharePoint web interface
Sign in through your web browser and every library you have access to is there — along with search, version history, sharing, and co-editing that File Explorer can't show you.
Best for: working from any computer, finding files by searching inside them, restoring earlier versions, sharing a link instead of an attachment.
Keep in mind: it looks different at first. Give it ten minutes — our guide walks you through every button.
Web interface guideOne set of files
There is no “File Explorer copy” and “web copy.” If you rename a folder in File Explorer, it's renamed on the web a moment later — and for everyone in your department. That's the biggest mental shift from the old drives: both doors open into the same room.
Your Map
Where did my drive go?
Every old drive now lives in a SharePoint library or in OneDrive. Here's the general map — your department's specific library names may vary, and IT can confirm yours.
| You used to open… | Now it's… | In File Explorer, look under… | On the web, go to… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your department's group drive | Your department's SharePoint document library | Carolina Meadows (the building icon) in the left pane | Your department's SharePoint site → Documents |
| Your private / home drive | Your OneDrive | OneDrive – Carolina Meadows (the cloud icon) in the left pane | office.com → OneDrive |
| Shared folders used across departments | A shared SharePoint library | Carolina Meadows → the library's name | The matching SharePoint site → Documents |
Department-specific map
IT maintains the exact list of which old drive letters became which libraries. If your department's map isn't posted here yet, contact the IT Help Desk at support@connectcause.com and we'll point you straight to your files.
The Rules of the Road
Five habits that keep shared files healthy
1. Save where you found it
Keep documents in their department library, not on your desktop. A file on your desktop is invisible to your team and isn't backed up the same way.
2. Delete with care
Deleting from a shared library deletes it for everyone. It goes to the site's recycle bin (recoverable for 93 days), but tidy thoughtfully.
3. Move small, not big
Dragging one folder is fine. Reorganizing an entire library rearranges it for the whole department — plan big moves with your team and IT.
4. Share links, not attachments
A link always opens the latest version and keeps the conversation on one copy. An attachment creates a stray duplicate the moment you send it.
5. Let versions work for you
Stop saving “Budget_v2_final.xlsx.” Save over the original — SharePoint quietly keeps every previous version for you.