31.1 Cloud Storage Foundations — OneDrive & SharePoint

Co-authoring requires the file to be stored on a Microsoft cloud platform. Local files saved to C:\Drive cannot be co-authored.

OneDrive vs SharePoint

Saving a File to OneDrive or SharePoint

1. File → Save As (or Ctrl+S if the file has not been saved to the cloud yet)
2. In the Save As panel: click OneDrive or SharePoint Sites from the location list on the left
3. Navigate to the desired folder → click Save
4. The title bar changes to show the cloud icon (☁) next to the file name, confirming it is cloud-saved
5. AutoSave is now enabled (the AutoSave toggle in the top-left switches on automatically)

AutoSave — Always On for Cloud Files

• AutoSave saves changes every few seconds automatically — no more Ctrl+S required
• The AutoSave toggle is in the top-left of the ribbon (a switch labelled "AutoSave")
• When AutoSave is ON: a cloud icon appears and "Saved to OneDrive" or "Saved to SharePoint" shows in the title bar
• Turn AutoSave OFF temporarily if you want to make experimental changes without saving — then discard or save manually
• AutoSave only works for files saved to OneDrive or SharePoint — local .xlsx files show AutoSave greyed out

31.2 Sharing a File — Inviting Collaborators

Once a file is saved to the cloud, you can share it with specific people or generate a link that anyone can use.

Opening the Share Panel

• Click the Share button in the top-right corner of the Excel ribbon (a person icon with a +)
• — or — File → Share

Share with Specific People

1. In the Share panel: type the email address (or name if they are in your organisation's directory)
2. Set the permission level: Can edit (full editing rights) or Can view (read-only)
3. Add an optional message
4. Click Send — the recipient receives an email with a link to the file

Share via Link

1. In the Share panel: click Copy link (or "Get a shareable link")
2. Choose the link type:
   • Anyone with the link: no sign-in required — anyone who receives the link can access the file
   • People in [Your Organisation] with the link: only colleagues with a valid organisational account can open it
   • People with existing access: only those already shared on the file
   • Specific people: only the email addresses you define
3. Choose editing or viewing permission for the link
4. Optionally set an expiry date (the link stops working after this date)
5. Optionally set a password (recipient must enter the password to open)
6. Click Copy → paste the link in an email, Teams message, or WhatsApp

Managing Who Has Access

1. File → Share → Manage Access (or click "Share" → gear icon → Manage Access)
2. The Manage Access panel shows everyone who currently has access and their permission level
3. Click Stop Sharing next to a person to revoke their access immediately
4. Click a permission label to change from "Can edit" to "Can view" or vice versa
5. Delete a link to invalidate all access granted through that link

31.3 Co-Authoring — Working Simultaneously

When multiple people open a shared cloud file, Excel enables co-authoring — everyone sees each other's changes in real time, colour-coded by person.

Indicators of Active Co-Authoring

• People icons appear in the top-right of the ribbon showing who else has the file open (profile photos or initials)
• Coloured cell flags: each co-author's active cell is highlighted in a unique colour with their name shown in a small tooltip
• Colour-coded cell borders: the cell another person is currently editing shows a coloured border matching their colour
• Changes made by others appear in your view within a few seconds automatically

Conflict Resolution

If two people edit the exact same cell at the same time, Excel detects the conflict when both saves register. A Conflict Resolution dialog appears showing both versions — you choose which one to keep.

• In practice, conflicts are rare because co-authors rarely work on the exact same cell simultaneously
• To avoid conflicts: use communication (Teams, WhatsApp) to coordinate who is working on which section
• Sheet protection can help: protect sections different team members should not edit, leaving only their designated input areas unlocked

Cells You Cannot Co-Author

• Protected cells (Review → Protect Sheet is active)
• Cells being edited by another co-author right now (you can see their colour flag — wait for them to move on)
• Charts, shapes, and images (objects cannot be co-edited; only one person edits an object at a time)

Co-Authoring in Excel for the Web vs Desktop

31.4 Version History — Restoring Previous Versions

Version History is one of the most valuable cloud features. Microsoft 365 automatically saves versions of your file every time significant changes are made, and you can browse and restore any previous version without data loss.

Opening Version History

• Click the file name in the title bar → Version History
• — or — File → Info → Version History
• A pane opens on the right showing a list of saved versions with timestamps and who saved each one

Restoring a Previous Version

1. In the Version History pane: click any version to preview it (a read-only copy opens in a new window)
2. Review the content to confirm it is the version you need
3. Click Restore to make this version the current file. The current version is not lost — it becomes another entry in the version history.
4. To keep the old version as a separate copy: click Open Version → File → Save As → save with a different name

How Long Versions Are Kept

• OneDrive Personal: versions are kept for 30 days
• OneDrive for Business / SharePoint: versions are kept for 180 days by default (configurable by IT administrators)
• Microsoft 365 keeps many intermediate versions for recent activity and fewer (daily snapshots) for older dates

31.5 Comments & Notes — Communicating Within the File

Excel has two types of in-cell annotations: Comments (the modern threaded type, linked to Microsoft 365 accounts) and Notes (the older yellow sticky-note style, now renamed from the legacy Comments).

Comments (Threaded — For Collaboration)

• Modern Comments support threaded conversations — like a chat thread within a cell
• Other co-authors can reply, creating a conversation linked to that specific cell
• Use @mention to notify a specific person (e.g., "@Thabo please verify this figure") — they receive an email notification

Inserting a Comment

1. Right-click a cell → New Comment — or — Review tab → Comments group → New Comment
2. Type the comment text → click the Post button (✓ or Ctrl+Enter)
3. A small purple triangle appears in the top-right corner of the cell indicating a comment
4. Hover over the cell to read the comment; click it to reply

Resolving and Deleting Comments

• Right-click a comment → Resolve Thread: marks the discussion as complete (collapsed but kept for reference)
• Right-click a comment → Delete Thread: permanently removes the comment
• Review tab → Show Comments: opens a side panel showing all comments across the entire workbook

Notes (Legacy — For Static Annotations)

• Notes are the classic yellow pop-up boxes — one author, no threading, no @mentions
• Insert: Review → Notes → New Note (or Shift+F2)
• Indicated by a small red triangle in the top-right corner of the cell
• Right-click → Show/Hide Note to pin a note open permanently
• Use Notes for static references, data source information, or formula explanations that do not need a conversation

Printing Comments and Notes

• Page Layout → Page Setup dialog launcher → Sheet tab → Comments and Notes dropdown
• Options: None (default, do not print), At end of sheet (prints all in a list after the data), As displayed on sheet (prints where they appear visually)

31.6 Sharing Settings & Permission Levels

Permission Levels Explained

Restricting Re-Sharing

• When sending an invitation: in the Share panel, click the gear/settings icon → untick "Allow editing" re-sharing, or untick "Allow recipients to share"
• On SharePoint: IT administrators can set library-level policies that prevent users from sharing certain files externally regardless of what individual users set

Sharing Best Practices for SA Offices

• Payroll and salary files: share with Can edit only to the HR team; share with Can view to the CFO and MD. Never use "Anyone with the link" for confidential files.
• Budget templates: share each department's section with that department head using Can edit; lock (protect) all other departments' sections
• Client-facing reports: export to PDF before sharing with clients rather than sharing the editable Excel file
• Expiry dates: set link expiry when sharing externally for compliance (e.g., a link sent to an auditor expires after 30 days)

31.7 OneDrive Desktop Sync

The OneDrive desktop application syncs cloud files to a folder on your local computer, so you can work on files in Windows Explorer exactly like local files — but they are automatically backed up and shared in the cloud.

How Desktop Sync Works

• Install the OneDrive app (built into Windows 10/11) and sign in with your Microsoft account
• A "OneDrive" folder appears in File Explorer alongside your local folders
• Files saved to this folder are automatically uploaded to the cloud
• Files edited offline are synced when you reconnect to the internet

Sync Status Icons

Files On-Demand

• OneDrive's "Files On-Demand" feature shows all cloud files in File Explorer without downloading them all (saving local disk space)
• Files download only when you open them
• Right-click a file → Always keep on this device: ensures it is always available even offline
• Right-click → Free up space: converts a locally downloaded file back to an online-only placeholder

31.8 Practical SA Collaboration Workflows

Workflow 1: Monthly Budget Submission (Multiple Departments)

Workflow 2: Daily Sales Report (Auto-Updated, Read-Only Distribution)

Workflow 3: Audit File Sharing (External, Time-Limited)

31.9 Quick Self-Check

Q1: A colleague says they cannot edit your shared Excel file even though you set it to "Can edit" — instead it opens as read-only. What are three possible causes?

✓ (1) The file is not saved to the cloud — it is a local .xlsx file. Co-authoring requires the file to be on OneDrive or SharePoint. Check the title bar: if it shows a local path (C:\...) instead of a cloud icon, save it to OneDrive first. (2) The colleague is using an older version of Excel (Office 2019 or earlier) that does not support real-time co-authoring. The file may show as "Locked for editing" because older Excel versions lock the file for exclusive access. They should use Excel for the Web (browser) or upgrade to Microsoft 365. (3) The sheet is protected (Review → Protect Sheet is active) and the colleague's cells are all locked. They can open the file but every cell they try to edit is protected. Unprotect the sheet (or unlock the specific cells they should edit) to resolve this.

Q2: You accidentally deleted an entire sheet of data in a shared Excel file saved to SharePoint. No one noticed for an hour and everyone has made other changes since. How do you recover the deleted data?

✓ File → Info → Version History (or click the file name in the title bar → Version History). The pane lists automatic versions saved throughout the day. Click the version from before the deletion occurred (versions are timestamped — look for one from before the deletion hour). A read-only copy opens in a new window showing the file as it was at that time. The deleted sheet should be visible. To recover: (1) right-click the deleted sheet tab in the old version → Move or Copy → copy it to the current workbook. Or (2) select all data on the recovered sheet, copy it, then paste it into the current workbook on a new sheet. Click Restore only if you want to revert the entire file (this would lose all changes made in the past hour by all co-authors).

Q3: You need to share a payroll file with the CFO for review but must ensure: (a) they cannot edit any data, (b) their access expires in 14 days, (c) a password is required to open the file. How do you configure the sharing link?

✓ In Excel: Share button (top-right) → Copy link → in the link settings: Link type = "Specific people" (enter the CFO's email address) → Permission = "Can view" (not Can edit) → click "Set expiration date" → set to 14 days from today → click "Set password" → enter a strong password. Click Apply then Copy. Send the link to the CFO and communicate the password separately (phone or in-person — never in the same email as the link). After 14 days the link automatically stops working. After the review, go to File → Share → Manage Access and verify the link has expired or manually delete it to confirm access is fully revoked.

Q4: What is the difference between a Comment and a Note in Excel, and when would you use each in a collaborative SA payroll context?

✓ A Comment (modern threaded type, indicated by a purple triangle) supports threaded conversations: multiple people can reply, and you can @mention someone by name to notify them by email. It is linked to Microsoft 365 accounts and shows who said what and when. A Note (legacy type, indicated by a red triangle) is a single static text box — one author, no replies, no @mentions. In a payroll context: use Comments when you need a conversation — for example, the payroll administrator flags a salary variance with "@Finance Manager, please approve the R2,000 salary correction in B45". The Finance Manager receives a notification, reviews, and replies "Approved" in the same thread. Use Notes when you need a static reference — for example, annotating cell C12 with "Rate per SARS table 2025 — last updated March 2025" as a static data source reference that does not require a response.

Q5: A colleague receives a "Sync error" (red X) on their OneDrive folder for a shared Excel file. What are three common causes and how do you resolve them?

✓ (1) File naming conflict: another person saved a file with the same name to the same folder simultaneously, or the file name contains illegal characters (: / \ * ? " < > |). Rename the file to remove special characters and ensure unique names. (2) File size limit: OneDrive has a maximum file size of 250GB and SharePoint has limits set by the organisation's IT. If the file exceeds the limit (rare for Excel), compress it by removing embedded images or splitting it into smaller files. (3) Permissions issue: the user no longer has access to the folder (their permissions were changed or revoked). The file cannot sync without read/write access. The file owner needs to re-share with appropriate permissions via File → Share → Manage Access. In all cases: right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray → hover over the red X file → read the specific error message which usually describes the exact issue.

Q6: Describe the key advantages of co-authoring on SharePoint over the old method of emailing Excel files back and forth in a South African business context.

✓ (1) No version confusion: there is one file with one name — no "Final_v3_REVISED_ACTUAL_USE_THIS.xlsx" chains. Version History stores all previous states automatically. (2) Real-time visibility: everyone sees changes as they are made — no need to wait for someone to email their version back. (3) No overwriting: the colour-coded cursors show who is editing where, preventing two people from overwriting the same cell unintentionally. (4) Audit trail: Version History records who changed what and when — valuable for SARS audits, internal compliance, and governance. (5) Always current: a "Can view" link given to the MD or CFO always shows the latest data — no need to resend updated files. (6) Access control: permissions can be revoked instantly (unlike emails, which cannot be "unsent" or recalled reliably once received). In SA offices dealing with POPIA-regulated personal data (payroll, HR records), controlled sharing via SharePoint is a compliance advantage over email which leaves copies on multiple devices and mail servers.

✓ Module 31 Complete — You Have Learned:

• Cloud storage foundations — OneDrive Personal (5GB free), OneDrive for Business (1TB+ work account), SharePoint (team/org libraries), Microsoft Teams (SharePoint via Teams interface); saving to cloud (File → Save As → OneDrive/SharePoint); cloud icon in title bar; AutoSave (on for cloud, greyed out for local files)
• Sharing a file — Share button (top-right); share with specific people (email, Can edit/view, message, Send); share via link (Anyone / Organisation / Existing access / Specific people); link options (expiry date, password); Manage Access (stop sharing, change permission, delete link)
• Co-authoring — requires cloud file + AutoSave; people icons in ribbon; colour-coded cell flags and borders per co-author; conflict resolution dialog when same cell edited simultaneously; what cannot be co-authored (protected cells, objects); Excel for Web vs Desktop vs Office 2019 comparison
• Version History — File → Info or title bar click; list of timestamped auto-saves; preview old version (read-only); Restore to revert; Open Version to save as separate copy; retention periods (30 days OneDrive, 180 days SharePoint/Business); replaces v1/v2/FINAL naming habit
• Comments vs Notes — Comments: threaded conversation, @mention notifications, purple triangle, Reply/Resolve/Delete Thread; Notes: static yellow box, legacy, no threading, red triangle, Shift+F2; printing options (None/End of sheet/As displayed); Show Comments side panel
• Sharing settings — permission levels (Can edit, Can view, Owner); restricting re-sharing; SA best practices (payroll = specific people only, budget = department-by-department with sheet protection, client reports = export to PDF, external = expiry + password)
• OneDrive Desktop Sync — Files On-Demand (online-only placeholder vs downloaded); sync status icons (green tick solid/outline, blue spinning, red X, cloud icon); Always keep on this device; Free up space; sync errors and resolution
• SA collaboration workflows — monthly budget submission (SharePoint + sheet protection per dept + @mention comments); daily sales report (AutoSave + PivotTable Refresh on Open + Can view link for managers); audit sharing (Specific people + Can view + 14-day expiry + password + Manage Access follow-up); POPIA compliance advantage of SharePoint over email