Although the free version of OneDrive limits you to three files in the Personal Vault folder, you can use this workaround to store as many files as you want.
As part of the OneDrive experience, you can also use "Personal Vault," which is a feature designed specifically to store files (such as documents, personal records, pictures, etc.) with sensitive information. The data upload to this area is protected with encryption and using more robust security with two-factor authentication, in addition to the typical sign-in process.
The only caveat is that Personal Vault is a freemium feature of OneDrive, which means that anyone can use it, but you'll need a Microsoft 365 subscription to store more than three files. However, if you're up to the challenge of using some extra steps, there's a workaround using a zip container that allows you to upload unlimited files (but limited to your OneDrive storage space) to the vault area using the free version of the Microsoft cloud service.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to upload unlimited files to the free version of Personal Vault in OneDrive.
If you don't want to go through the workaround to use the Personal Vault, then you should consider getting a Microsoft 365 subscription to lift the file restriction on your account.
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Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) gives you full access to all the apps and perks, such as 1TB of OneDrive storage without Personal Vault restrictions and Skype minutes. You can also install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other apps on up to five devices, and depending on the subscription, you can share the account with up to five people.
How to upload unlimited files using the free tier of Personal Vault
The trick to upload as many files as you want to the free version of OneDrive Personal Vault is to group all of your files with sensitive information inside of a zip container, so the service only sees one file in the protected area.
Setting up Personal Vault on Windows 10
To set up OneDrive Personal Vault on Windows 10, use these steps:
- Click the OneDrive icon from the notification area of the taskbar.
- Click the More button.
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Select the Unlock Personal Vault option.
Quick note: You may also see a Get started button when opening the OneDrive app, which can also help you to set up the feature.
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Click the Next button.
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Click the Allow button.
- Confirm your Microsoft account password.
- Click the Sign in button.
- Continue with the on-screen directions.
Once you complete the steps, you can start uploading and downloading to the secure area of OneDrive.
If the option isn't available, check the Personal Vault setting page on your OneDrive account, and make sure to enable the feature.
Uploading unlimited files to Personal Vault
To upload more than three files to the free tier of Personal Vault, use these steps:
- Open File Explorer.
- Browse to the folder with the file you want to upload to Personal Vault.
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Right-click a space on the folder, select the New menu, and click the Compressed (zipped) Folder option.
- Confirm a descriptive name for the zip folder and press Enter.
- Select the files you want to protect using OneDrive.
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Click the Copy button from the "Home" tab.
- Double-click to open the newly created zip folder.
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Click the Paste button from the "Home" tab.
- Click the Back button (Alt + Left arrow keyboard shortcut) to return to your document's folder.
- Select the zip folder with the confidential files.
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Click the Copy button from the Home tab.
- Click on OneDrive from the left pane.
- Double-click the Personal Vault shortcut.
- Verify your account credentials (if applicable).
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Click the Paste button from the "Home" tab.
After you complete the steps, the zip folder with unlimited files will upload to your free version of the OneDrive Personal Vault.
Retrieve files from Personal Vault
If you ever need to access the files, use these steps:
- Open File Explorer.
- Click on OneDrive from the left pane.
- Double-click the Personal Vault shortcut.
- Verify your account credentials (if applicable).
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Double-click the zip container to access your files.
- Right-click the document and select the Open option.
Once you complete the steps, you'll be able to view the contents of the confidential document.
If you need to modify the document, select the file, choose a destination folder from the Compressed Folder Tools tab to extract, and then edit the document from the extraction location. Then right-click the original file from the zip folder and select the Delete option. Finally, copy the newly edited document and paste it inside the zip folder.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
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