Give Sensitive Documents Extra Protection in OneDrive

Give Sensitive Documents Extra Protection in OneDrive

OneDrive Personal Vault places sensitive files behind an additional identity check and locks them again after inactivity. It is a practical place for passport scans, tax records, insurance documents, and other files that deserve more protection than an ordinary cloud folder.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

September 2, 2026

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Your vacation photos and passport scan probably should not receive identical treatment.

Yet that is what can happen when everything lands in the same cloud storage account. 

Your files may be protected by your Microsoft account, but an unlocked computer, shared device, or compromised session can still create an opportunity for someone to see more than you intended.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Move your most sensitive documents into Personal Vault, then lock it as soon as you finish using them.

OneDrive Personal Vault adds another checkpoint. 

Before opening the protected folder, you must verify your identity using an available method such as a fingerprint, face, PIN, Microsoft Authenticator code, email code, or text message. 

The vault also locks after inactivity, so its contents do not remain indefinitely accessible.

This is not a separate storage service or a replacement for good account security. 

It is a protected area inside a personal OneDrive account, designed for files that deserve more care.

New OneDrive Photos App Makes Finding Old Pictures Much Easier

New OneDrive Photos App Makes Finding Old Pictures Much Easier

Microsoft is introducing a dedicated OneDrive Photos app experience that helps users organize, rediscover, and manage pictures stored locally and in the cloud. If your photo collection has become a maze of folders, screenshots, and backups, this new tool could save you a surprising amount of time.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

August 5, 2026

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Most of us take thousands of photos every year, then spend far too much time searching for the one image we actually need.

A vacation picture from three summers ago. A photo of a receipt for an expense report. A screenshot containing important information. 

The files are usually there somewhere, but finding them can be frustrating.

Here's a Cool Tip: Try the New Windows 11 OneDrive Photos App.

OneDrive Photos is a dedicated photo-focused experience that has recently started appearing on some Windows 11 systems. 

The app provides a gallery-style experience for browsing, organizing, and revisiting photos stored on a PC and in OneDrive cloud storage. 

Availability currently may vary by account, device, and rollout status.