You will be able to access both the web version of the applications as well as download and install the suite on your personal device. In addition, the College’s Microsoft 365 resources allow for the following:

  • Installation on up to 5 compatible PCs or Macs
  • Installation on up to 5 iOS and Android devices
  • 1 TB of storage through OneDrive
  • Download from your app store, sign in with your account after you’ve signed up (see below).

Tell me more

How do I sign up to get Office for free?

  1. Visit Office.com and click “Sign in.”
  2. Enter your Lafayette email address.
  3. If you are prompted to select “Work” or “Personal,” select “Work.” Otherwise, enter your Lafayette NetID and password.
  4. Once completed, you will have access to Office 365 services as well as the option to install the Office suite.

Note: You may need to wait a few minutes or refresh the page before all services are activated on your account.

What is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 is an umbrella of services provided by Microsoft, which includes web versions of the Office suite (e.g., Word, Excel, Powerpoint), OneDrive, and allows for the installation of the latest Office suite on your personal device(s). You may choose to use the web version or the installed version of the suite, but your documents can be opened in both interchangeably.

How do I access Microsoft 365?

If you chose to install the local version of the suite, you can use the applications just as you would prior versions by launching them locally. Online versions of the applications, as well as OneDrive access, is coordinated through the landing page at Office.com.

How can I access Microsoft 365 online?

You can access the online suite of Office applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint) by logging in to Office.com. You may download and install the Office suite from this location as well.

What if I already have an Microsoft 365 account?

If you already have a personal account registered to a non-Lafayette email address, then you can continue to use it as you normally would.

However, if your personal account is tied to a Lafayette email address, you will be presented with the option to log in to your “Personal” or “Work” account. Selecting the “Work” option will allow you to access the services available to Lafayette College students, faculty, and staff. Selecting the “Personal” account will allow you to use Office 365 as you had previously.

Can I migrate my personal data to my Lafayette account?

If you have data that resides in a Microsoft 365 personal account and would like assistance migrating it to your Lafayette account, please contact the Help Desk.

What happens when I graduate or my Lafayette account is deactivated?

Student access will typically end around January 31 of the year following graduation. Faculty and staff access will cease immediately upon deactivation of one’s Lafayette credentials. Files stored on OneDrive will need to be saved elsewhere.

You may secure your OneDrive data in several ways:

Copy files to your computer using the OneDrive App

  1. Sign in to the OneDrive App on your computer or mobile device. The app should be pre-installed on most Windows computers. macOS, iOS, and Android users will need to install the app your respective app store.
  2. Once connected, simply copy the data from the OneDrive folder to the desired location on your device.

Download the files from the web app

  1. Sign in to Microsoft 365, and select OneDrive.
  2. Select the files you wish you download, then click the Download button.

Transfer Ownership using mover.io

In Microsoft365, you are unable to transfer ownership of a file or folder from within OneDrive, but there are some tools that will help you copy files between accounts, such as mover.io.

  1. Log in using your Lafayette account.
  2. Select a Source (OneDrive For Business using your Lafayette account) then select a target destination (typically OneDrive Consumer using your personal account).
  3. Select the files and folders you wish to transfer, then click Start Copy.
  4. You will be redirected to a progress page where you can view the status of your migration.

What is OneDrive and how do I set up an account?

OneDrive is Microsoft’s service for hosting files in the cloud. It is similar to Google Drive and Dropbox, but with the familiarity and feature set of Microsoft Office. After completing the steps above to access your account, you will have access to OneDrive automatically, which is accessible through Office.com. Note, like Google Drive, OneDrive is not backed up by Lafayette College so deleted files cannot be restored.

Can I share OneDrive documents?

You can easily share and collaborate on Office documents stored in OneDrive as well as directly within the web and local versions of the Office suite. Documents can be shared with people both within and outside of Lafayette College. Simply click the [Share] button and enter a valid email address.

How do I access my OneDrive documents from a Lafayette computer lab or in a Smart Classroom?

We recommend using the following methods to access your OneDrive documents from Lafayette lab and classroom computers:

Web Interface

Log in to Office.com and click OneDrive. From here you can open any document stored in OneDrive.

Installed Office applications
  • On a PC, open any Office application and click the [Sign-In] button.
  • On a Mac, click File > Open > then sign in. Once signed in you will be able to access your OneDrive documents by clicking File > Open and selecting OneDrive from the list of locations.
OneDrive sync client

You can access your OneDrive files using the OneDrive sync client. Once signed into the client, you can move or copy your files from OneDrive to your computer’s hard drive, external drive, or Lafayette Cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive). If you use the sync client on a shared computer (e.g. lab computer in Skillman Library), please note the sync may take a while to complete depending on the total size of the files in your OneDrive.

  • Windows 11 comes preinstalled with the OneDrive client. Open it from the Start Menu and sign in with your account. OneDrive will appear in Windows Explorer so you can move your documents to your desired location.
  • Mac users can install the OneDrive sync client from the App Store. Once installed, sign in using your account. OneDrive will appear in the Finder and you can move your documents to your desired location.

You may opt out of using the OneNote sync client and download your files from the web interface:

  • Log in to Office.com and click OneDrive. Select your document(s) and click Download.
  • Once downloaded, you can move them to your preferred location.

Additional Training Material

  • Want to take deeper dive? Take a tour at your own pace with Microsoft.
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